Can I just unplug the TV until Christmas?

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

It seems every Christmas, when my kids sit down to write their letters to Santa, I get surprised by some out-of-the blue request. An Air Hog's RC Zero Gravity Micro Car? I had never heard them mention it before. A Swim to Me Puppy, really? Then the episode of SpongeBob ends and on come commercials for, you guessed it, the car and the dog with goggles. No wonder the Zhu Zhu Pets are sold out. The commercials are on all the time.

I think I should unplug the boob tube for two months. But wait, that would require I spend more time talking to my children. Maybe we should make it DVDs only in our house until Christmas (I kid, people! I actually like talking to them, really.)

It was about this time last year that the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood sent a letter to the CEOs of 14 toy companies asking them to market to parents, not kids, this holiday season to save parents some grief.

The Toy Industry Association of America responded with this defense: "If children are not aware of what is new and available, how will they be able to tell their families what their preferences are?"

Brace yourselves folks. With the industry facing another year of dismal sales, their phasers are set for STUN to dazzle the kids and to KILL for the dent they want to put in your wallet. You will no doubt be hearing about it.

-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne

Posted by Times Editor at 7:00:00 am on November 12, 2009 | Permalink | Comments |

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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com

After six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com

Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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