Kid Tech

I saw this article that states that children under 12 should be banned from handheld devices, and though I do not have any kids of my own, I do nanny for three kids under 12.

The 10 reasons why are vague and do not apply to the crew I watch.
I do like to limit the almost 2-year-old's TV time, though,
As I don't like how he sits zombie-like with a blank stare at the screen.
He does only watch Charlie brown, though, and did not show much interest in the two movies his sisters and I tried to introduce him to (Cars and Curious George).

He does play on the ipad. He doesn't have the fine motor skills to really play the racing car game, and at first he could not drag the puzzle pieces to their places. Now, at 23 months, he can drag the puzzles most of the time and press the gas position (for the racing game) about 50% of the time. (He doesn't really seem to get that you need to all the time.) He likes watching the car crash into trees or running out of gas, which happens when he doesn't press it like he's supposed to.

His sisters now, ages 9 and 10, each have their own iphone and access to the ipad. The 10-year-old got a Kindle Fire for Christmas, but their internet access is limited (and I don't think it works at all on their phones. They can text their parents, but it's only apple to apple, so my phone and theirs doesn't work).
The girls are allowed to watch TV and play the wii but I have hardly seen them do this, especially since September when they went back to school, and in the summer they had to read for every minute they played or watched.

Both girls like to read, are excelling in school, and are very socially attune (they even have Instagram accounts).
The baby did not use the ipad or watch TV until December, at 20 months. His parents introduced them both to him - I wouldn't touch it without their permission. Plus, we went outside a LOT in the summer. We have recently whenever the weather permits. We LOVE going outside.

I know the saying "The Dumbing Down of America" applies, and it's related to technology. I know that in this current generation of kids they have yet to find one as smart as some in the previous generation.
But with these kids I watch, I do not see technology as a great problem. They do not have TVs in their bedrooms. They are limited in time and are both active in sports - soccer, art, and ballet respectively. Maybe that makes a difference, and I know plenty of kids who don't have access to the goods they do, but I really think the article is an extreme case, not the norm. At least, it isn't the norm here, in my city, with the many kids I watch (In addition to a nanny I also aid in a classroom and babysit).

Time will tell how big a problem technology grows.

I Am Done

I am done trying to access my itunes account.
For now.

I can't access my email on file,
Because it's my old one
That hasn't been used in so long
They deactivated my account.

I can't access my itunes account,
Because I can't remember my username
Or my password
And they keep sending it to my deactivated email.

I can't get a new account
Because I have paid songs on there
And I refuse to pay for them again.

And my ipod is charging,
On my computer,
With songs from my old account.
Because my ihome died.

I really, really hate technology today.
Also, I really, really need my medication,
Even though it makes me oh so tired.
Because I am about to explode.

Disconnect

Quite honestly, I have envied the idea of close sisters.
My mom always said wished she had a sister,
Until she had us.
(Which is, quite frankly, an insult.)

But though I have most of my life had a sister,
We have never really thoroughly connected.
We were interested in different things,
And we really don't connect in anything else.

I wish we did, I really do.
I am closest to my brother
And have more fun with my best friend.
But nothing is like a sister.

And now she is getting married in the fall.
I was there the weekend she met the guy,
And I remember her boy-crazy sprint in high school
Where she dumped all this drama onto me.
(Not that I regret being there for her,
But I just could not relate.)

But I realize, when reading other peoples' stories,
That I still wish I could be close to her.
I tried in college, but it didn't work.
I annoy her, she annoys me.
We are two people who have lived in the same house,
But things have always been somewhat awkward.

Buyers in America

Buyers are very gullible.
The "limited edition" sign
Will get them almost all the time,
If they really want something.

The fear of it being "sold out"
And not being able to get something
Causes many to forgo other expenses
They should be paying first.

I say They,
But I have my weaknesses too.
Books, school supplies,
And stuff for my doll collection -
Those are my weaknesses.

But even I have limits,
That many, many others don't seem to have.

And yet, as a side note,
I have money in my savings,
That I *could* use at any moment,
While some spending have to wait until
Their next paycheck to even have the money.

Ah, Capitalism.
Greed is one of your fatal flaws.

Genius Kids

The school systems are just not designed for them,
When they get things after one or two times,
And the rest of us don't.

Also, the school system,
With it's "gifted" programs,
Give some a false sense of being intelligent,
And ironically does not cater to the geniuses.

In the Worst of Times

Even in the worst of times,
In the worst of the worst fights -
And there were a few -
I knew I would feel horrible
If I didn't make things right with my parents
And something really bad happened to them.

Also, I really want to be a Foster.

Lately

Lately I've been spending my days -
ALL my days off -
Sleeping or reading,
But mostly sleeping.

Partly because I take medicine that makes me tired,
(And I forgot last night, which meant
Today I was vividly LESS tired),
And partly because my visions are blurred.

By visions, I mean what I want to do with my life,
What to work on in my spare time.
Library books have made me focused on reading
In a timely manner,
But I need to do my passionate love: Writing.

So I kind of started again today -
Maybe finally I'm out of my funk.
But either way it's good to have today off,
Without medicine so I could get my drive back.

It will be a hard road but
I want to.

We'll see.