I’m sorry, but people who dress up their toddlers in 5 different outfits a day and try to see what types of music the kids like at 3 years old are going to severely mess up their kids. Worse thing is, these people usually identify with being “intellectuals” when they can’t even tell that they’re manifesting their identities in objects to the point where they actually become nothing. They are victims of the media machine. — Fed Up With Inflated Identities
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2013.
“I’m sorry, but people who dress up their toddlers in 5 different outfits a day and try to see what types of music the kids like at 3 years old are going to severely mess up their kids.” – And why exactly will the kids be messed up? Please explain, because The Captain isn’t very messed up, and he was brainwashed with Celtic and fiddle music until late in his teenage years when he discovered what ‘Metal’ was. As well, being cycled through itchy polyester for morning church (including zipper tie), nice clothes for Grandma’a, then road trip attire, then one of my evening dinosaur sweat suits, and finally PJ’s for sleepy time. That’s 5 sets of clothes in one average day…
“…they can’t even tell that they’re manifesting their identities in objects” – Objects? That would be the toddlers you referred to earlier?
People who waste their time and energy on trivial matters like this scare me. Apparently there’s large portions of the population that think shit like this is important.
Captain
I’d hate to bring bad news, but most people who are messed up definitely don’t realize it. An excellent documentary to illustrate part of how the marketing media machine has stolen our identities is called ‘the century of self”. I don’t completely agree with OP, but there is an aspect about placing kids’ identity immediately into “when you do this your supposed to look like that” that might be too much. Also many personality disorders involve the manifestation of identity into objects. I’m sick of being peoples’ research assistant so you’ll have to find out yourself.
^^tell me captain, was the grammar in that paragraph enough for me to be intelligent, and thus qualified to have an opinion. It’s all about grammar huh.^^
-there’s definitely something going on Captain, but as far as I’m concerned our issues are important in making us who we are. What’s life without potential change.
By objects OP means clothing, music, how the room is decorated and so on. Let kids bring that on themselves when they are old enough to care for it.
I tend to agree with The Captain on this one. But exceptions can always be made.
http://1sttime0ffender.files.wordpress.com…
Yes, I realize they weren’t talking about the kids when they mentioned objects. I just like to be an arse-hole and twist things around.
“It’s all about grammar huh” – If you say so. I think it’s all about intention. You’re qualified to have an opinion if you can form one. Which you have. So expect your signed and sealed ‘certification to form an opinion’ papers in the mail shortly. Congratulations…
“What’s life without potential change.” – How do you measure potential? How do you measure change? Maybe exposure to music and clothing increases potential?
If it isn’t parents subjecting their kids to these things, then someone else will. It could be teachers, TV, friends, family, or themselves.
I know! What if kids always made their own decisions and choices regarding everything in their life. After all, it’s their life, let them do what they want with it! I can’t see any problems with arising from this method…
I always stressed individuality to my kid who learned that lesson quite well – a budding anti-consumer-shit advocate and I couldn’t be prouder.
Captain.
By issues I mean someone can have a complete object associative disorder and can then “change”. Also Parents thinking they’re kids “have to be like such and such” and then aim that child’s experiences towards it are looking out for their own interests more than the kid’s interest. Then again if the parent is just going about his or her business and the kid notices things along the way without being forced that is more natural. I think OP is talking about parents who smother the toddler with their love to turn the kid into “something great”.
“I think OP is talking about parents who smother the toddler with their love to turn the kid into “something great”.” – So is it bad that the kid turns into something great? Or is it bad because the parents tried?
I don’t see how helping a child to be successful is looking out for ones own interests, especially when I consider the parents that I know who continually make personal sacrifices so that they have an opportunity to smother, brainwash, dress inappropriately, and bombard their children with information.
“Parents thinking they’re kids “have to be like such and such”” – By ‘such and such’ you mean outstanding, productive, successful, and informed members of society? Because I think those are some of the aspirations that most parents hope their children will achieve, whether or not they successfully accomplish that.
victims of the media machine?? stfu hippie and raise your kids vegan with burlap sack clothes if you want, but dont tell anyone else how to raise their kids
Firstly, I would like to clarify that I’m not saying that parents should necessarily just let kids do whatever they want, but when my parents are dragging me to the Greenwood Dolphins swimming pool and I’m doing 40 laps after every school day at 8 years old because I used to like to swim in lakes they are ruining something I loved to do. Their fear that I could miss an opportunity to be an Olympian is pathetic, and NOT something that is for me. At all. Passions come naturally, they are not forced.
This is more extreme that OP’s example, but it is what I’m getting at. What if that toddler isn’t someone who’s into music or style at all.
“…my parents are dragging me to the Greenwood Dolphins swimming pool and I’m doing 40 laps after every school day at 8 years old because I used to like to swim in lakes they are ruining something I loved to do.” Exact same thing happened to me. 8 years old, signed up for the Windsor Bluefins, trained every morning and afternoon and had to drive all over the province to compete every weekend. I hated it, loved it, hated it again, loved it, left it, came back to it… I competed for 10 years, then came back as a coach. The innocent ignorance of children wouldn’t allow for them to fully understand their own passions anyway.
I don’t think your parents were trying to turn you into an Olympian, although they wouldn’t have been against that outcome. There’s probably many reasons why they did what they did. Did you make friends? Get in shape? Learn something? Or, it could have been that swimming acted as a daycare so your parents could have some peace and quiet, because they weren’t fans of spending all their time smothering their kids.
some parents over schedule their children, we had the boy in several activities but he liked them. i semi-forced him to play the violin til grade 9, but he can play the guitar and drums now
My mother was a volunteer coach, and my dad was a perry before the military privatized that entire area. So no, they weren’t using it as day care. I had a really good dolphin kick so the coaches thought I would have a good butterfly later on. I fucking hated swimming within 1 month. All the friends I made was while building forts secretly way out in the woods.
It sounds like you had very supportive parents, and your interests weren’t in conflict with being under too much pressure, but everyone is different, as I will re instate as my point. One shouldn’t teach their kids that if they aren’t trying 120% that that isn’t enough. Because the child DOESN’T know better than to believe the parents. Let kids be kids first.
“INTELLECTUALS”?
“Worse thing is, these people usually identify with being ‘intellectuals’ when they can’t even tell they’re manifesting their identities in objects to the point where they actually become nothing.” Fed Up
The obvious reference here is to those mothers of little girls – dressing them up in “5 different outfits a day” – who live through their daughter(s). One thinks of the infantile “beauty pageants” where 3 year olds pose and pout in the best catwalk fashion, drawing the attention not only of their fawning mothers but also very interested pedophiles. (Think Jon Benet Ramsay.)
But how can these pushy, star-struck mothers possibly be called “intellectuals”? On the contrary, their mental state is a combination of an unreflective infantilism together with a slavish devotion to the consumer culture, here embodied in mindless dreams of some debased form of Hollywood “stardom.”
Well, of course, all forms of Hollywood stardom are debased, but that’s another story. But “intellectuals”? Please.
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
Who can afford five different outfits a day for a child?
t-ball was the best, some of the kids figured out that we couldn’t possibly tie every game. you volunteer and coach and help other kids and adults. swimming was the most fun
haha, timothy so true. as a kid, unless you poop or pee, you’re good to go
My last post was directed towards captain not OP.
http://www.stuffistumbledupon.com/wp-conte…
“victims of the media machine?? stfu hippie and raise your kids vegan with burlap sack clothes if you want, but dont tell anyone else how to raise their kids”
Right on, lowcoaster.
Shit, sometimes *I* wear five outfits in a day. Just for the fun of it. (surprising given my hatred of pants…)
I really don’t understand WHY having fun with your toddler and playing dress up (kids love that shit, if Mr Dressup’s success is any indication — though the ‘tickle trunk’ probably wouldn’t fly these days, heh) and exposing them to music at a young age is a bad thing. My parents exposed me to all kinds of music when I was a toddler and even signed me up for piano lessons because I expressed an interest. After over twenty years of piano lessons, I’m oh so happy they did so and I appreciate the fact that they valued my development that much and cared about me that much to put me into an activity they knew I would thoroughly enjoy. And I still enjoy playing to this day. Being a pianist is such a big part of my identity today, and nothing but positivity has come from it.
Further, some of my earliest and best memories from early childhood is rocking out to some Huey Lewis and the News and the Go Gos in my room with my cousin, who’s been my life long best friend. My parents even got me my own stereo system when i was 3 and I was always stealing my mom’s walkman (lol) when I was 3-4 years old to listen to her 80s jams.
But I suppose being a hippy and not washing your arse because soap is another way for the ‘man’ to control the masses is the only way to show your kids you love them and want what’s best for them. Sorry. My bad.
“Being a pianist..”
churlish snigger….
At 3, kids like teletubbies and barney…
not exactly the kind of entertainment you can rock out to.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/58d52f0490f971a…
I don’t see such a big deal. Kids who figure out who they are and what they like a young age, in my mind, have an advantage over those who don’t. It helps their confidence. I knew really young that I loved basketball and music and they’re still something I enjoy and am passionate about to this day. I dare say it probably kept me out of a lot of trouble growing up. 5 outfits a day is definitely a little much but I don’t think too many people actually do that. Anyways I happen to think we’d all get along better if everyone minded their own damn business unless it’s an emergency. That’s just me though.
Over-inflated identities? Pretty low on my list of things to complain about.
Five outfits a day? I don’t think I had five outfits period as a kid. I’ll score one for the OP on that point. Trying to see what music a toddler likes, that just sounds like fun for all involved. Music is great, I loved it for as long as I can remember. Score one against OP there.
People identifying with being intellectuals to the point where they manifest their identities in objects to the point where they become nothing. What, the people or the objects? Nothing to whom? Didn’t really get that sentence. Won’t score either way, just reserve judgment.
We’re all victims of the media machine unless you want to live in your bomb shelter woth your 10,000 cans of soup, 15,000 bottles of water and that AK-47. Meh, I’ll give to one their OP. So you came out 2-1 with one abstention. Well done.
I’ve been manifesting my identity and personality disorder(lol) in a certain object lately. *Joking*
Shoot,as bad as my grammar and punctuation is, I should be allowed to breath,let alone be allowed to offer up any GD opinion.**Another attempt at humour**
five outfits a day to find out what music they like?
Did i read that right or are you just articulating yourself extraordinarily poorly?
Fashion is, like, super-important op. Thank you for stressing, again, the notion that the clothes people wear or why is important in building their character.