Are "cute" kid mess videos actually cute?

[Farrar]

So... there seems to be a new trend in parenting videos. I feel like it started awhile back, but I am now seeing people I actually know post this sort of thing. The gist: kid makes a big kid mess. Parent films it. Asks kid what happened. Seems pleased by the mess. Shows the mess. End of video.

 

I'm sorry, but am I the only one who finds this really unfunny? Like, I get it - little kids make bizarre messes. But isn't it funny later? I mean, in the moment when you have to clean up an entire bag of flour or all the toilet paper in the house or whatever, it's NOT funny. It's wasted money/food/time. I mean, little kids, you don't need to be too angry about it. It's exploration. They're learning. But isn't one of the things they should learn that we don't do this stuff?

 

What's the lesson when parents whip out the camera and very carefully and nonjudgementally film junior and his mess just like they film his first jump into the pool or first little play made for parents? The parents never seem to say anything to the kid like, "Oh, sweetie, I wish you hadn't wasted that entire box of butter." Someone I know posted one with her kid and she just kept repeating what he'd done. Like, "Oh, is that how we use carrots? We stick them in the vents." (That's not actually what it was... but not far off.)

 

I don't think anyone should yell at a 3 yo who's just done something like this. And I get that later you laugh. Maybe you surreptitiously snap a picture or two. Maybe you even have to suppress your giggles. But isn't filming it and sharing it and acting like it's super cute *to the kid* rewarding the behavior in such a way that makes it likely the child will do it again? Sneak some other household good or food out and dump it everywhere? And don't we not want that? Or maybe these parents are too busy thinking about all the money they're going to make as Youtube stars.

 

[Farrar]

By the way, some of these, like, say, this one which someone posted in my feed recently, seem pretty staged. But what does that say? That we want kids to make messes? Isn't this why we give them toys? Or, I used to give mine bowls of stuff to "mix" and "cook" on the floor in the kitchen and then we'd all clean it up together afterward.

[Catwoman]

I don't watch them, but they don't sound cute to me.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Oh, I hate this stuff.

 

And I really, really hate the videos of kids crying and misbehaving, and parents videotaping them to show others as a shame tactic, or to garner sympathy from other parents.

 

People don't respect children as persons anymore.

 

(I have one inconsistency here -- there is one FB friend whose "why my toddler is crying" series awhile back had to be the exception to the rule. Made me laugh. She only posted really ridiculous, non-shaming stuff, and she knew when to stop. She wasn't disrespectful of the child, or sharing anything the child wouldn't find funny, herself, in 10 to 20 years.)

[meena]

<snipped>

I don't think anyone should yell at a 3 yo who's just done something like this. And I get that later you laugh. Maybe you surreptitiously snap a picture or two. Maybe you even have to suppress your giggles. But isn't filming it and sharing it and acting like it's super cute *to the kid* rewarding the behavior in such a way that makes it likely the child will do it again? Sneak some other household good or food out and dump it everywhere? And don't we not want that? Or maybe these parents are too busy thinking about all the money they're going to make as Youtube stars.

One of my favorite pictures is of my two oldest on the day we moved into our first house. DH and I were busy unpacking boxes, while our preschoolers played. It's a small house so pretty much anywhere I was I could either see or clearly hear what they were doing. They got a little too quiet so I checked on them and they had taken a whole box of dried spaghetti and dumped it on the floor. They were playing their own version of pickup sticks with it. I did sneak a picture of them, because I wanted to remember how that first day in our house went, crazy mess and all. But I didn't tell them I was taking a pic, and I made sure to emphasize that food was not for playing and had them help pick it up.

 

This was before the days of Facebook and social media, so it was just to capture a memory for our family. I think when people turn their children into performers the kids will tend to repeat the types of performances that garner the most parental attention.

[Annie G]

The video you linked looks staged. The flour is too evenly spread out, but what really made me think it was staged is that the kids didn't react when Mom walked in. They just kept on playing as if they'd been told it was ok.  

 

During the child raising years I was so tired that stuff like that was only funny because I was slap happy with exhaustion.   Youngest dumped a large bag of potato chips into a built in toy box in a bay window. I might have laughed but it would have been one of those crazed 'is Mom abut to snap' laughs. 

[Butter]

I've had my kids make a couple doozies of messes.  We'll never forget the Flour Debacle of 2008 https://thefamilywho.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/playing-in-flour/ That one was - by far - the worst.  Even in the moment I figure I can cry or I can laugh.  Crying doesn't help.  Laughing does.  Some of the videos are definitely stage.  Most are amusing.  Did me taking pictures of the flour mess and posting about it encourage them to make more messes?  Nope.  Because in addition to taking pictures, I also charged them for the flour and made them help me clean, which took several hours the next day.

[tm919]

It's funny when it's not staged, but if it's not staged it's not filmed, usually. Both of my daughters at one point in their babyhoods took off their diapers and messed around with the contents. One of them ate it and painted the floor of her playpen, among other things -- all this while I was using the bathroom... it was NOT funny when I went out there, but I now can't hear the expression "--- eating grin" the same way. The nurse (when I called the emergency doctor's line) said it happens all the time -- really?! I guess it has some humor, but almost a morbid humor, not the kind where I'd ever take a picture. (A regular mess might warrant a quick picture, but this would embarrass a child horribly later on in life!)

[JustEm]

I can find joy in an annoyance and think it is funny while at the same time being ticked off that I have to clean up. On a smaller scale, have you never had to cover your mouth to hide a smirk when a young child you are correcting says something ridiculous? You are ticked off and doing the correcting but its still funny because it is so ridulous a situation.

 

For example, I walked in the kitchen once to find my 2 year old covered in maple syrup. He was also sucking on the syrup bottle. When he saw me he put the bottle down and yelled " I drink syrup" while running away from me because he knew it wasnt ok. There was syrup everywhere. It was awful but it was also hysterical. I didn't record it but dh snapped some pictures. Ds already knew it wasn't OK but he also knew it was funny. He was even able to retell the story to my parents and accurately explain how funny it was even though it wasn't OK and that he shouldn't do it again.

[Butter]

The video you linked looks staged. The flour is too evenly spread out, but what really made me think it was staged is that the kids didn't react when Mom walked in. They just kept on playing as if they'd been told it was ok.  

 

I can tell you from experience that that *exactly* how flour thrown around and played with ends up on hard surfaces!  Also, my kids (2, 6, and 8 at the time) did not react at all when I discovered what they had been doing the whole time I was on the phone talking to my mom to wish her a happy birthday and nursing their baby brother.

[Annie G]

I can tell you from experience that that *exactly* how flour thrown around and played with ends up on hard surfaces!  Also, my kids (2, 6, and 8 at the time) did not react at all when I discovered what they had been doing the whole time I was on the phone talking to my mom to wish her a happy birthday and nursing their baby brother.

 

I am truly happy that I am ignorant of how flour is dispersed when kids get hold of a bag.  

[Tsuga]

I'm not fond of recording my kids and putting them on the Internet. But I do think it's cute when a one-year-old first discovers flour. And tries to eat it. And is disappointed.

[Word Nerd]

When DD was not even 2, she got into the ketchup. I took a video. I didn't think it was that cute at the time, especially the disgusting bath that followed, but I'm very glad I have that video now.

[Stacia]

I'm not on FB, so am mostly spared stuff like that.

 

But, I do remember seeing a 'kid mess' video where two boys who were covered in paint were hiding in the bathtub. They knew they had done something wrong.

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/facebook-has-gone-wild-for-this-dad-trying-very-hard-not-sta#.mo3vK9Ek3

 

I thought it was pretty funny. Especially the gyrations the kids go through when being questioned by their dad.

 

  

 

I remember when my nephew & both my dc were little. There were definitely kid messes that were funny (& I had to hide my face to smile or laugh -- or walk to a different room), but I wouldn't laugh in front of them so that they wouldn't be encouraged to do it more for 'entertainment' value.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

When DD was not even 2, she got into the ketchup. I took a video. I didn't think it was that cute at the time, especially the disgusting bath that followed, but I'm very glad I have that video now.

 

Having the funny videos and photos of our own kids -- who in the world would object to that? Ditto for naked toddler swimming pics, DIY kid haircuts, etc. Every family has those. The objection is putting them all over the internet for the whole world to see.

[Word Nerd]

I did put it on Facebook recently. It's funny. DD14 thinks so too. I don't get why it would make anyone angry or upset to see it.

[Butter]

Having the funny videos and photos of our own kids -- who in the world would object to that? Ditto for naked toddler swimming pics, DIY kid haircuts, etc. Every family has those. The objection is putting them all over the internet for the whole world to see.

 

My kids *ask* me to put stuff up.  They are 7, 9, 14 on Saturday, and 15.  They've been asking me to post things since they were small.  If they ever said not to post something (and so far there's only been one specific request from one and one general request from another) I totally honor that.  Mostly, though, they love having videos and pictures of them put up.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

My kids *ask* me to put stuff up.  They are 7, 9, 14 on Saturday, and 15.  They've been asking me to post things since they were small.  If they ever said not to post something (and so far there's only been one specific request from one and one general request from another) I totally honor that.  Mostly, though, they love having videos and pictures of them put up.

 

Well, when we started we were talking about videos of small children making messes.

[Wheres Toto]

A lot of those videos I always wonder if they didn't set it up/know it was happening how come they walked in with a running video camera?  I guess it's possible they peeked in, saw what was going on and ran to get the camera before the kids knew they were there.  But then why act like you're seeing it for the first time?

 

The ones that really drive me nuts is where the kids seem to be in actual danger or are clearly very upset.  Why are you taking pictures instead of helping your kid?

 

I have a couple of pictures of my kids after covering themselves with marker, or smearing diaper cream all over the couch or once where my daughter was on her hands and knees serving as a step stool for her brother to reach the forbidden shelf.    But most of the big messes, my last thought is taking video.

[Loowit]

I am not a big fan of it.  My MIL was always wanting cute pictures of my kids with messy food faces.  MIL loved to take those of her own children and though they were super cute and pretty much necessary part of childhood.  My first two were very tidy eaters and both hated having food on their faces.  I caught MIL once trying to get DD to get spaghetti all over her face so she could get a picture.  I was not amused and I think MIL was a bit embarrassed when I caught her.

 

The one picture I do have of something like this is my DD when she was about a year and a half old.  My DH's uncle had just died in a terrible accident and we were staying at at hotel.  DD found the toilet paper and started to wrap herself up in it.  At the time DH and I both just really needed the laugh.  I got a few quick pictures then we cleaned it up and kept a better eye on her.

[Farrar]

Having the funny videos and photos of our own kids -- who in the world would object to that? Ditto for naked toddler swimming pics, DIY kid haircuts, etc. Every family has those. The objection is putting them all over the internet for the whole world to see.

 

I think my objection is also that it seems to be changing how we view it. Like, when we're recording it for the world, parents seem to also deal with it differently, almost praising it. It's so odd to me. It's changing how people parent, I think.

 

I mean, I share my kids a lot online... even sometimes their funnies... but maybe that's part of it too. That this starts to cross a line.

[Stacia]

I think my objection is also that it seems to be changing how we view it. Like, when we're recording it for the world, parents seem to also deal with it differently, almost praising it. It's so odd to me. It's changing how people parent, I think.

 

I agree.

 

I think it's not just kid videos either. Social media, imo, is making people pause in living just enough to take a photo/selfie/video because they're thinking of how it will play/appear online for others rather than enjoying the moment. (Or, not necessarily enjoying the moment, but living in the moment.) And, I agree that many people are often staging their life for the sake of social media. I think it's detrimental.

[abba12]

My eldest made a few BIG messes as a toddler. She had an obsession with it, neither of my other two have ever made those sorts of messes, but my eldest did three particularly memorable ones. I will agree with an above poster that the flour being even is totally how it happens, I think because it's so fine, and my daughter also never bothered to react when I caught her. I wouldn't assume this is staged.

 

I had a policy with these BIG messes that a. it was better to laugh than cry, and b. why not take advantage of the opportunity. Actually, I usually coped with the big messes far better than the little messes in hindsight. I would have a little laughing cry, knowing I would have to clean this mess up, but reminding myself it was only flour and no real harm was done. I would tell the child that it was naughty, usually through giggles because it helped me cope with the anxiety of the huge mess looking at the funny side, I mean, come on, it looks like it snowed in my kitchen, and the childs face is caked with flour. Then I would film/photograph it for my husbands sake lol. The kid knew I was laughing, there was no hiding that. THAT is the bit you see filmed, the laughing to stop from crying, cherishing these moments, the widely swinging emotions of mothering a toddler.  And I would often use the opportunity to engage in sensory play, since, you know, the flour is already out anyway. 

 

But, then, after all that is done and the giggles have passed, the child would be required to help me clean the mess, all the while getting a gentle but firm lecture about wasting food and making big messes and how what they did was naughty, and we had some fun with it this time, but next time would not be so funny, and warning them never to do it again. (in fairness, my eldest never made a big mess with the same thing twice, her three big messes were flour, eggs, and ash from the fireplace, so I guess she kinda listened.... though, I must say, I did NOT cope with the egg incident in as good humour as the others. I still to this day have no idea how she snuck a carton of eggs into the room she has quiet time in....)

 

So, the point is, I made it very clear to the kids it was naughty, we had a good long talk about wastage and messes. But that isn't the part I have on video on my computer. 

 

I can find joy in an annoyance and think it is funny while at the same time being ticked off that I have to clean up. On a smaller scale, have you never had to cover your mouth to hide a smirk when a young child you are correcting says something ridiculous? You are ticked off and doing the correcting but its still funny because it is so ridulous a situation.

For example, I walked in the kitchen once to find my 2 year old covered in maple syrup. He was also sucking on the syrup bottle. When he saw me he put the bottle down and yelled " I drink syrup" while running away from me because he knew it wasnt ok. There was syrup everywhere. It was awful but it was also hysterical. I didn't record it but dh snapped some pictures. Ds already knew it wasn't OK but he also knew it was funny. He was even able to retell the story to my parents and accurately explain how funny it was even though it wasn't OK and that he shouldn't do it again.

 

This is it exactly. Though, I don't know how I'd have gone with maple syrup! But my daughter can recount how funny the fireplace ash incident was, and how it actually broke our old vaccum cleaner (ash is even finer than flour, and this was no small amount, this was the bucketful that DH hadn't taken outside the night before when cleaning the fireplace, because it was raining, but had left behind the fireplace without telling me). But, she also knew full well never, ever to do it again, and is super vigilant when her sisters are near the fireplace. She's never even considered repeating that mistake. 

 

It's funny when it's not staged, but if it's not staged it's not filmed, usually. Both of my daughters at one point in their babyhoods took off their diapers and messed around with the contents. One of them ate it and painted the floor of her playpen, among other things -- all this while I was using the bathroom... it was NOT funny when I went out there, but I now can't hear the expression "--- eating grin" the same way. The nurse (when I called the emergency doctor's line) said it happens all the time -- really?! I guess it has some humor, but almost a morbid humor, not the kind where I'd ever take a picture. (A regular mess might warrant a quick picture, but this would embarrass a child horribly later on in life!)

 

I will never forget the day my 2 year old, who was old enough to know better, came screaming down the hallway 'mummy help me, help me, i tasted poop, help'. She was old enough that the taste was utterly repulsive to her, and she was frightened by her bodys reaction (i'd guess she began trying to vomit). On the other hand, the baby she fed it to wasn't terribly bothered...  But, honestly, I was laughing the whole time, even as I bathed the baby and mopped the floor. A small mess, I'm likely to blow my top, but big ones like that I can't help but break down in hysterics at the ridiculousness of it all. 

[katilac]

A lot of those videos I always wonder if they didn't set it up/know it was happening how come they walked in with a running video camera?  

 

Eh, I don't think anything of that aspect, most people have a smartphone in their pocket. It's not like back in the day, when we would have to find the video camera and hope it had a charged battery. And film, lol. 

[38carrots]

My biggest issue is not recording messes in a non-judgemental way, but making them public. Even if it is cute (I think they are, or might be) the rabid desire so share with the entire world, is truly sickening to me because I don't believe that those who share do so out of authentic reasons. There's this new mentality of "going viral" and total oversharing.

[Mimm]

I think my objection is also that it seems to be changing how we view it. Like, when we're recording it for the world, parents seem to also deal with it differently, almost praising it. It's so odd to me. It's changing how people parent, I think.

 

I mean, I share my kids a lot online... even sometimes their funnies... but maybe that's part of it too. That this starts to cross a line.

 

That's because no matter what parents do, they get criticized. If they were scolding the child on the video, people would call them mean and say the kid was just being a kid, give them a break and obviously it's the parent's fault for not supervising them well enough anyway, so what are they doing getting upset with the child?

 

Of course, now they're being criticized for being too nice about it. Can't win.

[Farrar]

I know. I feel very judgey and I hate that.

 

I just find it perplexing. I think it really hit home how weird I found it when people I know posted it and everyone applauded how cute their kids were. And I'm like, ahhhh! Why is that cute! There's so much clean up! I feel sorry for you!!!

 

Also, the only big messes my kids did were poop smearing. I definitely did not take photos. I cried through the whole clean up every time. I felt like I was raising monkeys. It was a nadir of parenting. Maybe I'm just jealous. It's true that flour would have been better.

[MrsBasil]

Maybe it's personality? Some people are the laugh so you don't cry variety. I know that some people really dislike FB or the sharing of day to day stuff on there though.

 

I have a friend who laughingly posted pics when her DD smeared Desitin all over herself and the couch, but she was dealing with some other really crappy messes (literally and figuratively), so she laughed. We laughed with her, shared stories, and that was that. Later she had her DD help clean up, talked about not doing that, and she found a new place to store the Desitin.

 

I have a pic of my proud and pleased DD playing in the toilet, she climbed into it when I was momentarily occupied. I did share it, I found it hilarious. But first I told her to stay out of the toilet and not to do that again because she could hurt. Later, I bought another door knob guard.

 

I don't know anyone who uses FB shares to "go viral", but I'm aware people do. I think for me and many people I know, the non staged pic or vid of the mess is the equivalent of telling your neighbor that she had to hear why you are out of flour. Or just laughingly telling a story at playgroup.

[AndyJoy]

I'm a laugh-immediately-so-you-don't-cry person. I used to laugh every time I sprained or broke my ankle!

 

DS didn't make big messes generally. Once, however, I was cooking and heard him say "Is OK, Mommy, I clean it up." I said, "OK, thanks. Wait...what?" He was trying to put a sugar canister away and spilled it. When I turned around he was sitting on the floor scooping it back in with his hands. If I'd owned my smartphone then I'd probably have recorded him explaining.

 

I think some people post these because they feel a sense of comradery with other parents who can laugh with them about the messy, crazy years with small kids. Laughing is often how I stay sane :). I have a friend with 4 kids under 7 including toddler twins. She told me she reads my FB wall on bad days for a laugh. Getting a chuckle at other kids' antics enables her to lower her own kid-craziness stress level.

[Farrar]

Elf on the Shelf is everything that's wrong with modern American parenting. I could write a treatise on that crazy evil.

 

ETA: But it would be super judgey. Sigh. I really try.

[Joker]

I am so not a tech savvy parent. I am that person that you finally call after texting because I am taking too long to text back. I do wish I had filmed a few of their messes because they were cute (like trying to paint themselves green so they could fly like Peter Pan). I never laughed or found cute the diaper/poop ones, though. Just no.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Cute and funny is in the eye of the beholder.  It seems pretty simple just to not look at those if you don't find them funny. I doubt that kid mess videos are going to result in a new crop of psychopaths or be the start of the downfall of our civilization.  

[Carrie12345]

I think they're pretty funny.  As far as impact on kids, I don't see any cause for concern. I don't make kid mess videos, yet my kids keep making messes.  They're kids.

 

I do wish I could go back and get a video of my toddler daughters making snowmen on the coffee table with vanilla ice cream.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

It doesn't take much to make me laugh. 

 

There is this series of videos my kids have shown me.  Probably some here have seen them.  Basically the guy dumps a bunch of random crap into a bowl or pot.  He makes this insane mess and in the end pulls out the item all baked/ready.  The whole time I think I would not want to clean that mess up.  LOL

 

 

[kewb]

It doesn't really bother me. Probably because I don't usually watch those videos.

As for the lesson. If there is one thing I have learned (if not successfully implemented) is that laughing will help the situation instead if my usual momster reaction. The person making the video is most likely not showing us the lecture on why we don't do X. Or showing us the kids having to help clean up the mess. Or even showing us their moment of freak out. We are seeing a planned snap shot of a moment.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh yeah sometimes something is just so crazy what can you do but make the most of it and laugh?

 

Once took a shower and came out to discover my two little kids had somehow gotten a hold of the container of flour and had dumped it on the floor in the living room.  It was so crazy I couldn't help but just laugh.  And yes it sucked to clean that up.

 

 

[Guest]

I'm with you. I think it's dumb.

 

Yesterday, sitting in a doctor's waiting room, some daytime show was on...i think the one with Meredith somebody. Anyway, there was a short story part where a young mom co-worker and Meredith went out on a Mom's Night Out thing. They had the no-kids-of-her-own co-worker babysit. (her name is Yams or something?mI'm not sure. Big black lady? Anyway...) so the whole clip that follows is how incompetant Yams is at babysitting and the mess and chaos that ensued - kids playing in mom's makeup, getting out all kinds of food, trashing the house, etc. It was sooooo idiotic! Is this what people find entertaining? Highlighting how clueless the no-kids lady is and showing what a holy terror the kids are without Mommy home? I just thought it was completely dopey. Not to mention it was clearly filmed to show exactly that. Kids Terrorize The Babysitter. Yeah, there's a plot idea that has never been done before...

[shawthorne44]

I avoid kid videos unless someone directly sends me one of their kid.  Because of the other trend, Parents doing something mean to the kid while filming it.  Even actively avoiding kid videos, I've had two series sent to me.  

1. Parents give their innocent trusting older baby a lemon.  Baby chomps down on it.  Baby cries, parents laugh.  In what world is that funny?
2. Parents tell their kids they ate all their Halloween candy and film their kid's reaction.  While laughing.  The people that showed me these videos thought it was the greatest idea ever, but I was disturbed.  There was one kid only dressed in an old saggy diaper. came up all trusting and loving to the mother, then completely flipped a lid including beating on the mother.  Somehow it was the diaper part that bugged me most with that kid. I guess because all kids but one flipped out.  When you stage a video, you know when it is going to happen, and an old saggy disposable diaper is what your kid wears?  

[Butter]

Well, when we started we were talking about videos of small children making messes.

 

Yes.  As I said, they have been asking me to put stuff up since they were small.  Like 3 and 4 years old small for the little guys (I didn't have a blog when the older two were that little). 

[Butter]

Oh and I will never get the Elf on the Shelf messes! Those parents are gluttons for punishment.

 

Elf on the Shelf is just weird.  And a little creepy.  I enjoy some of my friends' creativity.  I know I would forget to move the thing.  Ever.

 

For the record, wet glue is extremely hard to remove from a table when a toddler has poured out an entire bottle while sitting on the table.  It was harder to clean up than I ever imagined it would be.  In hindsight, I probably should've just let it dry and peeled it up.

[Butter]

 

1. Parents give their innocent trusting older baby a lemon.  Baby chomps down on it.  Baby cries, parents laugh.  In what world is that funny?

 

 

Don't all parents do that?  Lemons and pickles.  Babies make some awesome faces the first time they try those.

[Bluegoat]

I don't know anyone who has a problem with taking the approach of laughing rather than crying over this stuff.

 

And I think many people will be interested in occasional silly videos of kids they have a relationship with.

 

But I find the posting of them as if everyone will be interested a symptom of the reality tv mindset, which I am not crazy about.  Getting on tv for 10 miniutes is enough reason to embarrass yourself or someone else in public, or even stage a "real" event.

 

I blame Bob Saget.

[Serenade]

I'm with you, Farrar.  To me, mess videos are not cute at all.  

[Word Nerd]

I bet photos of kindergarteners wearing construction paper graduation caps make y'all grouchy too. I'd much rather see photos and videos of people's kids in my Facebook feed than copy-and-paste stupidity and political rants.

[BarbecueMom]

I bet photos of kindergarteners wearing construction paper graduation caps make y'all grouchy too. I'd much rather see photos and videos of people's kids in my Facebook feed than copy-and-paste stupidity and political rants.

Well, honestly I quit using Facebook because I realized I wasn't interested in the political rants, or the copy-and-paste stuff... or other people's kids (and pets). But that's on me, I have no problem with anyone using their social media to post whatever they want. I'm just probably not going to see it.

[luuknam]

I think it's not just kid videos either. Social media, imo, is making people pause in living just enough to take a photo/selfie/video because they're thinking of how it will play/appear online for others rather than enjoying the moment. (Or, not necessarily enjoying the moment, but living in the moment.) And, I agree that many people are often staging their life for the sake of social media. I think it's detrimental.

 

I annoy my kids by often not even having my phone with me, or just by refusing to take a picture. They asked me earlier today to take a picture of them on the tire swing. Nope, didn't have my phone. Even if I'd had my phone, I'd still have said no, since I already took a picture of that months ago. I did take a video of them banging on a piano in the park (apparently in Lockport they put some pianos in the parks - this one was under a gazebo and actually survived pretty well thus far). But I can't remember the previous time I've taken a video of them. I took a picture of each kid's belt test, and before that, probably the previous belt test?

 

 

For the record, wet glue is extremely hard to remove from a table when a toddler has poured out an entire bottle while sitting on the table.  It was harder to clean up than I ever imagined it would be.  In hindsight, I probably should've just let it dry and peeled it up.

 

I actually found it surprisingly easy to clean up while still wet. Which was a Good Thing, since the kids put it on the TV screen, all over a Rush Hour game, on the floor, and on the couch. This was just a few weeks ago, so they were way too old for that kind of nonsense, so they just lost all screen time for a full week. Maybe it would've been cute if they'd been younger. I don't think I'm going to be laughing about this later.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ugh I can't stand that guy and lots of people leave comments like what is going through my head. "What a waste of food!"

 

Actually, I don't know if it's the same guy... but this one makes a huge mess and throws the food on the floor at the end or does something else to ruin it.

 

 

I find it kinda creepy, but I can't figure out why exactly.

[6packofun]

I always ask aloud and to no one in particular when I see these, "What are these moms doing alone for the 5-10 minutes at least that it takes for these disasters to occur?"  Because I feel like I NEVER leave my kids alone or am left alone by them in order for these things to happen!  LOL  I guess I can't go to a whole other wing of our home and NOT know what's going on.  :p

 

(Not to mention that from a young age my kids just seemed to get that you don't dump out stuff or take things that don't belong to you, but whatever. Not a huge deal either way, I know.)

[Catwoman]

In my case I was making dinner and had the flour on the counter. He was quietly dumping in the next room. It doesn't take long to dump flour. So no neglect here. I wasn't off in my own separate wing.

 

He is and always will be the one to surprise me and keep me on my toes. My always curious boy.

And flour is very, very quiet... ;)

[fdrinca]

Like all internet videos, I think "it depends."

 

Staged videos are horrific. 

 

Videos where parents go on and on and on about how "naughty" the kids are or how "we don't use peanut butter like this" are just horrible, too. 

 

I do enjoy seeing how kids get out of their mischief, though. 

 

And big, big praise to parents who aren't LOSING THEIR EVERLOVING MIND at the sight of the mess.

 

When my oldest were 3 and 2, they were quietly playing in the bedroom. Too quietly. They'd opened a container of Aquaphor and had smeared it all over everything. 

 

I recorded it for DH so he could see the delights of my day, and because their play was so fascinating to me. They were really intent in focus and purpose, with specific jobs to smear petroleum jelly over every stuffed toy and pillow. And their hair. 

 

We find the video hilarious now, and a good reminder of how innocent their mischief was at that age. (And they're only 8 and 7...the real scary mischief hasn't even started!)