Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to Boy Mom's Podcast. That's Paige. What's your name? Rina. What do we want to talk about today? and We want to talk about, well, Paige's child had his first day. Has started at Danny Goe Elementary School.
Speaker: It's YouTube, sponsored by YouTube. Sponsored by YouTube, ah where... In addition to a couple of books being read by the teacher, they mostly played read-along videos and a Danny Go video and a video of a turtle and then another video I forgot the other one real turtle or a commercial turtle? A cartoon turtle. God, I hope it was at least a real turtle. don't know. It said it was swimming underwater.
Speaker: okay But who knows? I don't know if this teacher – it could have been an AI-generated video for all I know. This is bleak. This is really bleak. Okay.
Speaker: Six and a half hours. This is day one. Day one, my kid spent at least like 30 minutes just with drool pooling on his table watching videos. Did he, did he meet any of the other kids? Like, did he mention anything? He talked about, yeah, he talked about one girl,
Speaker: um Whom he'd met previously and he seems to be very enthusiastic about. oh that's nice. So there is a kid that he's taken a likeking liking to. And there are a couple other kids, like the cousin of a neighbor. like very you know We have various connections to other kids in the class.
Speaker: So that is promising. But I don't know how much he's interacting with them because they're all... watching Zonked, watching screens. Well, did he say anything else that they did or was it, and that's all he mentioned? He said they, I mean, they obviously decorated that crown. He colored in the stuff on crown. Yes. So they did that.
Speaker: And something about putting Play-Doh on paper. and not sure what that was, but something, he said there was white paper. Maybe it was just a table covered with paper and they ah were putting Play-Doh on it.
Speaker: Okay. So they were doing some Play-Doh. ah It's mixed. I mean, it's a long it's six and a half hours. And i was talking to a mom we know about this last night.
Speaker: And she brought up the fact that they've made at the hours of kindergarten... work for working parents, but they can't fill the time. They don't know what They can't deal with five-year-olds for that long. What would you do? Like if you could design the perfect kindergarten day, what would it be? I mean, at least more. Just read to the kids all day, if you you know? yeah Just read to them. That's all that matters is yeah reading to them. And the fact, so my kid got...
Speaker: He said, yelled at, at least probably sternly talked because he had pulled out his chapter book and was reading. i mean, as we know being too smart for school is a sin.
Speaker: I'd imagine like some teachers that are below average intelligence feeling threatened by children who are above average. Five-year-olds. It's like, why is this five-year-old smarter than me?
Speaker: And he's not, cannot possibly be smarter than me. Maybe in three years. Yeah. um But, and she said that it was good that he had the book, something like it was a good idea to have the book. Okay. So then, cause then I didn't take it out of his backpack. I was like, okay, I'll, I'll leave the book and maybe there will be the right time. But she said to put it away because they were going to watch a video of a book being read.
Speaker: Maybe did they all talk about it afterwards? No, cause we, we checked out. So we said, okay, so after they watched the video of this book being read, then what happened? And then he said, They played a different video of a different book being read.
Speaker: and they didn't And there was no discussion. it was just like first day of school themed But isn't that the whole point of books is to have a discussion almost? like i yeah you would You would think so.
Speaker: It's upsetting. But they're just playing stuff. And they know that – I mean, what my friend who's a teacher said is like this is what the kids are used to. So this is what the teachers do.
Speaker: They play videos for them. What does it matter what they're used to? They're not used to going to school. It can be all new. It could be anything. um So that's, it was very depressing so for him to get yelled at for reading instead of watching a video of a book being read. And I'm all for communal learning. I want everyone to learn the same thing at the same time. That's the beauty of public education. Yeah. But that's not what was happening. I mean, if the teacher- Kids literally don't learn. video They don't learn from videos. They don't.
Speaker: It's not possible. It's not. People will brag about like, oh, they learned this word, this word, but it doesn't stick. It doesn't stick the same way as a person. I've noticed my kid, he'll repeat phrases, but I don't think he knows what they mean. You're parroting stuff. Yeah, parroting. I will meet kids, especially as they get older. You can tell that they're just...
Speaker: getting everything from what they're watching. Like they'll sound really smart, but there's no substance or thought behind what they're saying. They're just saying the stuff that they've heard on TV. They're just saying words. Like they're just made of TV. They don't have they don't have an established foundation because they're it was all watching TV. And now I'm worried about my kid who's at least five and a half.
Speaker: I mean, he's got a foundation. He's pretty well established. So that's the only that's the only thing that's making me not pull him out right now, today. No, we need to get the screens out. Yeah. so being and And Mike was like, there's no way this this will keep going. A lot of people are really mad about it, obviously. Yeah. Okay. So it's not just Yeah, in the group, were no, we're all talking. Everyone's like, oh, you have this t-shirt, don't you? And I was like, yep. Uh, so we'll work on it. We're gathering right now. We're gathering data.
Speaker: i told my kid, I was like, keep track. Yes. I told him, I said, you're a spy. And i was like, I don't think you know spy is. Um, I tried to explain what a spy is, but he's going to be keeping track of all of the videos that are being played and reporting back.
Speaker: I mean, i so I don't know if he could write down everything and he doesn't know what a lot of things are. like he told me, Right.
Speaker: and then i found out later because another kid actually knew what it was that it was a danny go video okay so there are some things where he just isn't even going to know what it is right And then he just has to describe it to me.
Speaker: so Okay. And then what? You'll gather the information and then bring to- And then bring it, I guess, to the principal and say, like, this violates the new guidelines. Because even though they're not on iPads anymore, the guidelines say that at the any screen use has to be educational for educational purposes.
Speaker: Well, she could argue. That it's like reading the book, but it's passive entertainment. Yeah. Yeah. Really? so what would be considered on the screen educational? I mean, if you're like, think of it like a projector, you that you had in school. the stuff being We used acetate like slides. yeah Yeah, yeah. No, I remember. Yeah, on the projector. Yes. So I guess if you would think what what would be done that would be okay. If you made a – what is that program called that makes – you know, that everyone in business has to like make presentations. PowerPoint? PowerPoint. you made like a PowerPoint.
Speaker: Yeah, if you make – which they do. There are a lot of – there was a PowerPoint for the parents at the orientation. Okay. They love – They love the PowerPoint. So if they made a PowerPoint and they were showing you things, how to add whatever, to spell something. So if that's what was happening on there, then that makes sense. That's instruction. If they're instructing with the images, yes like yeah not just standing there and pressing play. Yeah, which is what she was doing And he said, i was like, maybe she was getting something done because I know teachers don't get as much prep anymore.
Speaker: So she was just thrown into the deep end. Oh, yeah. I thought maybe this was something she was playing while she was, but she wast she was standing there. This is bringing back a memory to me that's actually quite funny retrospective, which is that I think it was fourth grade. We had videos that we would watch of a show. and this is what's striking me as funny about it, is that it was a show that we watched, but it was called Read All About It.
Speaker: And it was someone reading? No, it was like a live action show and we had to like figure out – it was some kind of clues mystery situation. yeah that sounds interactive.
Speaker: It was afterwards, yes. We discussed it afterwards for sure. Okay, so there was yeah purpose. But it was funny that it was called Read All About It. And we were – Not reading. There might have been a reading element to it, but then the reward was watching the video. Yeah.
Speaker: So they were doing that even the may or may not have been British. Yeah, when I was a child. It explains my strange vocabulary. I'm reading all about it. Is it Canadian? God, Zooks. I think it might have been BBC or something like that. Like British or like something like that.
Speaker: Something or maybe Canadian. I'm truly not sure. I have very like, like smoky childhood memories of it. I just remember we'd all get excited and sing the theme song. Read all about it. the I'm cutting. ski So, yeah, and showing showing videos at school, tales all this time. we watched Magic School Bus or movie. like When there was like a break, you know, the day before winter break or summer break. Oh, yeah. We would watch a movie. What did we watch? The claymation of the Jewish holiday stuff.
Speaker: which actually some of it was pretty frightening. They showed like um martyrs for for um for a Hanukkah, like the woman who just like threw herself on the fire or whatever, like these horrible things, and claymation.
Speaker: um What else did we watch? We must have watched the Ten Commandments probably or something like that. I guess because it was a Jewish school. Do you remember anything else? You watched Magic School Bus? Magic School Bus. Yeah.
Speaker: Well, apparently my mom was upset when she found out that I was going to kindergarten. it was half day. You know, kindergarten used to be half day. And there was like an after school program that I went to.
Speaker: And they were just showing us Arthur. okay i have to At the after school. Which I loved Arthur. But she was like, I can't believe you're watching Arthur. i hated, wait, is Arthur the one lives in a castle kind of?
Speaker: No, it's the aardvark, and he has a sister named DW. no I am watching. I'm thinking of, what am I thinking of? It's like another animal that lives in a castle. castle? Very boring.
Speaker: Is it Canadian? Very slow. Yeah. maybe Anything Canadian is just a little offed. It's like Diet America. Yeah. Yeah. Like I liked Fred Penner. um Yeah. I do remember really tripping out to Sesame Street videos. You know, when they would go into that like weird cartoon song about the number? don't remember. be like really I remember anything.
Speaker: Really? Yeah. My childhood. and blocked it all out. I used to have an incredible memory. Now I don't remember any. What happened? Someone hit you over the head?
Speaker: Marijuana was only a part of my life for a very short amount of time. it was? Not very much. Now you did. Yeah, a little bit. Okay. A toque or two? in firm For like a couple of years, it was an in kate an occasional...
Speaker: But I'm like, maybe that did it. Maybe it wiped everything out. I mean, if you have a small enough brain. And I do, because look at how small my head is You couldn't eliminate. Paige is obsessed with her head being small.
Speaker: I don't see it. You might as well have scooped out, yeah, half my brain with that. just a few little bites of marijuana. marijuana pressure I mean, where were you? Were you getting this marijuana in Arizona?
Speaker: No, no, this was here. This wasn't until I was like 22. Okay. yeah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't really start smoking very much till my twenties. Yeah. No, I was not a, I was not a child. No one was offering me anything. I remember in college, there was a girl who was offering it to my friend and I was like, what about me? And she was like,
Speaker: I assume you're not going to do that. You had kind of a narc vibe. Which is crazy because I was like at this Christian school. I felt like I was the bad girl at this Christian school. You were at a Christian school?
Speaker: Yeah. My college was Lutheran. Oh, really? Which is – Lutheran is pretty loosey-goosey in terms of Christianity. The liberal form of – Yeah. Like the gays are okay.
Speaker: Okay. Yeah. That's nice. Yeah. Yeah. I only know Lutheran – I took Christianity 101 university because I didn't know anything about it. No, so did I. But it always seemed like stick up the ass, like no drinking, no gambling.
Speaker: second marriages. And there were Christians at the school who were more like that. No stained glass. No stained glass? Like it's like – Oh, because they're anti-Catholic. They're like simple, you know, like modest. No, and I grew up Catholic, so – Yeah.
Speaker: I was more about that. And I was being told by Christians that I was going to burn in hell for being Catholic. That's crazy. They're going to burn in hell for not being Catholic. Wait, so, oh, but Catholicism is, but see, I like Catholicism because it's very dramatic. To me, that's where it's at. You can Jewish, you can be Catholic.
Speaker: Yeah, in this country, those are the cool ones. We've got nothing. Yeah. We decide which religions are acceptable. We're not burning witches here, okay? We're worshiping them. Yeah.
Speaker: So the screen thing, people are upset. They're also And they're expecting me to be the one to change things. Yeah, I mean, you're starting a movement now. we're yeah We're the first ones with a kid in elementary school. right. You have to make sure. have to pave the way. and I want, I mean, I always wanted all of the other park kids to go to our school. I mean, I'll support you. I just don't have a like to stand on without a kid there. like Yeah, but you, I mean, you will. Like if it comes to having to go to board meetings.
Speaker: do that i'll go and yeah we were doing planning i was like do we have to leave the name like that's the school we were planning to send but there's no and there's no better option like there's no yeah no public montessori school there's there's nothing unless you just homeschool i'm just gonna have to open my homeschool Mean. I mean, I taught one kid to read. don't know. My husband's pretty anti-home school. He might have a problem with it. Although he trusts you probably. Yeah. No, if it's me and Mike, come on. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker: Smart. ah You'd think there'd be a school like in Barnsdall or something. Some kind of like artsy like school. Yeah, there's nothing. I mean, the closest thing, there's that school that is sometimes at the park during the school year. It's like a nature school? Yeah. And it's like an outdoor school. It's a million dollars. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. So that's extremely expensive. And that's the closest thing. And they're just outside the whole time. mean, maybe they'd have scholarship. I think they do. But then I'm like, then my kid is just going to be with rich kids. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: Yeah. So we just, we're really trying to stick it out so we can fix the public schools. We need to bring them back. Nobody wants this. Like, although it sounds like this teacher might like it who knows.
Speaker: She's used to it now. I mean, Mike was saying that yeah, the teachers got used to this during the pandemic and then they never came back from it. They got used to just sedating the children with videos and that's all they know now. And now it's so easy. Yeah.
Speaker: To just play videos for them. Right. They don't have to like try to calm everyone down or use any of the old techniques. And they're like, oh, this is what the parents are doing. So we can do it too.
Speaker: But it just sucks for the parents who have not been doing Well, it's not. Yeah. We just stopped completely like cold turkey for the last few days. with The movies? With anything? Yeah, nothing. So how has it been? It's good. I think it's making it better. I mean, I was using it as a crutch because I was so low parenting. And I was tired and lazy and whatever else. I wanted a break and to clean and cook and whatever.
Speaker: um But yeah, now it seems How much was he watching per day? A lot. A lot. Like more than an hour? Yes. Two hours? Yeah, probably like two or three hours a day. like Because it's a 12-hour day and he's not napping. And, you know, yeah, no, I was doing that.
Speaker: And you've noticed a difference. Not every day. There were a couple days where we didn't watch at all. But by the end of the week, I was like, I can't do this. I was like kind of losing it in the afternoon. um But...
Speaker: Yeah. But now you've noticed a difference since you've stopped. I've noticed it. I think it also, I've noticed for me, like, it's just a lot of stimulation. Yeah. It's like the sound. and yeah And it's always like those movies. a lot of it was movies.
Speaker: And it's the same orchestral sounds over and over. Like, yeah you know, like those, like, string stuff that, like, I think on some level was driving me bananas anyways.
Speaker: um But, yeah, I think it's better. It's certainly easier now that my husband's back. Like, you know. There's another person. I mean, he's great at entertaining.
Speaker: yeah If I need him to like take the reins, you know, but, but we were, we have been very overstimulated, but we're just like pushing through. But, yeah, there have been times where, like, you know, there's, like, the nonstop, like, same question over and over. And then there's just – also, like, there's this thing where there'll be, like, a long silence. And then it's like, Mommy!
Speaker: Oh, I wanted you to mention what you said last night about how your youngest would sometimes appear like a Victorian ghost. Oh, yeah. If I wander to the bathroom in the middle of the night and he sleeps in the bed with me. Yeah.
Speaker: And then – I just turn and he's standing there, but he's like a asleep. But he had followed me to the bathroom very quietly. He flowy hair. Yeah, he long, flowy, curly hair and does look like a Victorian ghost. I mean, what would be scarier is if it was him next to my kid with like because they kind of look twinsy. Oh, both of them together. If we ever – If we ever finally do a family yeah trip together. yeah That we've always dreamed of, but none of us have money. So when are we going camping? But then that takes away from the Victoria. But camp ghosts are scary too. Yeah. In the woods. Yeah.
Speaker: We could stay at like a KOA or something. i don't know. I don't know about this. You're not a fan of camping? i want to stay in a castle. i want to stay in a hotel.
Speaker: castle. Well, they are cheap. I mean, if we can get to Italy, think our friends. We should have to get to Italy. You can rent a chateau for like, I don't think it's a lot. Yeah. don't think so. Okay. Good to know.
Speaker: oh I have to go on a plane and you know I'm scared of flying now. Oh but I love flying. Maybe i could get you in my zone like. Maybe. i love it. I haven't flown since I became very afraid of flying. What made you so scared? Just that you have kids and. Time. I mean I've flown i've flown with them before hu but i just started having nightmares about Plans? Flying, yeah. Like Final Destination style? Like just being – basically the nightmare is me being really scared that the plane is going to crash. Oh.
Speaker: And then what happens? And it doesn't – you know, you never die in your dreams. So you're okay. Yeah. I mean, I wake up. You wake up because you died. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker: ah Interesting. I mean, I know people are scared of flying. I've never had that fear. Probably because I flew when I was like zero. year like i'm just Well, and I've i've i've flown, i think, a lot.
Speaker: And nothing bad ever happened. Yeah, nothing. I mean, the odds are extremely low. I know. But there's something about it. that The lack of control. It's unnatural. and Yeah, no. We're not supposed to be up there. and that's I think that's part of it. But I sure as heck prefer it to a boat.
Speaker: I'll say that. boat. I don't want to sail the Atlantic or the Pacific or whatever. No, as a Titanic enthusiast, I am also creative. You are? Oh, yeah. That was your thing? I was. Is it? Yes.
Speaker: I will talk about the Titanic anytime to anyone. We went to the Titanic exhibition when it was in l LA. I took my child to it when he was two. It was great.
Speaker: We kept talking about the dog that drowned because the someone left their dog in the room. oh I mean, some people took their dogs. Some people managed to get their dogs on the boats, but some people just left their dogs in the rooms and then got on the boat. Where did it leave from? New York?
Speaker: No. it was going from Europe to America. Yeah, yeah. Oh, I didn't think it was the other way. No, that makes sense given the movie everything that happens in the movie. Incredible movie. It is a great movie. You know, me and my husband watched it during lockdown and we just stopped it when everything is good and then turned it off. And then that was it. And you never – you could just be like – That was enough. it was the – Just be like the first tape. The first tape. Yeah. When I was a kid. Well, when I was a kid, it was more exciting to watch the second tape because that's when all the action happens. The water.
Speaker: And then as I got older – and came to appreciate romance more than I got really into the first tape. Do you think this fear of flying has something to do with like your mortality?
Speaker: think it's just, Lack of control. Okay. That's someone else's piloting. Yeah. Yeah. Because I don't mind driving. know that driving is way more dangerous. Right. But I'm way less scared when I'm driving. Right.
Speaker: But because motherhood, you have a lot of control at the beginning, at least. Yeah. So maybe I'm currently used to having control. Yeah. I mean, I've definitely noticed that that is hard for me. Like, it's hard not to attach your ego to the control that you have, you know?
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, and now i'm the control the control I don't have is my kid is watching YouTube videos all day. The government has him now. Like it's a place he's legally required to go to and he is watching trash Although California has pretty lax homeschool rules. Yeah, that's why if we got to do it.
Speaker: You could just do it. Yeah. Is there even a form? You file a PSA once a year and you have to keep an attendance record that's it. Okay. There's no testing. There's nothing. Wow.
Speaker: You can do whatever. So people can just grow up and not learn how to read and just somebody filed a paper. Yeah. That is wild. I mean, it would be hard to avoid learning to read, I think. But I guess if you really went out of your way. I mean, if nobody teaches you, how do you know?
Speaker: But yeah, if no one is if no one is reading to you yeah and there are no books in your house, yeah I don't know who's doing that. Hopefully nobody. It's scary.
Speaker: But yeah, no, I love flying. I mean, I think I love flying because it's like a it's in um a chunk of time where you can't really do anything else. You just have to like sit there and chill.
Speaker: And like there's no feeling of like I should be taking care of something, which I always feel here. how has been How has it been flying with your kid? No, I mean, that's obviously been a nightmare. Oh, really? Yeah. How is it? It's lot harder with a kid.
Speaker: But I mean, we haven't taken him recently, so I don't know what it would be like now. Probably a lot worse now, like, because he'd want to run around and stuff. He's harder to control. Like, when he was littler, it's just that he was loud, but I could keep him on me mostly, you know?
Speaker: So I don't know. And I was still breastfeeding, so that makes it a bajillion times easier. Oh, yeah. Just like put him on there. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know. But probably i would just, yeah, do the bad thing and put on some movies if I took them now.
Speaker: Maybe we'd all watch together like and talk about Make it a family movie. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. But that's probably what we would do. But I don't see us flying anytime soon.
Speaker: Do you have any stories from – I mean, I went back to Kids Club. Oh yeah, how is since you talked about that on a previous episode. How was the latest Kids Club part two at the Americana?
Speaker: So we showed up, this time it was outdoors. So I didn't know any of the protocol. So I just went nearby and sat in like a shaded chair. And then this one mom kept being like, people on the list go here and people not on the list go there. Were you on the list? No, no, no.
Speaker: um And because you to sign. Apparently it's like annoying to sign up and it's like once a month or something. um But we're not that organized. But I was sitting, i guess, on the side of the list. So i was like, I guess I have to move.
Speaker: But at first I was like protesting and just wanted to sit in the shade. But then I was like, Oh, I guess everyone's lining up. I got to get in line. So I got in line. I saw some of the nannies that we see at our playground. um They're in line. They recognize me. We said hello.
Speaker: um And then we went in and what was annoying this time is that they had instruments for all the kids, but not enough for all the kids, which was very annoying. Oh, so they didn't all get one? There was different types and not enough for everybody, which is a two types of annoying is like that there's drums and guitars and shakers. Yeah. So no one's ever going to just want what they have.
Speaker: And that there weren't enough. So there weren't enough in general, and even if they all had to have different instruments. There weren't enough for every kid. No. Okay. Yeah. So it was like double annoying and you had to keep like negotiating to trade instruments or like I stop him from grabbing stuff, you know, but he did have a good time, I think. Okay.
Speaker: And the people playing seemed, they seemed like clearly like they're in some rock band together. and So yeah, this is different people. Different people. These people seemed less like they had kids. They seemed more like just people doing a job.
Speaker: I see. Yeah. Getting in their paycheck. Yeah, collecting a paycheck. But they did take a request and played the Pokemon song for someone. So that was fun. And they were excellent musicians. I'd say superior musicians, less enthusiastic. Yeah.
Speaker: what Which one did your kid prefer? Which band? He honestly had a great time at both. and I don't think he loves to run around and rage, you know, like you in the mosh pit or whatever. And he had a great time running around. And I think it's nicer to be outside because then he could go on the field and like run around a bit behind and stuff.
Speaker: What's the vibe of the people who go to this? It was, I mean, 99% moms and nannies. Like there were almost no men. No men, but more moms or nannies. I'd say fifty fifty Okay. Yeah.
Speaker: Did you talk to anyone? No. There was a kid who was like clearly too old to be there who seemed annoyed. How old? He seemed like old, like... ah You know, I'm bad at gauging age, but maybe like six or seven. that's not bad all. Yeah, but everyone else is like under four. Yeah. yeah So, but he very kindly was like sharing instruments and like, you know, behaving well.
Speaker: But beforehand, he was like complaining to his mom about like wanting a snack, but not wanting the snacks that she had. And they were having this like annoying back and forth. Oh, the snacks. i complain I can complain about the snacks at school too. Oh, what's going on with that? All they do is eat all day.
Speaker: So they're watching they're watching TV and eating all day. That's it? That's all they Yeah. their whole Their lives, their days are just being couch potatoes.
Speaker: I mean, what are they training them for? The Matrix? like Being consumers. Being good, passive consumers. ah Because they have, now they have breakfast.
Speaker: My kid's just eating breakfast before he goes to school, but You can go to school and have breakfast. At school. At school. And then like an hour and a half later, it's snack time. Okay. Which in theory is supposed to be recess, but it's really just snack time. Because there's not enough time to run around. Yeah, because they're just eating. And you know the kids are at the park. They're just like, I'm going to eat my little seaweed. Were there fights about the snacks? Who knows? and No, they just bring their own. Okay. I think it's it's more on rails because okay it's not expected to pass out snacks to people, you know. Okay. um So they they eat their own snacks.
Speaker: And then hour or two later, they have lunch. That's also supposed to be lunch recess. It was confusing because my kid said he didn't have enough time to eat his lunch, but he also didn't play at all.
Speaker: He said they were not playing at all. Everyone else was eating. They were just sitting there eating. And then they go home two hours later.
Speaker: It's a quick day. That's a lot of, or two it's like two hours and 20 minutes. That's the stretch of time where I do not know what's happening. After lunch. After lunch, yeah. Maybe that was the crown time.
Speaker: Maybe that's the crown time. Maybe that when they're watching. i could ask him. Maybe was when they're watching the videos. Okay, but what, can I ask this? Because I'm trying to figure this out too. What did you pack in his lunch? We made him seaweed rolls.
Speaker: like Like sushi rolls? Yeah, like rice and tofu wrapped in seaweed. That's yummy. So he had that. That's a good idea. Those are good. a good little lunch. It's easy to make. Yeah. And cucumbers, carrots, apple slices.
Speaker: Okay. And that's it. But then he didn't, it seemed like, because he came out of the... of school yesterday said, I need to finish my lunch. And he just plopped down out by a tree and ate the rest of his lunch. Okay.
Speaker: ah Because he didn't have enough time. i don't, we think maybe he ate too much snack. But I'm like, why are they just, like we we, when we went to school, we just had lunch.
Speaker: We didn't have snack time. we had snack, recset we had a recess. Morning snack? Mid-morning, like 10, 15. I remember morning. We definitely had morning recess when I was a kid. But we didn't we weren't eating snacks. We were just running around.
Speaker: We had snacks. You had snacks? Yeah, because we'd all run around chase each other for them and trade them and all that stuff. Yeah. See, to me, that's so distracting. But maybe it was just at lunchtime. I'm trying to think. There were definitely snacks in my lunchbox. Oh, okay.
Speaker: But that and that I remember that at lunchtime, like lunch being a thing. I mean, recess is just a blur to me. Like, it's like, was that lunch recess? Was that morning recess? Yeah. No, we used to have so many recesses. There were three recesses. Yeah.
Speaker: And now they have two, but they're not really recesses anymore because they're eating. Lunch was an hour. like Yeah. And now the lunch recess is 40 minutes total.
Speaker: Why did they shorten that? I feel like they probably spend half the time getting in line. They're always lining up. My kid said he got stars for getting in line.
Speaker: very depressing. Falling in line, literally. Yeah, that's what they have to do. And then go and watch their slop. eat their slop, watch slop. Well, they must have done other stuff because you said the total amount of screen time you added up was half an hour. I know. But he was there for six hours. So let's say six hours, five and a half minus 40 minutes, which is like. 40 minute lunch, 20 minute recess in the morning.
Speaker: So that leaves. So that leaves four hours. Four hours. so what were they doing? What were they doing? That's the mystery. They made, they worked on the crowns. They. What else did they do?
Speaker: Play? andt I asked if he played any games. Oh, they played Simon Says. Okay, that's a good They played Simon Says. So I wonder if there was a video in involved. time I don't actually know. There might have been.
Speaker: I could see a video happening for Simon Says. We don't need it. I also found out they're not supposed to hang anything on the walls. What? Because the paint isn't dry yet, which can't be true. That's depressing.
Speaker: There is, like, yeah, the there' the walls are painted blue and they're, but they're just blank. There's nothing on Are there windows? There are windows with a great great views of downtown. Oh, that's nice. No, it's really pretty outside the window.
Speaker: I remember looking out the window in class, just, like, dreaming about being able to be out there. Oh, yeah? Ugh. Now they're trapped in four walls. I'm going to get them. I'm leaving.
Speaker: Go pick them up. He has an appointment with me me. For the rest of his life.
Speaker: And there's lunch that some people get from school, right? Yeah, there's a lunch that you can buy and there are vegan options. Oh. But I don't know what they are because it just says vegan options upon request.
Speaker: Okay. But it doesn't say what they are. Who knows? So I don't – and that's something we might look into later on when Mike runs out of steam with making his lunches. Right.
Speaker: Yeah. As we transition to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yeah. I know. I'm really nervous about it because i there isn't an option like that where our kid is going. and Wait, is it? Right. You provide the lunches. Yes. You those seaweed rolls. Forever. Yeah.
Speaker: We'll do those and Yeah, sandwiches and Lord knows I'm going to have like really get a huge list together. They said they give recommendations though. So that's going to be all yours for that. Oh, ideas of what to pack for lunches. Yes. Yeah. To not have them. Did you tell them yet that they're being ableist? I haven't asked for accommodations. I want to, but I think i think my inner ableism is going to get in the way of that one. If I can request.
Speaker: I think maybe I'll just ask for forgiveness if we end up doing that. yeah what well what Yeah, what are they going to do There's no recourse. I feel like it's like the towels. You're them thousands of dollars. It's like the towels in hotels when they're like, save the planet by not washing your towels every day. And it's like, no, we're actually just saving you work.
Speaker: but Yeah, yeah. know The greenwashing. Yeah, the greenwashing. For their convenience. Lord knows. Yeah. You're just worried about having too much trash maybe, perhaps. Because this all came from packaging. you know We're not home growing our popcorn or whatever.
Speaker: now you're just dumping out of the package and then your trash. Exactly. It's like stupid. But I feel like rich people are obsessed with recycling. It makes them feel good. They have the time to live a better, like more holistic life, you know? they have the And they have the space in their brain. They likely – Because they don't have any actual problems. Yeah. So they can compost or whatever they do. to rid well. What is that? Rid well. The thing where they pick up things that can't be recycled. Oh, I got to do that.
Speaker: But you have to pay money for it. i can't do that. But it's it's like you're paying money to like feel 6% better. i mean, like I try to do some stuff, but I'm not like crazy. Like at the end of the day, it's like it's not individual consumers that are to blame. Like, I mean, logically, we know this, right? But it just makes people feel better about consuming. Do you think, do you ever get down about like climate change and our children's future? That's too heavy.
Speaker: You don't worry about it? I mean, it's not it's not great. Does it make you want to be an activist in any way? i got to focus on. It's the day to day. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Keeping those screens out of school.
Speaker: I'm trying to like, their brains are still forming, you know? But they say, or I guess we never, we don't really know how much is nurture or nature. But we know that screens do something bad. They're really bad. I have been noticing what you said, that it's like harder to switch gears when you're on a screen, like as opposed to me. Because I got a book. I started reading a book yet again. I'm reading again. It's a pretty good book. um But yeah, it is much easier to look up from the book than it is from the screen. There is this like rage that happens. Right, when you're on a screen. Why? Why does that happen? That's crazy. But what is that? Why does that happen? It's dangerous. That's like because you're being fed something that you enjoy. I'm like hyper-focused. Yeah. Because I'm enjoying the book too. Yeah.
Speaker: But it doesn't feel like big deal move away. like I can just go right back to it. Yeah. Whereas when I get off the screen, it feels like it's lost forever. Because youre because it's like not real. It's so weird. it's like you're in an alternate reality for a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker: Although that did happen also when I was like cooking this morning. I'm like – You got irritated. Yeah. Cause I'm like, I'm trying to make this food. hate feeling skirt being pulled.
Speaker: Oh yeah. Do you get annoyed by that? I get annoyed by any like surprising contact when I'm washing dishes. That drives me insane because for some reason there's a lot of like mental calculation because we don't have a dishwasher. Yeah. So I'm like mentally calculated. There's like a rhythm I'm getting into of like this is rinsing in this. There's like a lot of like calculation going on. Yes. And it interrupts it. And then I'm like, I'm out of it and I'll never remember. And then I to start again with all the dishes I was washing. Like, yeah. Oh, no, really? No, it's so not. The ones that are in the sink, like, because I'm like, i don't remember. Because you know what step in the process. Which ones did I scrub? Which ones, yeah. So then it's like we're starting again. Like, just it's very frustrating. it's hard to get back into that and remember, like, which ones. Anyway, it just sucks. But, yeah, maybe it's also because the phone feels more like a task.
Speaker: And then the book is more leisurely. Yeah, maybe. And sometimes you are doing, sometimes I am doing a task on the phone. Yes, it feels productive to be on the phone, even if you're not. Like, it's like stuff's happening. Right. It makes you feel like something's happening. Like you're grinding. It's not really. Things are going, you know, likes and people and I don't know what. Yeah, we got to get off. I'm going to, I think I'm, I'm making my way to the flip phone very soon.
Speaker: Yeah, I'll get there. I mean, but I'll have to stop posting this if I get off my smartphone. Can you do it? You can't do it on the computer? No way. Really? no way. There's got to be a way. No, there is a way. i just can't do it on the computer. have There's no way I would do it on the computer. Like, well that's the thing. I need that stupid phone feeling to do it. like I mean, I can do this all on the laptop, which is nice.
Speaker: That's when I'm really working. If I got the laptop in front of me. I don't even take it out. of this podcast Yeah, I don't even take it out if other people are around. There's no. The laptop. I'll go crazy if I have to stop for a second. If you're doing something a laptop. Yeah, because I'm like really trying to focus. Like,
Speaker: No, and kids – but kids also don't see being on a phone or a laptop as like valid work. No. And I don't see it as valid like if my husband's on it. I'm like get off that thing. yeah What are you doing? i mean that's literally my husband's job is just going typey-typey on his laptop. And if he's in the room, I'm going to talk to him. Yes. Even though I know he's working, I can't help it. You're sitting right there.
Speaker: We've started a system because I've started being like psycho about him being on his phone when we're supposed to all be hanging out. I'm just not saying anything. We just put our hand on each other's shoulder as like a signal instead of being like yelling. So you're scolding each other in front of him. What I want to do is yell at him. But that's me also not having self-control as we've discussed previously. It is keto to you too. Yeah. Yes. Well, sometimes he'll say, this is my hand on your shoulder. And I'm like, okay, like if he's too far away.
Speaker: But instead of yelling at you. But it brings you back to reality, like the contact, you know, less you should do that with kids interrupting too. Yeah. Oh. Instead of, yeah, you should teach them to.
Speaker: Touch. Yeah. If he needs to talk to you. That's a good age to teach them that. That's a good one Yeah. Yeah. He's not, so I'm trying to think, does he interrupt a lot? He talks a lot. Then I'm sure he's interrupting. He talks. that Sometimes we just talk over him, but he's in the back seat. So we can't tell if he's just like, baboo, baboo, playing some game with himself. or I kind of love sometimes when you just can't even hear them. don't know.
Speaker: When you're on the freeway and they're talking back there. sometimes his two hands are characters and they're having a conversation or whatever he's doing. Yeah, none of your business. Yeah, Well, it's fun to listen to. Although the way he plays is extremely bland right now. It's just like, hi, I'm a car. It's very down to earth. Yeah, that's normal. What are you? I have wings. Yeah, it's like very just factual. Yeah, yeah. Not getting super into the imaginary realm. Not much, no. Sometimes they go off to try get something, like some kind of mission, but that's the extent of it. Usually to find another friend.
Speaker: Yeah. It's very simple. This isn't playing alone. He's always playing alone. Yeah, with kids he plays. I don't i don't even want, just see that he's playing and if they're not getting physical or crying, I stay away, you know? So I don't know what's going on there.
Speaker: Like with that girl yesterday, i mean they were playing for a long time. I don't know yeah what the game was, but. Seemed fine.
Speaker: Oh, there was a mom at the park this weekend. Yeah. This is just complaining about rich moms. Uh-huh. And I liked her hat because she had a nice big bucket hat, straw bucket hat. i was like, I know it's going to be fancy, but I'm still going to ask her. Yeah. And so i said, can I inquire about your hat? What's the deal? What is it? Yeah. And she said,
Speaker: It's Janessa Loyoni. And she said it in a voice like, I know you can't afford this. It's $5,000. Like, there's no way. Janessa Loyoni. How much was it? She said It was $2.57, I think.
Speaker: Oh. That's quite a bit. But that also might be her saying, I know I'm a fool for spending that much on a hat. Like, she, yeah. Like, I'm an idiot. But what I heard is...
Speaker: You definitely can't afford this, but I'll tell you anyway. Yeah, but truly rich people don't spend that much on hats. They know it's stupid. Like they know like she knows better. And the kid goes to a really fancy private school too.
Speaker: Okay, so they're new money. Yeah. but And new, yeah, new money people are the worst. I mean, it's what I would be. would for sure be. Yeah. I'd be like, let's get the fun That's why we got to keep you So that's why this podcast can never be successful.
Speaker: So that Reena doesn't become more Don't listen to that. Give us money.
