Mean Mom

The other night after dinner I noticed the boys were huddled in the corner of the kitchen. I went for a closer look and they were hunched over the iPad, watching a show. 

I saw that they were watching Super Why, an educational PBS show that focuses on reading and was happy to see what they picked. I was about to walk away when Colin noticed me. He quickly went on the defense, informing me...

"Don't worry, Mommy.  We aren't watching anything fun.  We didn't want to make you mad."

OUCH!  Am I really that mean a mom?  I thought about it for a moment and realized the answer is yes. I don't let the boys watch Power Rangers or Ninja Turtles or Transformers or Ben 10. The kiddie cartoon of the Avengers is about as far as I go, and Hari has to push for that. 

Then I thought a bit more, and realized that I'm ok with my rep. If my kids know that there are mom-approved shows that they can watch (Wild Kratts, Super Why, Word Girl, Kung Fu Panda, Tinga Tales) and they actually choose those shows even when they are "sneaking" time with the iPad, then so be it.  

Dad always gets the moniker of the fun-guy, which is fair since he also has to be the big heavy when push comes to shove. So I guess I can be the mean mom who polices viewing time but loves them to pieces and gets to see the little day-to-day moments. That's good balance, right?