This week my son went to the dentist for the first time.
Armed with his six strategically positioned teeth, designed for tearing bread and meat, my son had no idea what awaited him at the dentist. Neither did Dad.
Growing up, dentist offices were bare-boned. Four walls, healthcare professionals in white or blue coats, depending on their role, armed with picks and drills. The environment wasn't sad, but it wasn't joyful either. The mission was straightforward: fix the teeth and get out unscathed.
This dentist's office was a pediatric one. So it was filled with colors, televisions, and other toys that overwhelmed me. (The kid was fine and took it in stride.)
In the exam room, if you looked up, there was a TV playing Disney Channel. It's a genius strategy for little kids who need to look upward while having their teeth examined. However, since we've maintained a no-cartoon policy at home, I asked the nurse if it was possible to turn off the TV. She said sure and turned it off with no fuss. But that's when it hit me:
Am I becoming "that" parent?!
We were in a private setting, it was the dentist's office's TV, and here I was, asking to turn it off because we don't watch cartoons at home.
I started to wonder:
What happens when he turns 5?
What if he visits a friend's house where cartoons are allowed?
What about daycare or school?
I realized I had put myself in an impossible position, yet there I was, being 'that Dad.'
A few weeks ago, my wife mentioned a Facebook group of parents grappling with similar issues. One thread discussed a household with a no-phone policy for their kids (ages 10-13), asking their children's friends to relinquish their phones upon visiting.
The thread exploded. Parents were appalled at the idea of their children's phones being confiscated at a friend's house, with some even likening it to the premise of a cheesy horror movie.
I understood their outrage.
While parents want to set boundaries for their kids in their homes, there are limits to this.
I started this newsletter to help myself and others understand what those limits are.
My son will be able to sit down and watch cartoons one day.
I just didn't want it to be that day.
