What Are We Doing In This Handbasket And Where Is It Going?

On Thanksgiving morning we were watching the Macy's Parade, because my cousin was a handler for the Dora The Explorer Balloon. It was the first time I'd seen the parade since I was a kid, and the first time the TV had been on in the morning in ages.

This commercial came on, and my head almost exploded:

If you don't have 53 seconds to spare, or are afraid your head might 'splode too, let me sum up: It's a child's stationary bike, attached to a video game. Granted, it's an educational game, but people, this is so many kinds of wrong.

Sure, at least it makes your kid MOVE while playing the game. (Wii, anyone?) But whatever happened to GOING OUTSIDE?

Letting your child (yes, even a four- or five-year-old) ride her bike in the driveway or *gasp* the street gives you, the parent, a chance to teach your child about bike safety, traffic, and other such important things.

And not to knock video games, because I do realize they can give children some skills, but how about singing to your child, or saying rhymes so that he can learn his letters, numbers, and colors?

I'm sure there are some arguments for this type of product. It just seems to symbolize so many things that are wrong with parenting today. And believe me, I'm not a perfect parent and I don't pretend to be one.

If you'd like to read more about where I am coming from, check out this blog called Free Range Kids. It's about letting our kids grow up the way we did, without constant supervision (all the while using safety items such as helmets). And then there's this book I know of, Last Child In The Woods, but which I haven't read yet. (Note to self: read that book.) It deals with something called nature-deficit disorder, which might sound hokey, but which is actually A Serious Thing.

And if any of you who happen to be reading this own a Smart Cycle, please leave a comment telling me why you like it (or don't like it).

Comments

[Betty C.]

This is so weird. I was JUST thinking about the expression "to go to hell in a handbasket" in the car. I couldn't quite decide if it really existed or not -- I have gotten a little rusty on some American expressions.

Now I know it does!

[Seuss]

Okay, so I'll sneak my hand up in the air and admit that we have one of these. BUT there was also a good reason. The G had some sensory and motor issues with her feet. When she was 2 1/2, she still was not able to pedal because she didn't like the pressure on her feet. We had tricycles, we had bikes, we had the trikes the parents push, and she just could NOT figure it out between the coordination (which would have come in time, I know) and the weird pressure on her feet. I debated the SmartCycle for exactly the same reasons you mention for a long time before I got it. But in the end, the pressure it takes to pedal is considerably lighter than the pressure a regular bike/trike took, so I decided to give it a whirl. Throw in that she loves games and Dora and they had a Dora game, and it looked like a possibility. And after just a couple of times of trying, she had it. And once she had it, she started trying again on the trike on the promise of actually *going* somewhere.

Now, we still have the SmartCycle, but she much prefers her bikes and trikes and riding outside. She continues to play on it, but it stays in the closet unless weather doesn't permit riding outside.

So there you have it. Now I'm going back to hide under my rock again for admitting to actually owning the thing :)

[Alison]

Seuss, I'm glad you piped up. Thanks. :-)

Your reasons for buying the toy are fine ones, indeed. I am glad that it helped the G with her issues. And I'm sure it comes in handy on rainy days.

[Margaret]

When this kind of stuff is ALL that kids are exposed to, they come to school expecting constant action and entertainment. Obviously, we can't provide that. It does create issues for the educators and for the students.

[anica]

I am not a parent and by no means an authority; but I feel that parents are just letting go of the responsibility to do the things such as discipline, Looking out for, reading, teaching, communicating with their children. Mind you, times are busy two parents can barely afford the bills each month. A dilemma for sure.

[Denise]

What Margaret said.

Also? L. has a SmartCycle. As an educator, I can't say enough about its focus on beginning literacy. I usually sit in his room with him while he plays it, me NOT being the kind of parent who wants her children to turn into gameheads. (I also limit J.'s videogame-playing time to one hour a day, much to his chagrin.)

At any rate, I've been consistently impressed with the educational quality of ALL of the SmartCycle games. L. is beginning to read, both at preschool and home, and the games he plays on it really support those skills. There's no filler, fluff or garbage to any of the games: just reading, letter recognition, sequencing, number recognition and math. I actually feel very good as both a parent and an educator about L. playing the SmartCycle. It was also voted the 2008 Most Educational and Most Innovative Toy of the Year.

So, yeah, I'm a fan, and I see nothing wrong with the SmartCycle. And it certainly doesn't preclude my son from actually getting outside and riding a real bike, either.

[Scott Beveridge]

Life is dangerous. Yes. So take a break from the carnage every Thanksgiving and watch Macy's parade. It works for a reason.

[Alison]

Denise, thanks for the lengthy comment. This, along with Seuss's comment, was the kind of thing I needed to hear.

The commercial made me shudder, and it seemed to represent the absolute worst combination of "stuff" out there.

If my kids were young enough to be part of the targeted population, I doubt I'd buy this, but I am glad to have positive feedback for it!

Thanks to both of you for speaking up.

[Beanie]

I have an 8-year-old. She wants a Wii more than anything on earth. I think I could offer her a pony and she'd rather have the Wii. Part of her rationale to me? "Mom, we can get a WiiFit and work out in front of the TV!"

My answer?

"Or, you can go outside and play on that ginormous swingset you have, or better yet, take the dog and go run around in the five acres of woods between here and the river! How about that???"

OK, why do I tell this story? Because this same child came across a SmartCycle at the toy store a couple weeks ago. Now, understand that this child is almost five feet tall. No matter. She was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Jumped on, started pedaling, knees in her armpits, trying to catch the letters. I was sick.

"No Mom! It's great! See? Kids can learn their letters without sitting around, doing nothing, looking at a boring piece of paper! This is great! You get to exercise while you learn!"

It's an avalanche. I can't stop it.

[Denise]

Wow, the visceral reactions to SmartCycle are really quite something to behold. I really and truly see nothing wrong with it---as I stated before, I think it's GREAT. Then again, I have kids who love to play outdoors more than just about anything, and whose videogame playing and other inactive-activities I limit bigtime.

[Ally Bean]

I have nothing to add to the toy discussion, but I do wonder how your cousin did as a balloon handler. I don't think that I've ever known anyone who knew someone who did that sort of thing. Sounds like fun to me.

[Alison]

Ally, she was very sore the next day. I quote:

"OMG, Dora was the 4th balloon, I think. She is also the 3rd LARGEST of the balloons, and she has a large FOOT that kept kicking me and my friends. We were holding our lines for dear life, while people at the front of the balloon were skipping along, waving to the crowd...la la la! Note to self: if ballon handling in the future, avoid towing lines near balloon appendages!"