So, did you catch this little piece from CNN.com about “Commom parenting slipups analyzed“?  They presented four situations and asked some child psychologists to say how bad they were for our kids. I’m not so proud to say that I only scored about a 50% positive rating myself.

First, was letting the kids watch television all day.  They said this won’t do long-term harm, but that anything over two hours a day should be considered excessive. I must admit to being bad on this one. While I don’t think my girl has ever watched an entire day of television (even she gets tired of it eventually), she’s definitely gone over two hours before.  That most often happens on the days I try to work from home.  Ostensibly I’m doing that to be with her, but I can’t really be with my employer and her at the same time; so, even though I’m home, I’m not really focused on her and that makes it oh so easy to fall back on the electronic babysitter. And, that’s not just television. His cousin the computer comes in handy for that purpose, too. At only five years old she has amazed me with her quick grasp on the virtual world of Webkinz. But I at least consoul myself with the fact that some of the games she plays there do require her to exercise her math skills.

The next situation was using treats to bribe you children. While my husband does his best to keep my daughter off of junky candy, we do end up with a reserve from holidays and birthday parties that go into her “treat basket” in the pantry. We don’t often hold those out as carrots, but when she comes asking for them, we do usually put some sort of price on getting one. That may be a clean room or it may be eating a healthy snack first. And, despite my fear of installing some future eating disorder in her, I do find myself telling her she has to eat her broccolli inorder to get dessert. The experts said it is a fine line between positive reinforcement and bribing, and I can agree with that as I constantly worry I’m on the wrong one. But, what I can’t see being very realistic is their advice to make everyday activities “fun and satisfying — by singing for example (think of the “A Spoonful of Sugar” scene in Mary Poppins”. Yeah, right. Maybe Mary can pull that off or some super moms out there, but that just ain’t me.

I can at least say I don’t score bad on the final two situations! But, I can’t really take any mom-credit for it. It’s only because I’ve been lucky enough to not have to move from Austin. The experts said moving is a significant life event to a child, but gave some decent “damage control” tips. And, the fourth situation was not giving your second (or third or fourth) child the kind of attention you give your firstborn. With no current plans for more than one child, I’ve got this one covered by default. Research is apparently mixed on whether this has a significant impact, but they say it’s not something to obsess about - equal attention is impossible to attain.

So, 50/50. Is that bad? Definitely leaves room for improvement. I’ll continue to try to stay on the right side of the bribe line. And, I’ll continue to try to learn how to actually work from home and still give time to my girl. Any tips on how to do that are more than welcome!