Alexander is having a hard time listening to me. I ask him to do simple things, get ready for bed, or turn the TV off, and I’m met with a negotiation.
I’m not a negotiating Mom. My expectation is that I ask my kids to do something, and it’s done. Today we went head to head, twice. It’s really awful, and I hate it, because I watch my son lose control. He just can’t. He’s got to outgrow this, and be able to hear from people that he won’t get his way. If he doesn’t learn soon, he won’t be a good playmate, and I can’t imagine that any teacher would be enamored with him.
Even when I’m eyeball to eyeball with my son, a belligerent eight year old, I can’t help but be filled with love. It’s not an angry sort of challenge. It’s an I love you so much that we’ve got to get this under control sort of challenge.
So, I’m stricter than I’d like to be right now. I want to be the Mom who lets her son get away with pushing the limits, but right now I can’t. Because that wouldn’t help him grow.
It would be easier on both of us, but growing them up is my job.
If you want to do a little Pavlovian experiment, be present at a VC (Venture Capital) networking event and mention LBS. The VC will probably get slobbery and their cheeks could get red. This little video might explain why search marketing gets hot and bothered when you add location.
What does LBS really mean though to us, parents and end users? Location Based Social Networks typically live on your cell phone. Or your child’s cell phone. I have both a Nexus 1 (android based Google phone) and an iPhone, for the most part the apps are similar and Blackberry (though a bit less social) has many of the same.
Here’s the thing, if you or your child uses their cell phone to “check in” anywhere, for any of these apps (applications) then they are leaving behind a digital footprint. For the most part a digital footprint is just fine, but there can be issues. I’m not saying that sharing your life is bad. By definition I’m a bit of a lifecaster myself, and with that being said, there must be boundaries.
One of the reasons Facebook is a problem for kids is that friends of friends are able to see your activities. Some of the privacy issues have been addressed, but Facebook was set up to be like a book. It’s an open network for people to read, share and enjoy. This morning I spent quite a bit of time purging my facebook friends of anyone who hasn’t been to my home. It’s the litmus test I chose, it may or may not work for you. I’m not really sure what, if anything, it will achieve. I hope no one has their feelings hurt, but my husband is entitled to more privacy than he was getting.
With LBS using Facebook to connect you to so many friends, it was also important for me to whittle down the friend list if I’m to continue enjoying using apps like Whrrl* and Foursquare. Foursquare is a marketers dream with people fighting to be the mayor of your business, and updating their twitter and facebook statuses. Again, with friends of friends, and the very public nature of Twitter, using Foursquare, Gowalla, Whrrl and the like requires a bit of forethought.
For me, the forethought is to fire facebook as my social media black book, to use MySpace instead, and to invest more of my time in Whrrl than the other location based applications. Why? Well, my husband doesn’t use myspace. We’re divorcing our online lives and he gets to keep Facebook, but I get MySpace. MySpace is a bit more like being in a million tiny chat rooms, so it appeals to me a little more as a way to communicate with people outside of my IRL (in real life) neighborhoods. Also, and more importantly, Facebook Connect is used in many of the LBS applications and leaving a digital footprint for friends of friends isn’t very smart.
Please understand that in taking social media off of Facebook, I have separated myself from editors in chief, VC’s, CEOs, reporters, social media gurus and celebrities. This is not a decision I came to lightly.
One of the reasons I’ve been using Whrrl for so long is because of the privacy they have built into it. According to Pelago the makers of Whrrl, “Privacy is one of the core product values that Whrrl was built upon. We take privacy very seriously, and enable anyone to make their check ins private or viewable to friends, trusted friends, or the public. Once you check in, you also have the ability at any time to change the privacy level. In addition, Facebook and Twitter status updates are optional and if activated, can be turned off at any time.” When the folks at Pelago talk about “trusted friends”, what they mean is that there are two levels of friendship on their network, you can be friends with someone or you can be a “trusted friend”. My “trusted friends” are my immediate family and they’re the only ones who get to see the kids, and know exactly where I am.
Being a Mommy Blogger is a privilege. I’m so honored every time just one person reads my posts, and when I meet folks and they say they’ve had the same experiences my heart soars. When you leave comments, I feel good. Really good. I can’t even explain to people what it’s like to have this blog, to have you as a reader. I can’t. It’s good. Please trust that.
Like my friend Matt Singley, I’m reviewing the way I do things. If I’m not your Facebook Friend, and I was three days ago, please don’t be offended, maybe you’ll join me at MySpace? I’m not less interested in your life, I’m just interested in sharing with you in other forums, so that we can all feel comfortable. And appropriate.
The part of the video that you didn’t see? Well, I’m wearing a red beret because it was ON SALE. And it’s UGLY.
I am not a bargain shopper, I want to be one, but I’m terrible at it. Are you a Bargain Hunter? I don’t even clip coupons any more, I stopped pretending it would work.
Today a woman died at Sea World. It’s terrible and shocking whenever there is a senseless death. My heart aches for the family of the trainer.
I’d like to discuss just a few things with you today.
Did you know that whales migrate thousands of miles each year? How would whales recreate that experience at a place like Sea World?
Did you know that whales (and many other ocean mammals you find at places like Sea World) communicate via sonar? Whale sounds travel hundreds of miles so one pod can communicate with another. Imagine being a whale at Sea World and making noises within the cement swimming pool that is your new home. Now imagine that sound echoing back at you. It’s the equivelant of putting your children in a mirrored room, for years.
I am told that whales and dolphins in captivity have wilted Dorsal Fins. I am looking for a reliable source to credit, please leave one here.
The dolphins? They’re not smiling, our anthropomorphizing of these fabulous animals has led us intro tricking ourselves into believing they are happy. They are not necessarily happy or unhappy. Whales, Orcas, Dolphins and other life under water do not smile. They are not us, and they do not belong to us.
My friend Holly at Ocean Futures Society was telling me about a dolphin trainer whose dolphin committed suicide. It happens, these are mammals who need to be social, to migrate, to hunt and to mate. I’m terribly sorry that anyone has to be hurt, much less die, but today should be a lesson for us all.
If your children need to see dolphins, whales and the like go visit Jean Michel Cousteau and find out how you can become an Ambassador of the Environment.
I think y’all know that I like a clean house. No, I love a clean house. I also love clean clothes, and my washer and dryer (while not quite dead) are slowing down. Since Alexander is speeding up this is not a good thing.
In order to get clothes properly cleaned, I am told, I need a front loading washer and dryer. I also have the world’s tiniest laundry room. This is both good and bad news. The bad news with a small laundry room is that you must use your space well. You must be thoughtful. The good news is that things like moving the plumbing and painting the walls are not particularly expensive, you need just an inch of copper wire and not a mile.
Friday morning my superhero plumber showed up with two helpers. They capped off the plumbing to a useless sink, removed some cabinets and moved the water, gas and sewage lines from one wall to another. The trio was exceptional. So incredible that I’m not sure that I’m willing to share his information with you, I’m a bit stingy that way. Here’s where karma got me, I’m all not sharing the kick ass plumber who came from the amazing contractor who is building my mother’s 84th house… and after having the water shut off for a few hours I decided to color do my hair. After 25 minutes of L’oreal 6N (which is in the process of being fired from the job) I hopped into the shower to condition it out and the shower head exploded everywhere.
There was water coming out of the top and the bottom of the shower head. With a swollen face and gloppy hair, I simply stood under the biggest trickle I could find, and cried.
A girl can only cry for so long. I picked myself up and ran off to the hardware store. After several failed attempts I found the holy grail of shower heads. It’s a Sprite Filtered Shower head, you can get it at Lowes. This shower head is wonderful as it filters the chlorine out of your water. I struggle with dry hair and skin, so this thrills me. I went and bought one for the kids bathroom as well. You will want to pull the flow restrictor out though, otherwise it’s just too wimpy.
After feeling like crap, and being generally woozy from tooth pain, I did what every child does. I called my Mom and Stepdad and asked them for help. We all went out for dinner and then my Stepdad came upstairs to our master suite to help install the new shower head. Here is what he saw.
If you look to the left of my bed you’ll see a video camera and tripod. Folks I am a vlogger too! I have a YouTube channel (it’s small but it’s mine) and I tape each week for Momversation. It’s not what you think. I don’t even think he thought it.
I’m a Mommy Vlogger!
But oh em gee when you walk into my bedroom it just does not look good.
Nestle, it has come to my attention that you aren’t just food. There’s been a thirty year boycott of your products, and frankly it’s an easy one for me. Ever since you added HFCS to the Abuelita Coco, you don’t have many products that my family will miss (we will miss Pellegrino).
Well, I just found out about Loreal. I’ve got a bit of a thing for Loreal. I understand that Loreal is an enemy of the environment, but I make good on so many of my other decisions that I’ve decided that I’m entitled to good hair. Oh, but of course Nestle owns part of Loreal.
Nestle, it appears that you and I need to talk. I’m not prepared to change hair products without a fight and I believe that you want to not suck respect the health of women and babies (which basically means everyone in the world).
You and I, we’re about 30 minutes away from each other. I want to meet with you, because if I have to change my hair color products I’ll go out screaming and yelling.
No PR, no spin, no bullshit.
323.205.5377 call me. I’ll even have you here to my house for lunch.
