Ode to Tim Gunn

She is asleep on my chest. I turn on the TV; volume is low. She stirs. “Please, just this once. Be still. The season premiere of Project Runway is on”, I whisper. She settles down again. Claire is out. Evidently, Raphael is out too. Auf Wiedersehen, Raphael.

George wants me to give up trash TV. Trash TV is his term, not mine. I don’t consider Project Runway to be trash TV…any more than TV is trashy in general. It’s not like I’m watching the Kardashians or something. Although, I do confess an enjoyment of Celebrity Rehab. I tell George that I will end my addiction to reality shows when he quits the Internet and soda. He says that’s fine with him and calls my bluff. I really don’t mean it. I recently wrote a blog called “Genetic Dice”, in which I worried about how poor genes could play out in Claire. Now comes the anxiety about how our bad habits will influence her. I have read that the experts say children should not watch television before the age of two, at the earliest. We plan on following these recommendations. Studies have shown that the flashing lights and quick cuts can over stimulate the brain, among other things. The tube is an enticing medium, for sure. Lately, we have caught Claire watching shows in the reflection on the glass of pictures. I find myself wondering what other parents do. Get rid of the TV? Only watch when the baby is asleep? Stick with Channel 13? Just give in? Right now, though, she is too young to notice the TV. Or we turn her away from it. I guess I better get my love affair with Tim Gunn over while I can.