- Co-viewing. Experts now say that although children can watch up to two hours of television per day, parents should watch with them in order for them to learn from the show rather than just passively watching. We occasionally have a family movie night where we all watch something together, but generally, if I turn on the TV, it’s because I have something to do. If I’m sitting with Matthias, we aren’t watching TV. We are playing games, putting together puzzles, and making crafts. The TV is for times that I’m trying to scrub the kitchen floor and have already changed four pairs of wet socks.

- Toys with 5 million batteries. Not only are they a hassle because the batteries die and, undoubtedly, you don’t have any of that particular size in the house, but they are all loud and obnoxious. Added to all of this, what kid really wants a toy that talks for him? These are the least played with toys in our house. I really think Matthias would be fine with a few popsicle sticks with eyes drawn on them and a stack of shoe boxes. They could be whatever he wanted them to be since he spends most of his play time pretended cars are airplanes, the astronaut is Superman, and pillows are castle walls.

- Epidurals. I’m not for torturing yourself in childbirth. If the pain in unbearable, take advantage of the technology available to you and get some pain control. But wasn’t there a backlash 30 years ago to the idea of “twilight births?” Why are they returning now? I’ve heard women say they doctors woke them in order to deliver their baby. Trust me, there is no way that someone could sleep through the last few hours of labor.

- Flashcards for babies. A baby’s job is to learn about the world around him. They have the tasks of learning to crawl, stand, walk, talk, and share. Plus, they will be in school for at least 13 years, probably longer. It is not essential that a 15 month old knows all of his letters. A two-year-old does not need to know how to read in order to understand the routine of his day. Letter recognition and reading are skills that they will learn as they grow. And really, does an 18 month old really read or do they just memorize that the second word on the video is “hand”?

There are probably hundred of other ideas and practices that I find annoying or out-right ridiculous, but these are the few that come to mind at the moment.