Web 2.0 Blog – Discovering Innovation Opportunities using Social Media

We are attempting to raise read-write or new media kids. Kids that can create content as well as consume it. For now this means, no TV or movies, an emphasis on reading and a healthy diet. (no sugared foods..even Cheerios have a lot of sugar and he even gets flax oil on his bread rather than jam — he has a milk allergy).

My wife is vegetarian so we eat vegetarian at home and the other day we had veggie burgers, to which the 2 year old immediately said upon seeing them “Hamburgers!.” He has seen hamburgers mentioned in only one or two books and around the house we always call them veggie burgers. He now insists they are hamburgers despite our corrections and the fact he heard “veggie” burger before ever reading a book with a “hamburger”. He was also very excited about having a burger and its the kind of “trademark” excite kids have when they get a “real” pooh bear or other media replica. We had a similar example the other day when he made “pretend” toast for us, then decide to spread “pretend” butter on the toast. Not only has he never had butter on toast, but he has never seen it, as we prefer jam.

So he already prefers the reality which he finds in nicely printed books (albeit read to him by us) than the real reality of our lives. Looks like despite any restrictions we might put on, we are in for an interesting ride as he discovers the world.

Of course I am sure a lot of parents out there are shaking their heads saying “Newbies!”