As parents, we like to envision ourselves as paragons of proper child rearing. We educate, we engage, we enrich. We have patience beyond reproach.
But sometimes we just need to stop the chaos. Sometimes the best practices of Montessori-style child enrichment take a back seat to your toddler screaming bloody murder in a sushi restaurant.
For those times—the times when you just want the madness to stop so you can enjoy your salmon sashimi—whipping out your iPhone and throwing on a distracting YouTube video may be all that stands between you and insanity.
So, with a hat tip to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, who introduced me to a few of these, here are four mind-numbing, child-mesmerizing videos to salvage your next public child meltdown.
My kids love this one. Make sure you cue up all three episodes for nine minutes of uninterrupted bliss. Me? It makes me want to jam a pencil in my ear. Give them headphones.
This gripping series tells the tale of a regular guy and his buffalo. Some mild Cowboys and Indians-style humour, meant in good fun. It’s not Game of Thrones, but it’s funny.
This one is just as much for me as it is for the kids. A way to introduce them to my childhood friends and some good music at the same time. Something about the combination of such an epic song and the Muppets enthrals them.
Feist’s soothing voice, furry muppets, counting—what else could you ask for in a mind-melter? Bonus points for involving penguins.
Got any more great kid-distracting videos? Leave them in the comments or find me on Twitter.
Stop feeling guilty—this teacher is sharing three great ways that you can use television as an educational tool for kids of all ages!
How To Stop Tech From Destroying Your Children. Hint: Don't Worry So Much About It!
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