That's it! I have become one of "those mothers." You know the mother's you think twice about before allowing your children to spend time at her house because Lord only knows what things "she" allows! Okay, maybe what happened at my house was not so bad that I've fully graduated to "those mothers" but it certainly felt that way after I received a phone call from a mother of one of my daughter's friends...yikes! She was calling to inquire exactly what her daughter had seen that kept her up the entire night with nightmares...Oh ya, did I forget to mention the YouTube incident?
Okay, let me start from the beginning. We have a cautionary strategy when it comes to YouTube at my house. We hadn't banned it entirely due to the fact that there are some very entertaining, humorous, and sweet clips on there. The rule has been that the children are not allowed on YouTube without the presence of an adult. I thought an adult present, approving and disapproving certain clicks would prevent any misadventures that could occur - I was wrong.
Where as this rule has been effective previously, and my children have been spared stumbling onto something that could scar their little innocent brains for life (am I being overly-dramatic? Only time will tell...) it failed me naturally on the day they had their little friend over to play. Now this was only the second time this friend has been over to play at our house, so it's not as if there is a large history here that someone could point to and show that what I am about to tell you isn't the norm at my household - keep that in mind!
So my girls wanted to show their friend the music video of Africa that I have posted on this very blog. No problem, perfectly safe, go ahead...I say. We are all in the kitchen, not one, but two parents present! So the girls show her this video...wonderful! "Hey!" Says their friend, "I know of a kitty video...it's so funny!" Fine, go for it I think, standing over their shoulders. Up comes the kitty video. Adorable! It's a little cute fuzzy kitten speaking with a squeaky voice, doing a sort of rap...very cute, the girls are loving it. So naturally they click on the links beside that have "related" videos - more cute adorable harmless animals! I go back to preparing dinner...
Moments later screams consume my kitchen, coming from both the computer and the four little girls huddled around it. The screams from the computer are horrific and familiar - I've heard it before from a link a friend sent to me once as a joke. But this was no laughing matter. I quickly tell my daughter to turn it off, "YouTube is done." I say. I know what they saw, and it isn't pretty. They had clicked on a link entitled, "dog flipping" The video begins with a cute adorable dog on a bed, you are eagerly anticipating the dog to flip when suddenly appears a skeletal woman's face that is have covered in blood, her jaw disjointed and hanging, her eyes eerily staring out at you, and she is screaming an agonizing scream. This is the image my three little girls and their friend saw at my house.
None of them, however made a big deal about it. No one seemed really scared or mentioned it, so I didn't make a big deal...and because of that forgot to mention it to her parents when I dropped her off that night. Well of course as bed time approached suddenly it became a factor. Not so much with the twins, but their younger sister. I was able to talk to her about it (telling her the blood was really hot spaghetti sauce and the woman was screaming because it hurt her face....still can't believe the explanation worked...) but these poor parents who were not prepared for their daughter to be frightened at bed time did not have the same fortune. They of course had no idea what exactly had happened or what their daughter had seen at "that mother's" house to frighten her so.
I felt like Anne of Green Gables, with the currant wine she accidentally gave to her bosom friend Dianna, though I will say this lady was much more forgiving and understanding than Mrs. Barry was to Anne. We are all still friends, but lesson learned, YouTube is now banned at my house...at least when any children are in the room!
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