Clean House on TLC – aired 10/19/2009

Ugh…frustration.

So, “Clean House” is a home makeover type show where they go around and de-clutter/decorate people’s homes…people who have way to much stuff and lack organization. A really annoying CRAZY woman hosts it but otherwise, it can be enjoyable to watch if you have half an hour and nothing to do.

In the episode today they were attempting to makeover the home of a new first time mom and her roommate. Her baby was about 6 months old.

Cue opening credits. New Mom is seen wearing her baby in a babyhawk carrier (or similar). Yay – “cool babywearing mama on TV”, I think, “you don’t see much of that on air”, it was kinda funky. They also state that she is a busy FTM studying to be a midwife. Excellent! A natural parenting Mom on “Clean House”. I can’t wait to see the rest of this episode.

Or can I?

I’m gonna make this brief, otherwise I’ll go into full on rant mode but I’m hungry and dinner is nearly ready.

Here is a brief summary of the ways in which the show and the presenters undermined new funky natural Momma and the things that really pissed me off in this episode.

• Momma has bought the Amby Swing for her new baby, but had been cosleeping with her in bed…the swing had had little use. The presenters have no idea what the swing is or what it’s for and get Momma to explain the sleeping situation. When she mentions that she sleeps in bed with her baby there is silence, looks exchanged and disbelief. A cut scene follows with the crazy woman saying something like “I don’t know ’bout y’all but in MY day, babies slept in a crib”. -sigh-

• After discussing some of the other rooms in the house, it’s back to the bedroom where one of the presenters says that he wants to discuss “the deathtrap” with the Mom. He is referring to the Amby swing.

• Then the crazy woman comes in to “help” with the death trap conversation as Momma is loathe to give up her expensive purchase. Mom explains that she has been trying to transition baby from the bed to the swing for nap time, but that she is having difficulty and baby cries when in the swing so Momma then picks her up. Crazy then says the following…”So because you don’t have the fortitude to listen to her cry you take her out of it?”.

Erm…hello? Slightly irresponsible programming.

Can you imagine if she had been a cloth diapering, E.C’ing, non vaccinating, gung ho attachment parent? This woman was being put down on television by a group of no brained, ignorant presenters, and Dr Sears’ Amby swing is now a deathtrap?

I know that in the grand scheme of things this is not that bad, but it was just the fact that it was on TV, in the middle of the day, and that OTHER PEOPLE who may not be hip to the whole AP thing would watch it and AGREE with those dumb asses…well, that niggled me slightly.

Anywhoo…

CRAZY