So apparently someone on MSNBC made some assinie statement about how conservatives would hate the Cheerios Super Bowl commercial because it features an interracial family. Whatever. I doubt anyone would have noticed had this “journalist” not said anything. I do have a problem with the commercial, though.
Daddy tells his daughter, without discussing with mommy, that she can have a puppy because she’s a bit jealous of the new baby on the way. This is a problem. Why? There are a couple of reasons.
- Parents should make the decision to add a pet to their family together. A pet is, or rather should be, a lifetime commitment and should be taken very seriously. It’s not a decision that should be made to make your kid feel OK about mommy having another baby.
- Is it really a wise time to add a puppy to your household when you are getting ready to have a baby? Admittedly, I’m not a parent to human children, just furry canine ones, but I would venture to guess that dealing with a newborn and a puppy would be no easy feat. Imagine nightly feedings, changing dirty diapers all while house-training a puppy that wants to chew on everything in sight, including the expensive, antique chifferobe left to you by Great Aunt Edna. That’s just a recipe for disaster!
- Your child won’t be taking care of the dog, no matter what he or she tells you or promises. Trust me, I know. I was once a little girl who really wanted a puppy and made all kinds of promises! The adults will be taking care of the dog, so it’s up to you, not your child.
I’ve seen way too many cases of dogs, grown dogs, getting kicked out of the family when a baby comes along and it’s wrong. It’s not only wrong, but it boils my blood. Any pet that you take into your family is and should be considered family members. The decision to get a pet should be for the entire life of the pet, not until you get bored with it or realize you weren’t ready for the responsibility. Owning a dog requires one to have time to properly train and socialize the animal, it’s a commitment and one that should be well-thought out.
Who knows, maybe Cheerios will realize this and do a follow-up commercial, because we already have way too many dogs in shelters…Have you not seen the ASPCA commercials with the Sara McLaughlin song??
As I wrote this, the Audi Super Bowl “Doberhuahua” commercial aired. Kudos to Audi for showing in a dream sequence: the perils of buying a dog from a pet store (This is a major no, no. These dogs are from puppy mills. More on this later), breeding for a “designer breed,” breeding when you have no business breeding, then going to a shelter to find the right dog for you. Refreshing! The people at Audi know what they are doing. Oh, and their cars are pretty nice, too!
Megan Wargula 