Monday, April 14, 2008

Toddlers + TV = Sanity

Ok, I already know that I am a bad mom.

I was mentally and physically prepared to have one more child when I was 35, but not two in two years. Add to that the constant bickering, taking of toys, crying, crying and more crying - it can easily put me onto my last nerve.

Add to that this insane cold and flu season that has left us pretty much housebound for months (I am one of those moms that doesn't take their kids places when they are sick). When everyone is healthy, we are out almost every morning. We either go to a playdate, a play place, a walk, the park, the library, the grocery store (it is considered an outing in our house)... someplace outside of the house. It makes the days more fun and gives the kids more variety. That way when they are home, their "stuff" seems like more fun and they aren't as easily bored.

With everyone having runny noses or a cough - we are stuck at home. Even my afternoon walks with them are sometimes curtailed because the cold breeze brings on fits of coughing.

So we are stuck at home.

Bored

Bored toddlers fight.

A lot.

I pull out the coloring stuff, puzzles, books, blocks, shape sorter things, annoying electronic toys that make lots of noise...etc.

They are still bored.

They are still fighting.

On goes the TV.

Hurray for Bunnytown, Kipper the Dog and my beloved Disney collection that I had built up over Katya's lifetime! They are quiet.

I can clean the kitchen, change out the laundry and have a cup of coffee while the echo of toddler screams are still ringing my ears. I enjoy the quiet. I wonder why in the world I ever wanted to do this stay at home thing to begin with. I consider going back to work full time and finding a babysitter despite Bob having a cow.

Then Alexis drags me to the couch. She sits on one side and rests her head on my lap. Logan climbs up on the other side and plays with my fingers. They don't seem all that bad anymore. In fact, they are kind of cute. I get to breathe and actually enjoy them for just a few more minutes of animated entertainment and ignore all of those magazine articles that say that TV is bad for children. I have just accepted that I am a bad mom because that TV has saved me from many a meltdown.

Oh well.

3 comments:

Laura and the family said...

Oh come on, Deby! Pfff, you are not a bad mom. You have raised Katya beautifully. Now, I know you will do the same for Alexis and Logan,too.

We all do need our sanity when we need to have the kids leave us alone. I sometimes wanted to have my kids AND my husband out of the house, so I could run errands. With little option, the TV has saved us. Thank goodness for today's society. Can you image what we would do if we had lived in 1800's???

Deby said...

1800's? They would be out milking the cows. Just kidding!

I seriously don't know how you guys raised those two rascals without losing it sometimes. These two are a handful and a half!

I sometimes think that daycare did a better job of entertaining and engaging Katya than I do at home with these two. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!

Cathy/Grandma/Mom said...

You know I was just thinking that those cute little dog kennels may have more applications than are advertised : )