Is that you or am I the only one?
I think that I can figure out when it started - as I look back to when I was pregnant and in my first trimester, I was nauseous all the time and had my daughter watch tv to give me time to feel miserable. Then I can honestly say that I would use the tv when I was to tired to do anything else, and then, when the baby came, well it was the easiest thing to put on for her when I was trying to breastfeed, change diapers and adapt to being a mom of 2.
I'm a lazy mom. Or at least I feel that is what I have turned into. I've struggled with keeping my pre-schooler busy when breastfeeding, which there is alot of in this house. I've struggled with getting her to eat her dinner so I resorted to letting her watch tv while she ate. That allowed me time to shovel the food into her.
She no longer naps and quiet time consisted of her standing in her doorway asking, is my time up yet, is it up yet, and is it up yet... So I started to put a movie on for her in hopes that it would "lull" her into falling asleep on the couch. No such luck and I wonder why - how could I have thought that Tinkerbell or Toy Story would keep her quiet! Foolish thinking.
As I write this, I'm trying to think of how much tv viewing she actually does in a day. I'm shocked to say that it has been, up to 3 1/2 or 4 hours on some occasions.
I feel guilty and I feel like I am a bad mom, but then I stop and think, many times it was for survival. When does that become just an excuse though...?
Don't get me wrong, we are regulars at the library, we read, do puzzles, arts and crafts, sports, free-play and more but tv (even on the iphone) is still a part of the day.
Time for this mom to change the tv watching rules and make it a privilege versus an expectation. Time for me to parent my daughter regardless of the challenges.
What rules do you have in place for tv watching for your children? Any recommendations on making the change from tv to no-tv?
Very honest post Tara! And you're not alone believe me. The transition from one to two is children is a big one, especially when your oldest is home with you. A lot is just about survival at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI think the amount of TV watching for my kids has varied on their ages and on their personalities. My oldest was (sadly!) never very interested and my youngest would watch all day if you let him (at least at one age or another!). It's all about balance I guess and not being too hard on ourselves as moms. I don't know if I'd go cold turkey, maybe slowly scale back (for both of your sakes!). As your daughter gets older she'll be able to play more independently too so you won't 'need' the TV as much, I've definitely found that with my kids. Good luck and keep us posted, you're definitely not the only one going through this challenge!