By Cheryl Bac
E-mail Cheryl Bac
About this blog: I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, home cook, marathon runner, and PhD. I recently moved to the Silicon Valley after completing my PhD in Social Psychology and becoming a mother one month apart. Before that, I ran seven marathons incl...
(More)About this blog: I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, home cook, marathon runner, and PhD. I recently moved to the Silicon Valley after completing my PhD in Social Psychology and becoming a mother one month apart. Before that, I ran seven marathons including Chicago and Boston. Exercise is an integral part of my life. I hope to one day go back to long distance running and tackle the New York City Marathon. Right now I run after my one year old son. Although I am a stay-at-home mom, we are rarely "at home." My mom also stayed at home with my brother and me. She warned me that, although rewarding, it can be isolating. So, with her help, I learned the importance of getting out into the community and meeting other mothers. On the rare occasion when I am at home and have a hand or two free, I squeeze in time to scrapbook. As a new mom, many challenges are thrown my way. I hope my opinions, triumphs, and struggles help experienced parents reminisce, new parents cope, and parents-to-be get an honest glimpse of what the first years of motherhood can entail.
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Our family tries to use our TV in moderation. While we limit our son's screen time, he does have a handful of favorite movies and television shows that he enjoys watching.
Recently I was in need of a break. I asked my son if he wanted to watch a show while I regrouped and, of course, he said "yes."
While I greatly appreciated my break, I failed to anticipate the aftereffects. Like many kids' shows, this one included non-TV activities for kids to do with their parents afterwards - crafts, games, projects, etc. Our son was eager to do one of the projects - making a large train out of cardboard boxes. Luckily, he was OK waiting until later in the week when his sister was asleep (there are many things you can do while holding a baby...cutting cardboard boxes isn't one of them).
At first I just wanted a 30 minute break. But, in the end, I ended up spending most of yesterday afternoon making trains out of cardboard boxes with my son. Complete with tracks and scenery. It was a creative and enjoyable activity and one I probably wouldn't have pursued without our son's insistence. This is one instance that I'm glad I turned on the TV.
