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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During our son’s last year of preschool we spent a lot of time reading, writing, and drawing together. Many would say that we were “preparing for kindergarten.” And while I do hope these skills benefit him as he starts elementary school, I didn’t want to give them the “preparing for kindergarten” label. I loved this time together and I have no intention of stopping now that kindergarten has started. We weren’t just “preparing for kindergarten,” it was more than that. We were learning about each other’s interests, enjoying each other’s company and taking advantage of the burst of learning that happens during early childhood.
In the last month before kindergarten we prioritized play and took a break from some of our more academic activities. And I realized that I truly missed this part of our day. I loved helping our son learn to read. And hearing him read a book with confidence is now one of my favorite activities.
I braced myself for the possibility that our son might be too burnt out after school to continue to tackle brain teasers, mazes, writing, drawing, and reading with me. But, thankfully, at least for the moment, we are still able to incorporate this time into our daily routine. And I couldn’t be happier.
