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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Now that school and other activities are back in session, I’m slowly getting back into a routine. Going to sleep and waking up earlier. Getting everyone to school without forgetting a lunchbox or a library book. And trying to keep our transitions as relaxing, calm, and pleasant as possible.
I’m also learning how to best stay connected to our kids when they are spending more and more of their time at school and other activities. And more and more of our time together is time when we are transitioning from one activity to the next.
Whenever we have free time, it’s hard not to jump in and make an elaborate plan. I want to take advantage of it! But I’m learning that after school, sometimes taking advantage of free time is just letting it stay free. School and other activities can really throw kids off balance. Whenever we have time at home, the best thing I can do is to get the kids (and myself) back in balance by eating, resting, unwinding, etc. I don’t always know exactly what everyone needs each day, but I’m learning.
It’s hard to balance my need to connect with our kids and their need to have down time to just relax and recover. I’ve learned that singing silly songs and telling silly jokes is a great way to bond, even on the busiest of days. Heading outside for as little as 30 minutes can put everyone in a better mood. And playing card games and board games can provide a nice break in the day. Especially short games that have a clear start and a clear finish.
What are your strategies for family bonding during the busy back-to-school period?
