I spent much of Friday night bawling my eyes out (tears were reminiscent of my high school days crying in anguish over a broken heart-however, I can't just lock myself in my room and play "Love Hurts" on repeat. These tears require action.) While watching Courageous I was convicted, AGAIN, about the privilege, honor, and responsibility required to raise my children to love God and love others. We got back into the car after watching the movie and I looked at Mark and said, "So I guess parenting requires more of me than just making sure my kids survive each day?" He laughed. I did too...sortof. Because what seems so obvious, "Yes, you are supposed to do more than make sure the entertainment cabinet is bolted to the wall so when your child climbs it it doesn't topple over," is actually very difficult to do. Parenting is not for the faint of heart my friends.
To begin walking in our calling as parents more and better Mark and I decided this weekend to ban all forms of technological entertainment: tv, wii, computer, itouch, ipad, and leapster explorer for a week. AAAAAAHHHHH! I am quite confident that people in Indianapolis could hear my screams, weeping and gnashing of teeth over the thunderous crowd in the Colts stadium last night during the Super Bowl. While this is wonderful for our boys and for me and for spending much more intentional time with them, I have to confess...I am nervous. I'm nervous because truth be told, our boys watch a LOT of tv. I feel like this is an area that parents kindof fudge the truth a bit.
"How much screen time does your child get a day?"
"Um, only 30 minutes. Yep, just Curious George."
All the while your 3 year old is disecting line by line of every Backyardigans, Dora, Super Why, Dinosaur Train, Olivia, Cat and the Hat, Diego, Bubble Guppies, Blues Clues, and Sesame Street he has ever watched. Thing is though, there is such a stigma to TV time, and I get it. This is the area of my greatest mommy guilt. But could someone please join me as a castaway on the Island Where Other Parents Judge You from Afar for a minute and tell me I am not alone?! Do you allow your kids to watch tv all day some days? And yes, you can even give me the noble answer that you do so the kids remain calm so you can clean a lot one day. But for me, if I am really being honest, I will plop them in front of the tv just so I can find out what some long lost friend made for dinner last night on facebook...and geez, I hope she included a picture! What is wrong with me?!!!!
I had always envisioned sitting down and having tea parties with my girls, and playing with my American Girl dolls and accessories that we kept from when I was a little girl. Well, as you all know, I have 3 boys. Three really incredible boys that wake up early, with a ton of energy, a desperate need for justice that causes multiple arguments a day in our house, an inability to play alone, and if given the chance would all crawl back up into my womb, or glue their head to my rear so it looks like I have a tail. No joke.
So yeah, the tv helps me day to day. But I want to be better. I want to be better for them, for Mark, for myself, and for God who has truly given me three priceless, precious, perfect gifts in each of them. But here is where you come in: what should I do with them day in and day out? Here are the parameters though that I need to set:
1) Must be mindful of my childrens ages: 6,4,2. Storytime with all 3 is not practical. Especially when the woman dressed as Mother Goose is 90 years old and trying to teach our kids what the word "tuffet" means. Tuffet. Keep in mind our 2 year old has approximately three words he says very clearly: Mario, Luigi, and Fart.
2)It can't be the zoo or Cosi because I can't afford a season pass for either of those places right now, and I Am too cheap to spend that kind of money for an hour of playtime.
3) If at all possible, the activity needs to be free. And an added bonus is that the area would be enclosed so one or two of my children can't escape.
There, that is a load off of my inadequate mother chest...I am referring more to my feelings of inadequacies rather than my flat chest...just for the record.
I really look forward to your ideas and creativity. Please help!
The Joyful, Tired, and Stumped Mom
