As a mom to a child that recently entered his toddler phase, I have to watch a lot of television shows that make me want to punch Elmo in the face. Blippi, the Wiggles, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, good ol’ Sesame Street, you name it. And in the month of September, the calendar is full of Jewish holidays where my son’s daycare is closed because it is affiliated with our synagogue. This means working from home with him, trying to meet deadlines while he watches Dinosaur Train, a show where dinosaurs literally ride on the train. That’s the whole premise of the show. Sometimes I have a hard time choosing which show I hate the most. It changes every week.
Don’t get me wrong, I do make sure to fit in breaks where we go outside when the weather is nice. We run errands to get out of the house and I give him plenty of attention to read books together and play. But some days, I have no choice but to let him entertain himself with Puppy Dog Pals. I know moms are reading this that understand and are hopefully nodding along. We need a break from these shows. I’m not nearly as patient as Daniel Tiger’s mom.
Enter mommy hour.
I have a new rule that from seven to eight o’clock if we’re at home hanging out, we watch whatever mommy wants. No children’s shows allowed. Every time I hear “watch Blippi?” I get to say, “no sweetie, it’s mommy hour. We’re watching 30 Rock now.” In a time in my life where I am often spending most of my energy making other people happy, I get to be selfish. And it is satisfying. I ignore the cries of frustration, pour myself a glass of wine, and watch my stories. MY stories.
At first, it didn’t go well. I gave in after twenty minutes. But now, I’m holding strong. Eventually, my son will give up, go over to his play corner of the living room, and play. Then I take another sip of wine, snuggle into my nook of the couch, and enjoy.
