I often find myself on the internet~~reading blogs, learning more new things about my pregnancy, looking for the name of the song I heard on the radio, scanning Ebay for some new Gymboree duds, ect. When do I indulge in this activity? Mostly 2 times per day. Late at night when all is quiet and late afternoon when all is crazy and I want to escape. I usually feel some guilt about the fact my girls are screaming at each other and I am not making Rice Krispie treats with them. And then I get over it. It's really easy to blame this on the computer but it's not really it. Our moms didn't have the internet, they chatted on the phone. I have memories of my mom sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of iced tea talking to her friends while Kim and I did our thing. I really don't think media can be blamed for us mommies wanting to check out once a day. Heck, I bet Caroline Ingalls hid in the garden while Mary and Laura tore down the cabin!
Is it really so bad to ignore our kids once a day for awhile? I do love being an at-home mom, but I am a person who can only stand to read "Elmo Goes to School" 25 times before reaching for the vodka. I think it is so good for them to have some time to figure things out on their own. To not have mom showing them how to do the puzzle and how to set up the Polly Pockets. I also want my girls to see that being their mom is not the only thing I do. This is one area I think that my working girlfriends have it easier. It is obviously that "Mommy goes to work." Ask my kids what I do?
Caroline~write blogs, beat my sisters, put them down for naps
Amelia~work at the puter, watch TV, and eat around the clock
Greta~clean, play toys
OK, well, that's Mommy on Bedrest. Maybe I'll ask the question next year. So do you feel guilty when you ignore your kids to indulge in a hobby? Or just a mindless pasttime?
Baked Steelhead Trout
3 hours ago
6 comments:
Yes, I feel guilty. My computer is also my "escape". I am working on this area, & I hope & pray my children know how much I love them. After all, that's what's important. :)
Oooh, girl...were you in my head today??? You are not the only one...
Well, lets just say I'm indulging right now. Owen and Brett are playing behind me. Owen just fell and is crying ~ he'll get over it! :) Yes, there are times that I feel guilty, but on average, I don't. It's o.k. for us to have a little time for us to do what we want to do, not just what they want us to do!
With so much to feel guilty about, I try really hard to put "me" time into perspective. It is better for them if I get to recharge so I have decided to remove this one from my guilt list. Now if I could only justify the other 900 things on that list!!
no
This is a lesson I am learning right now. I have finally allowed myself to watch one television show a day (or at least three times a week) when Emma is awake. At first, I felt bad since I wasn't trying to at least get something productive done. But then I remembered that when she sleeps I try to do EVERYTHING else -- get my work done, take care of house, do volunteer work, go pee...
Anyway, us moms deserve "me" time. We're happier, better moms with it!
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