The Best Defense

I've been off the "sports fan" wagon for several years now, and may never climb back on now that I've realized that a) the players I remember are all now retired, and b) the current players are now a decade younger and a bazillion dollars richer than I am...all of which is just depressing. I do, however, need to use a basketball analogy here, because it fits perfectly into this new world of parenting we've entered since Ellie was born.

Bear just had his two days off, and those days tend to run smoothly and peacefully. Why? Because there are now two kids, and two of us, meaning that we can play a man-to-man defense against any mischief and/or fuss the girls have in store for us. This works out beautifully: I play with Keira in the back yard while Bear relaxes on the couch with a sleeping Ellie-bug on his chest; Bear takes Keira on an errand while I...relax on the couch with a sleeping Ellie-bug on my chest (hey, there's not a lot of variety in your daily activities when you're four weeks old). Both girls get plenty of attention, the chaos is minimal, and everyone's happy.

When Bear's at work, and I'm alone with the girls, however, I'm forced to play zone defense. Zone defense is, in my opinion, highly inferior to man-to-man. As applied to parenting, it means trying to keep both kids within the reach of your eyes, hands, and attention, simultaneously playing defense against fussiness, mischief, potty accidents, and other hazards associated with having cubs. Not an easy job, and not nearly as peaceful as Bear's days off, but I'm learning.

The number one thing I've learned is that the best defense is a good offense. As tempting as it may be to plod through the day like a slug (especially if the previous night was sleepless, of which there are still a fair number these days--Elliana sleeps better than Keira did, but she's still a newborn!), stay at home, keep everyone in their jammies, and hope Keira can entertain herself and/or *cringe* watch "Dora" long enough for me to make it through the day with my sanity intact, it's way, way easier in the long run if I make the effort to go on the offensive and plan some activities and outings each day. The blog No Time for Flash Cards has some awesome ideas from an overachiever teacher-turned-mom, and there are some good ones at the Fisher Price website, too. You know what they say about idle hands, and it's definitely true when it comes to toddlers: keep the Binks busy, and it's less likely that she'll end up, say, locking herself in the master bedroom and covering herself in diaper rash cream. Hypothetically.

And while we're talking defense here, I have to say that although I'm not a fan of "parking my kid in front of the TV" in lieu of engaging her creativity and what-not, Keira's addiction to Noggin hasn't entirely been a bad thing. She uses Spanish words and phrases correctly and in context, thanks to Dora; she informed me about the difference between a snare drum and crash cymbals, thanks to "Yo Gabba Gabba"; and she sincerely apologizes when she breaks a rule and is an expert on analyzing other people's feelings, thanks to "Ni Hao, Kai-Lan." (Of course, to balance these out, she also puts ketchup or yogurt in her hair and sings "It's fun to wash your hair, and THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!" from "Yo Gabba Gabba," at mealtimes...). In general--and I can't believe I'm saying this, both as a teacher and a former anti-TV mom--I've come to believe that Noggin's "preschool on TV" claim isn't total nonsense. As long as we continue to read with her, play games together, give her new experiences, and all that good stuff on a daily basis, I'm giving myself a pass on the whole TV guilt thing and not beating myself up if she watches a couple of hours' worth in the course of a day. So there...that's my defense. Take it or leave it; either way, I'm loving life as a mom of two, and can't wait to get back in the game again tomorrow!