Like most new parents, when Ryan was born, we had no idea what we were doing. We read books, took notes when we watched Super Nanny and pulled memories from our own childhoods. But no matter how prepared you think you are, you're never ready for the role.
Parents-to-be often speak in absolutes: "I'll never let my kid..." "We'll always make sure..." And try as you might to stick with those self-imposed rules, your on-the-job training will quickly remind you that rules are, sometimes, made to be broken.
One of our self-imposed rules? No TV before the age of 2. There are countless studies that show the benefits of sticking to this rule (and the negative effects of breaking it), so we worked diligently with Ryan to keep the TV off. It lasted 18 months. Right around 18 months is when mornings were getting hectic and my patience was getting thin. Elmo saved the day. That's it, just 15 minutes of Elmo's world in the morning (which, if he's going to watch TV - at least its educational) and life was good again.
By the time Lindsey was born, Ryan was nearly 2 and was hit or miss with TV. He rarely initiated a TV watching session and almost never stuck around more than 20 minutes to watch it when he did. He had better things to do - legos to stack and train tracks to build. But we made sure we imposed the TV rule with Lindsey.
Of course, parenting isn't easy. And it gets exponentially harder (but equally more fun, rewarding and exciting) with each subsequent child. This time...the rule lasted 14 months. This morning, both kids woke up well before the time they usually do and it threw our morning routine completely off track. After they had breakfast, Nate and I still had plenty to do before we could all walk out the door. Cue our rule-breaking rebellion.
Amen for PBS, Sesame Street, a comfy couch, loving siblings and our ability to still be rebels.
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