If there’s anyone who’s in the midwestern or eastern U.S., and it’s going to be dangerously cold all week, and you’re beating yourself up about creating wholesome, enriching experiences while you’re all trapped in the house: you can cut yourself some slack. It’s okay.
Screens and junk food 24/7 are bad. But giving in to survival mode this week doesn’t mean your children’s brains will rot out. The outdoors is dangerous. Activities and possibly even school are cancelled. You need to worry about dripping the pipes, letting the dogs out, managing on the food you have in the house or venturing out into the extreme cold. Cut yourself some slack and pull up some classic Disney movies.
Some prepared rebuttals for people like me who insist on overthinking about feeling guilty all the time:
“But I don’t want them dependant on screens!” They won’t be. One or two weeks out of 52 do not make a brain.
“But Blippi and Cocomelon are like baby crack!” So don’t watch Blippi and Cocomelon. Watch your favorite movies as a kid and share those with your kiddos. Watch Bluey. Watch nature documentaries. Watch moderately-shitty kids TV if it helps you avoid truly shitty TV. Also? They’re not literal street drugs. Your kid isn’t going to OD and die.
“There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.” Yeah, no. This is bad weather. You won’t be able to take them out for fun sledding days in 20°F or fun puddle-splash days when it’s monsooning if they die of frost bite today.
“But I could be using this time to make homemade obstacle courses, or teach them important baking skills, or hold all-day cozy read-a-thons!” Of course you can. Do that good stuff as much as you want. And once your kids start complaining about your expertly-tailored craft station, or they turn the obstacle course pieces into wrestlemania pieces, or they say that your cherished childhood novels are stupid and they throw them at your face, and you start to go in mental circles about what YOU could do better: give up. Don’t always give up! But give up this week.
“But back in the 1800s, they didn’t have screens, and they survived!” Yeah, and they also had whisky on infants’ gums and corporal punishment. Who cares.
“But if I do [XYZ] now, when we stop in a week and half, they’ll have tantrums.” Yeah, that’s possible. You’re a capable and involved parent. You can handle those tantrums then.
“But so-and-so managed to get her kids cooking homemade Ratatouille AND the KEIC protein muffins during the last polar vortex!” Good for her! You know whats good for you, though? Chicken nuggets eaten while watching the Trolls movie.
Here's your magic permission dust:
Fuck perfection. Embrace survival.
Screens and junk food 24/7 are bad. But giving in to survival mode this week doesn’t mean your children’s brains will rot out. The outdoors is dangerous. Activities and possibly even school are cancelled. You need to worry about dripping the pipes, letting the dogs out, managing on the food you have in the house or venturing out into the extreme cold. Cut yourself some slack and pull up some classic Disney movies.
Some prepared rebuttals for people like me who insist on overthinking about feeling guilty all the time:
“But I don’t want them dependant on screens!” They won’t be. One or two weeks out of 52 do not make a brain.
“But Blippi and Cocomelon are like baby crack!” So don’t watch Blippi and Cocomelon. Watch your favorite movies as a kid and share those with your kiddos. Watch Bluey. Watch nature documentaries. Watch moderately-shitty kids TV if it helps you avoid truly shitty TV. Also? They’re not literal street drugs. Your kid isn’t going to OD and die.
“There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.” Yeah, no. This is bad weather. You won’t be able to take them out for fun sledding days in 20°F or fun puddle-splash days when it’s monsooning if they die of frost bite today.
“But I could be using this time to make homemade obstacle courses, or teach them important baking skills, or hold all-day cozy read-a-thons!” Of course you can. Do that good stuff as much as you want. And once your kids start complaining about your expertly-tailored craft station, or they turn the obstacle course pieces into wrestlemania pieces, or they say that your cherished childhood novels are stupid and they throw them at your face, and you start to go in mental circles about what YOU could do better: give up. Don’t always give up! But give up this week.
“But back in the 1800s, they didn’t have screens, and they survived!” Yeah, and they also had whisky on infants’ gums and corporal punishment. Who cares.
“But if I do [XYZ] now, when we stop in a week and half, they’ll have tantrums.” Yeah, that’s possible. You’re a capable and involved parent. You can handle those tantrums then.
“But so-and-so managed to get her kids cooking homemade Ratatouille AND the KEIC protein muffins during the last polar vortex!” Good for her! You know whats good for you, though? Chicken nuggets eaten while watching the Trolls movie.
Here's your magic permission dust:
Fuck perfection. Embrace survival.
doing the best i can but ms rachel is an excellent co-parent this week and im trying not to feel guilty
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