Hey there, friends! So here I am, once more giving up on those pesky screen time restrictions. Why? Well, let’s just say that life threw a bunch of curveballs our way, courtesy of Omicron and some seriously miserable winter weather.
Last week, my son, Jake, had his basketball season halted due to a spike in Covid cases. Just days before that, my daughter, Emma, had to pause her tennis lessons because too many instructors and kids were out sick or in quarantine. The structured schedule I had so carefully crafted back in September—designed to keep us active and engaged while limiting our screen time—has totally unraveled. Now, we’re stuck at home, and believe me, it hasn’t been pretty.
Then came the snow and ice. Even if we wanted to go out, we couldn’t. With all these cancellations and quarantine woes, my kids have been glued to their screens, alternating between Roblox, Netflix, and YouTube. And you know what? I let them.
Instead of brainstorming a new craft project or enticing them into a family game night, I let them hop from one screen to another, with only breaks for meals or helping around the house. I metaphorically tossed our screen time rules out the window, where they’ll likely stay for a while. I mean, let’s be honest—juggling work from home, managing the household, and keeping two tweens and a dog happy during a pandemic is more than I can handle right now.
After nearly two years of this chaotic solo parenting journey, I’m burnt out. My patience and energy are running on empty. So, while I do feel that mom guilt creeping in, I’m also choosing to give myself a break. Sure, I could’ve found another craft or another board game, but let’s face it—these have been tough times for all of us, especially for solo parents who carry the emotional and physical weight of it all. Right now, during this surge and the worst of winter, it’s okay to enter survival mode. If that means relying on screens for a bit, so be it. I doubt my kids will suffer lasting damage from watching “Encanto” for the umpteenth time.
If I can lean on screens just a little longer (a mantra echoed by parents everywhere), I can be the mom who has the patience to curl up and watch yet another viewing of “Encanto” with them after I tackle a chunk of my to-do list. A mom who isn’t too frazzled to go out and enjoy the snow on the weekend. At the end of the day, I’m doing my best, and that matters more than screen time rules, right? That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway.
If you’re exploring options for starting a family, check out the free Make a Mom Facebook group for sperm donor matching. You can also learn more about at-home insemination at Make a Mom, where they offer the only reusable option. For a detailed guide on how at-home insemination works, visit this page. And if you’re interested in the tools for the process, don’t miss out on their BabyMaker Home IntraCervical Insemination Syringe Kit. For those looking into fertility services, Hopkins Medicine is an excellent resource to explore. And if you want to read more about this topic, check out this blog post.
In summary, it’s okay to bend the rules sometimes when life gets overwhelming. We all need a little grace, especially during challenging times.
Leave a Reply