My kids are fairly early risers. I am not. What does this have to do with a shower? Well, I have found it almost impossible to get up on a regular basis before my kids which means if I want a shower it has to be accomplished while the kids are awake. I suppose I could wait until nap time, but to be honest, I don't want to waist that precious time on a shower, nor do I really want to wait that long in the day for one.
Taking a shower while kids are awake can be tactically tricky. When Michael was a baby it wasn't too bad. I carried the bouncy seat into the bathroom with me and he would lay in it while I showered. If he started to cry I'd just have to hurry things along.
Then he got bigger and didn't like laying in the boring bouncy seat. In came the exersaucer. It lived right outside the bathroom for a while near the end of Michael's first year and the beginning of his second. I could put him in there within ear shot and let him play for 10 minutes no problem.
But of course, he outgrew that too. My next plan of attack was to bring toys into the bathroom. He would play on the floor and I'd try to keep an eye on him while I showered. Luckily Michael was never much into getting into the toilet or anything and usually did well.
When he got older I started giving him a bit of time in the morning to watch a cartoon show. Turns out that with a snack in front of him and the TV on, he was one of those kids who wouldn't move. So enter the perfect time to take a shower. It would have to be pretty quick, but I could trust him for a little bit of time.
Soon, though I had two children. After Jon outgrew the playing in the bathroom with mom I tried to have him join Michael by the TV. This was a bit scary for me. Not only does leaving them there keep them out of my line of sight, but with the water on it is out of ear shot for me - that is until someone screams. And then what am I suppose to do.
For the last couple years, my shower time has been a time of interruptions. While I try to provide snack and TV to keep the kids' attention, with two and then three kids in the room together without mom, there is bound to be fights. One would pop their head into the bathroom every couple of minutes or bang on the door with "So and so did so and so" and I would try to officiate from the bathroom. And then there is Becca who likes to come in all the time to see what I'm doing and try to jump in the shower with me.
Well, folks, today I am here to announce that I may be entering into a new phase of Mom showers. Michael is off at school in the day and Jon and Becca have been playing so well together in the mornings. They have games involving their stuffed animals that keep them busy for at least an hour. And I took a long hot shower this morning without a whine, shout, or little face peeking in at me.
1 comment:
Ha! So true!!
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