Life here gets pretty damn busy at times. I'm a stay-at-home mom to a 10 and 5 year old, doubling as a work-from-home employee through the days and evenings, as well as author during "off" hours, early morning runner, and devoted partner to my husband of nearly 10 years. Basically, I'm a boss and proud of it. I do my very best to give my two kids all the attention they need and deserve, but there are times I totally let LeapFrog parent my kid. If I didn't? Well, then I wouldn't get a damn thing done.
I'm no Super Woman, don't claim to be, and don't want to be held up to those impossible standards. Even though I attempt to excel in everything I'm involved with each and ever day day, I still fail. After all, I'm just a human being and live, not to mention my children, demand so much of me and usually all at once.
With my kids out of school for the summer and my schedule staying the same (if not more packed and busy and overwhelming), I'm having to find alternatives to me being 100 percent present so I can, you know, work to pay the bills and stuff. This means things like Netflix, PlayStation, and Leapfrog are doing some of my job for me, and I'm OK with that. While I do limit time on the television (a'la Netflix and Playstation), LeapFrog is totally cool with me. When my kids are on it, I know they're learning. All the games are educational and great when I'm in a pinch for a little "supervision" while I finish up work. Here's some of the other times LeapFrog does my job and, no, I am not ashamed.
When I'm Working
I work from home five days a week. This means, when school is out, my kids are in my face or, in the case of my youngest, rolling around on the floor at my feet until I give him something to do. Sometimes they entertain themselves or play together just fine. Other times, however, I find myself repeating the same sentences because they're interrupting me every two seconds. Without a LeapFrog to co-parent with (my partner works all day outside of the home), I'd never get through this article. Seriously.
When I'm In The Shower
The endless struggle of every mom I know is how to make time to bathe and put on clean clothes. Summer "break" means more showers because it's so hot out, and I'm constantly sweating and feeling gross. I love being barged in on while I'm lathering, (or even just going to the bathroom real quick beforehand) as much as the next person, but can't I rinse in peace? The answer to that is no. Not unless LeapFrog is available to help me out.
When I Want To Hear A Snippet Of The News
Every morning, we have the same struggle. I want to drink my coffee and watch the news while I wake up. Some days my kids let me, and some days it's just not an option. I'm not a morning person, and definitely a creature of habit, so this little ritual is more for my sanity in terms of how the day is set up, and less about the news. If I can just hear one segment without all the interruption, that'd be cool. If not, insert LeapFrog here.
When My Head Hurts
I have a headache right now. Part of it is the weather, and part is the endless arguing between my kids about literally everything. They're together all the time, with no breaks, and all this leaves me feeling kind of cranky. Time to pull out the LeapFrog for a bit.
When They're "Bored"
Kids these days always seem "bored." I think it's from technology overload — something I didn't have growing up — and, at times, my kids don't know how to just be kids and play. They're not even on tech things that often and still they go through withdrawal when they're forced to end screen time. I don't want to be all "back in my day," but I seriously climbed trees and scribbled in notebooks all summer, so I guess I don't understand the struggle. However, as a mom who has things to do (like right now), the trusty LeapFrog is never far away.
When I'm Making Dinner
Cooking and baking are great stress-relievers for me. At the end of a long day, I don't mind getting into the kitchen and creating something for my family (most of the time). It becomes a real drag when no one eats or enjoys whatever I've made, though, but that's beside the point.
Whenever I'm in the kitchen is usually when both kids want to come in and stare at me for no reason, other than to alert me they have nothing to do. Thanks, LeapFrog, for being my go-to so I don't burn my lemon chicken.
When I Need A Minute
Kids are a lot, especially when they claim to be bored. They get so restless at times (even after playing outside), that this mom just needs to sneak into the bathroom for a few quiet minutes before she loses her sh*t. Though the saying goes "the days are long but the years are short," the summer days are really just freakin' long end of story. Until the LeapFrog comes out to play, that is.
When They're Arguing
The arguing is mind-numbing, you guys. My kids are 5 years apart, so they argue about the most ridiculous things. Examples? Who's allowed to sit in the middle of the couch? Which one touched the doorknob first? Who can sing the loudest? (Oh, yeah. That's a real "fun" one.)
I can't concentrate when all this noise is happening, so when I toss a LeapFrog their way of course they're going to argue about who gets it first. That argument usually ends quickly, however, when we toss a coin and promise to take turns.
Any Damn Time It Feels Necessary
Like I said, I give my kids my time once work is finished, but it's hard to find things to entertain them with through the span of a whole day when there's no school or other planned activities on our schedule. If I have to reach for the aid of a device for a short while, I'm OK with that. My kids know I love them, but that I also enjoy my work (amongst other things) so, for the most part they don't mind when I suggest pulling out the LeapFrog.
Plus, they know if they aren't into that idea, I'll hand them a random list of chores to do instead. Their choice.
