Zac remembers the misery of that first summer I stayed home with Alice, and in the weeks leading up to summer break, would occasionally ask skeptically, "How much money do we save by taking the kids out of daycare?" in a way that indicated my sanity was much more valuable, perhaps even priceless.
But I was determined to proceed with my plan: Simon home every day, and Alice at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My reasoning was this: Poor Simon has been woefully neglected and I need some serious one-on-one time with him, if for no other reason than to teach this child to eat and to sit. Plus, I felt horrible all those mornings we sent him off to daycare when he had a cold or was fussy, knowing that he wouldn't get all the love and attention he deserved. I was also keeping Alice home two days a week for Simon's benefit. I figure I am kind of boring, but with Alice home some days he would have lots of entertainment, and little kids love watching other little kids.
Well, Monday and Tuesday proved my hypothesis correct. Although I'm only two days in, I'm feeling good and quite optimistic about the summer. On Monday, I did my version of food therapy and got Simon to eat a whole slice of banana (cut into itty bitty bits, but seriously--no small feat). I practiced having him sit, but he still doesn't seem to understand the point of it and soon crawls away. I mean, why would one stay stationary and so far above one's toys? He just doesn't get it.
Then on Tuesday, we had great fun playing outside in the morning. Video evidence below:
Plus, I think it will help Alice and Simon's relationship to spend more time together. Alice can be quite possessive of her toys around Simon. Here she is laying on a pile of toys to keep him from getting them:
But sometimes she does quite well, and I think if they're together more they'll figure it out. Simon will learn to play with some other toys, and/or Alice will learn that he only plays with something for a few seconds anyway. In the incident pictured above, I did not intervene, and Alice solved the problem herself: she offered up a sacrificial dinosaur, which Simon examined for a moment then wandered off.
Plus, I long ago figured out the secret to happy parenting: have nothing else to do. During the school year, this is problematic because the weekends are harried and the weeknights hectic, since we have to cook dinner, pack lunches, do laundry, keep our house reasonably clean, and go places. However, these summer days are days where there is nothing I have to do, so I can really be present and just enjoy the kids. It's been enjoyable for two days, anyway!
