Musings of a Formerly-Infertile, Infertile Woman: Is This Bad?

So is it messed up that I am trying to get my child to watch TV? Like, I'm making a concerted effort. Ok, so it's not how it sounds. We've only begun turning Nick Jr., on within the last two months. Basically, she gets to watch an hour before bed. It's a nice routine, really. Me, Alex, Dora, Diego and her sippy cup of milk...snuggling on the couch...trying to convince her that she's tired.

Ok, and I will admit it. It would be nice if she liked TV enough to watch it long enough so I could sip a cup of coffee in the morning and wake up before being summoned to the floor for Mega Blok play time. But I am a big believer in everything in moderation...including TV. The thing is, she likes TV, but she's not enthralled with it. It does not typically hold her attention for longer than five minutes. Except the Fresh Beat Band. They make me want to drink. They make her go into dancing, gyrating, booty shaking madness. Yeah....she can watch them for awhile.

The reason for this post??? Alex is in what I consider training. For our trip back to Australia this July. Yes, I'm hoping that she likes TV enough by that point that she can focus and enjoy it for an extended period of time. It goes against my nature to say it but...if she could sit and watch TV and be perfectly happy on the flight for hours, I would be over the moon thrilled. We'll be in survival mood. We'll be implementing a lot of preemptive strategies to keep tantrums at bay. Hell, I may pretty much give into her every whim, if it means a fairly tantrum free trip. Yes. I am a school psychologist. Yes, I know how bad this is. But really...22 hours *in the air* (not counting layovers) calls for a change of rules.

Yes. That's right. 22 hours. No typos there. We have to go from the East Coast to LA (6 or 7 hours), LA to Brisbane (14-16 hours, non stop) and Brisbane to Rockhampton (1 hour). Ugh. Oh, and a 45 minute drive from Rockie to Yeppoon. All that, plus hours in each airport, and with a then 18 month old. Alex is a great kid but, seriously. How much can I expect a toddler to handle before she cracks?

So we are in TV watching training. I am hoping that a portable DVD player with be our saving grace. I now find it laughable that I was so worried about her last year. I thought, "How can I take a 6 month old on such a long trip"? It was a piece of cake. Because, you know, back then she slept and couldn't run away from us. Thankfully, Qantas flights offer complementary drinks. Mama's saving grace.