Wyatt hates tummy time after just a few minutes, because he so badly wants to move more than he can yet. Until today... I have begun bribing my child with TV. It was Baby Einstein, that is better, right? I was laughing out loud watching him keep his head straight up without any complaining in order to watch. At one point, he briefly had a hand rested up under his chin, getting comfy. After he started to fuss, I turned the channel back to the satellite. He had a big smile saved up for SportsCenter. His father's child for sure.
In reality, having the TV on only extended his contented time by about 5 minutes. It did make me think about what is worth it to encourage him in good behaviors. Do I want him to be stilled by a box with pictures? Although it can be frustrating when he falls aparts after mere moments of being on his stomach, I love to watch the wheels turning as he moves his legs and works to crawl or get anywhere but where he is. So, I have a new card in my back pocket if I need a few minutes to get something done. I don't think this is a new regular occurrence in our house. We'll keep the TV reserved for sporting events and Star Trek with Dad on Saturday mornings.
The weeks coming bring many more opportunities to decide how we'll teach Wyatt what's best. Sleeping through the night, eating at proper intervals, what goes in the mouth and what doesn't. I'm actually excited to teach him these crazy things. Parenting is the best lesson in patience I've had yet.
