I'm a full-time mummy

It was about half year ago since I posted about my paranoia of going out. There were some crime cases happening then (and even now still is) which added on to my paranoia!

A few weeks back, a fellow SAHM friend shared a status update in her Facebook that she is stepping out of her comfort zone by taking a public transportation (a train) to go check out a book fair and I was touched at her words.

Stepping out of her comfort zone.

I've been couped up in my house most of the time. With my 2 kiddos. Unless it is weekend or hubby has no business appointments on weekdays, it's pretty much stuck at home for me and my 2 kiddos.

Ever since I read that few words, I too planned to gather up my courage again to go out.

To drive my car (it's an almost 15 years old second hand car which used to be hubby's) out somewhere so I can experienced something new instead of the walls in my house.

So I have been slowly planning grocery trips with my 2 kiddos. And in order to bring my 2 kiddos out, I had to lure my MIL along so that she can help look after my kiddos while I drive.

So far, it has been 2 times since I managed to do that. It has so far became a fortnightly grocery trips and the first time we went out, my MIL dumped me and my 2 kiddos the moment we stepped into the supermarket. I think she went bonkers when she saw the newly decorated supermarket (which we have not frequented for almost a year). I told myself 'Nevermind. Even though I'm stuck with my 2 kiddos again, at least, it's not home and it's outside. Something new.' And in the first trip, I managed to handle my 2 kiddos all by myself for 3.5 hours while my MIL shops happily.

The second time we went to the supermarket again (last week), I decided to let my boy tires himself out by pushing his baby sister in the trolley. Don't worry I stood behind my boy watching and monitoring closely both my kiddos.

Then I was hungry as I have not taken my breakfast yet. So we parked our trolley outside the cafe and I had my breakfast before we continued on with our shopping.

And then my girl got restless and I thought it is better to tire her out now by letting her push her big brother in the trolley. The second trip lasted near 2 hours before I surrendered and rushed my MIL to finish up her shopping and go back home.

I told my hubby just the other day of my plan to bring the kiddos and his mum out maybe every fortnight so I can gather up my courage to drive out more often instead of being stuck at home all the time. He agreed with my plans and offered to give me allowance for the grocery shopping as well. Woohooo! I hope I'll be able to venture further next time!

If you are a SAHM, do you go out to have some 'me' time?

What do you do to pass time?

We used to watch loads of TV. I mean, I used to let my 2 kiddos watch TV a lot. Everytime they have their meals and after 6pm until their bedtime. EVERYDAY. I think it amount to about 7 hours a day.

Until I decided that it is time to cut it down.

Yes, cut down TV time.

I started doing this a week before November 2012 ends and so far, I'm happy to report that I think we have cut down a LOT of TV time since then. There are days when we do not even turn on the TV at all (I know because there are dust collecting on the TV - no kidding)

Of course, I still had to on some rare occasions turn on the TV and let my kiddos watched some of their Disney shows (their latest favorite is Lilo & Stitch) so that I could rush off some paperwork for hubby's business (recent is closing of year end's account).

I do know too much TV time is not good. I do know we cannot use TV to babysit our children. I know that. Which is why I decided to cut it down. Note that I did not say I'm stopping the TV time completely, for now, I am starting it slow, and that is by cutting down the TV time.

To replace TV time, I get myself and my 2 kiddos to spend more time on activities like playing water in our balcony, learning activities (cutting exercises, gluing, coloring, reading, writing for my 46 months old boy and doodling for my 16 months old girl), dough, Lego, watching documentaries and reading books from my iPad, grocery shopping, baking, playing at porch, water plants, anything to get them off the TV.

My 2 kiddos watching National Geographic documentary on Human Body..

I was told that it takes 21 days to change a habit, I think our progress is good so far. I hope that this will continue on!

How about your kids? Are they on TV? A lot or not much? Do share!

I was just thinking the other day... wouldn't it be great if my parents were still alive? Wouldn't it be nice if I could bring my 2 kiddos to visit their grandfather and grandmother? Another place that I can drive and fetch my kiddos to, let them see my birth place, or the place where I grew up and stay before I shifted here.

I have written a post on parenting with extended family in May 2012 and just want to repeat my opinion:

"I think it is good to have extended family around. It gives a sense of belonging to a larger scale of family root and we are also showing and displaying to our children how we should be treated when we get old one day..."

My FIL passed away in Dec 2004, my dad in April 2006 and my mum in January 2007. There's only my 68 years old MIL left for my 2 kiddos to terrorised at (hehehe) so yeah, I do wonder what if my parents were still alive now...

I would've loved to fetch my kiddos every now and then to visit my parents, let them dote on my kiddos etc etc. Hmmm...

How about you? Does your child get to spend time with their grandparents? What do they do?