Nearly four months into the parenthood adventure, I find that staying home brings out all the worst feelings of parenthood: feeling a bit trapped, bored, lonely, and sometimes resentful of my much more free male partner.
But today I have found the perfect solution. As I sit here at the local Starbucks (although it could be any coffee shop, really) I find myself wondering how mothers used to survive without these. I've discovered that a coffee shop offers everything a mom could want:
1. Food and drink
2. A crowd of people to help prevent isolation and insanity (and to witness examples of insanity in others, thereby making one feel more sane)
3. No limits on the amount of time one can spend
4. Built-in entertainment for the baby
5. Free internet
The two of us have been here for two hours now. James took a nap when we arrived and woke up hungry. Happy for a break from work, I fed him, and he's now playing by staring at people at other tables, staring at his fingers, twirling his blanket, listening to music. Every now and then I look at him and smile, and he smiles back. We're each working in his own way: me doing admin on the computer, and he building his brain. Should I need to feed him, I carry only the most valuable items: my purse (which contains the changing materials), the baby, and my computer. Remaining at my table are the pram, my coffee and my computer charger.
So, so true. The ambient background noise (even the bean grinder) helps my little one stay asleep most of the time... worth every penny in coffee!
ReplyDelete