TV is my Co-Parent. Fight Me.

“If you’ve never used a cartoon to survive, you don’t get an opinion.”

Okay, yes! I use TV. But with Auntie Kate, it's not brain-rot, it’s war strategy. I’m not trying to raise screen-addicted zombies. Let’s get real: when the hell else do I wash dishes coated in marinara? Clean the highchair, table, floor, baby’s neck creases? Perhaps pee without a toddler wrapped around my ankle like a stubborn vine?!?

I hit play. Bluey, usually. Something soft enough to hold their attention but let me buy a little peace. While they groove, I’m cleaning up the warzone that is toddlerhood. I let them watch so I can survive intact.

8 minutes of Aussie dog cartoons makes me wonder if I’m messing them up. But then I remind myself: this isn’t lazy, it’s sustainable caregiving. Do I want to use TV as a tool? Hell no. I'm creative, I should be crafting or teaching. I should handle this with poise. I love them so I shouldn’t be this exhausted...

The worst is when someone mentions the screen time out loud. When my sister, their mom, says “I think they’ve had too much TV lately”… My chest caves in. I know she gets it but I softcore spiral every time. Auntieing under pressure? It’s ruff… so if Chili can be the backup nanny … Then CHEERS to the fucking dog.

PSA: Studies have found that the guilt around letting kids use screens causes as much (or more) stress than the screen time itself. Parents who stress over screens often end up feeling worse, and that stress trickles into their relationship with the kids.