We interrupt your program with life

(Originally published in The Maine Edge on March 7, 2012)

(Also, after a certain point you just watch kid shows)

Movie nights with a full house

We knew life was going to change when we decided to start a family. Sure, we weren't expecting triplets, but we were expecting a baby and everything that came with it – sleepless nights, less social life, chaos and whatnot. And we got all that.

But we're learning how to still squeeze in some “us” time. And since neither my husband or I ever really hit the nightlife hard, “us time” mostly involves trying to watch a movie or television show.

The first thing we learned was, watch TV when the kids are eating or napping.

Use the English subtitles. Unless you want to pause it every time someone needs a pacifier, wets a diaper or just wants to have an in-depth conversation with Grover.

Watch movies that don't require too much concentration. Weak plot? Great! I still won't be able to follow it, but now I won't feel so bad.

This doesn't mean you can't watch Academy Award-winners; it just means it will take longer if you hope to absorb what's going on. I was able to watch “The Help” - over the course of two days.

Netflix has become our best friend. We don't watch regular TV – and before you think this is out of some misguided, hipster snobbery, it's because we don't have the option for cable, and paying $50 a month for reruns on satellite TV seemed silly. We pay less than $20 to get 3 DVDs, and we watch shows and movies we want to see, commercial free.

But not without interruption.

If you want to forgo television altogether (more power to you), and still want to get some reading done while infants are in the house, consider reading your novel to the kids out loud.

All the experts agree, reading to your child is fantastic. They may not understand, but they love to hear your voice. It teaches them language, syntax and all manner of great things. And if you want to read them slightly age-inappropriate bits from your favorite mystery novel, they probably won't notice.

Yay, multitasking!