Pandas, Jjimjilbangs, and Toddler Negotiations
Ever since she found out we’re going to Korea for Spring Break, she has made two things very clear:
We must see a panda.
We must go to a Korean bath house like the one in K-Pop Demon Hunters and “relax our troubles away.”
Big Bear might have a point.
It’s been a bit of a stressful semester for her.
She was recently diagnosed with ADHD and is learning how to live with a brain that runs a little faster than the rest of the world. She’s also learning the delicate art of sharing space with Little Lion—who is deep in his very colorful terrible-two phase.
Little Lion’s favorite word these days seems to be no.
Do you want to eat?
No.
Do you want to get ready to go to the playground?
No.
Do you want a gummy bear?
…Yes.
So maybe Big Bear is right.
Maybe we all need a steamy soak in a jjimjilbang, with those towels folded into little sheep heads.
One of the best parts of Korean bath houses is the food—
including snacks the kids would normally refuse at home.
There are two I’m especially excited for them to try.
Roasted eggs.
Smoky brown eggs with a slightly chewy texture and deep flavor.
Possible problem:
The egg itself is brown when you peel the shell.
Will they still try it?
Sikhye.
A cold, sweet rice punch with little grains of rice floating in it.
Possible problem:
Floating rice.
And the milky color—Big Bear prefers her drinks completely clear.
This won’t be our first trip to Korea.
But hopefully it will be the one they remember.
Grandpa is coming with us, excited to show the kids the Korea he knows.
For him, Korea is not pandas or K-pop scenes from animated movies.
It’s familiar streets, favorite foods, and memories that go back decades.
For my kids, Korea is something entirely different—
a place they know through cartoons, snacks, and stories.
Somewhere in the middle of those two versions of Korea is me,
trying to translate one world to the other.
If I’m lucky, somewhere between pandas, jjimjilbangs, and toddler negotiations…
Mom might sneak away for a long-overdue facial.
