Not gonna lie, the first time I forced myself to sit down with the boys to color, I thought, “I have sooooo many other things I need to do right now!”
Scott Blokker
I’m not gonna lie – having to juggle work and parenting at the same time is really really tough! I’m walking a tight rope between happy children and tantrum children! We like to think of ourselves as good parents, trying to always have our kids learning or positively engaged with “healthy” learning and food but that doesn’t always happen….it can’t happen! We aren’t perfect and neither are you! Just do the best you can and fake the rest….just like us 🙂
Here are some ideas to hopefully help occupy your days:
Coloring, painting, Play-Doh OH MY! One thing has shocked me – to see how fascinated the boys are with arts and crafts!! Painting, coloring, Play-Doh all have been lifesavers and time fillers! Also, watching the boys paint has turned into an almost meditative experience for me, so soothing. Order the supplies online from any store and let the creativity begin. If you have free time, do these activities with them! Not gonna lie, the first time I forced myself to sit down with the boys to color, I thought, “I have sooooo many other things I need to do right now!” But once I pulled the crayons out of the box and started coloring, the calmness ensued, my mind relaxed and opened up and brought me back the fun of being a kid. And who knew I could be so creative!
Reading:
Our boys already love books. They choose to read with or without us in the room – but them loving books didn’t happen overnight! We have read to them every day of their life. The best day to start that “love” is today! Choose a book you loved as a child and share it with them. Enjoy the bond you build. Do it again before bedtime and turn it into a fun evening ritual. Soon you will see your kids asking you to read with them! During this time of quarantine and social distancing, we are increasing our boys’ time with imaginative and informative stories and colorful pictures in their favorite books. Books not only help encourage creativity but also increases vocabulary, confidence and inspire conversation between you and your children! Books are such a simple and fun way to escape into another world far away from Quarantine-ville.
Pool Time:
We are lucky to live in a sunny state. Silas and Sander started swimming lessons prior to the quarantine and luckily we have a pool at home so we can continue to give them practice in the water. It’s a great way to keep them active and engaged. Even if you do not have a pool at your home, try to get your kids active with water – whether that’s playing with the hose, water balloons or a kiddie pool you can pick up from Target. It starts out as a fun activity for them and before you know it the whole family is enjoying their time outside and EVERYONE is running around burning off that “cabin-fever” energy!
Time Outside:
Yes, we are supposed to be prioritizing self-quarantine and social distancing but that does not mean that you cannot go outside at all. We try to take a walk with our boys each day and it really allows us to spend quality time, be active and break the stir-crazy feeling you can start to get when you don’t leave the house. Pick a time and take a walk for 10 – 20 mins each day in your neighborhood, you will love it. Before you go, think of some questions to ask your kids while you walk – engaging conversation builds relationships and also makes the walk go by so much faster.
iPads, iPhones and TV, I do not care what anyone says – in our family, iPads, iPhones and TV time are a GREAT way to learn, have a conversation and give EVERYONE a break from the mayhem!
Do you know the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell? In his book, Gladwell says if you do something for 10,000 hours, you become an expert in that activity. Because of the amount of time I spent in front of a TV as a kid, I am an expert television watcher 10x over! And, in my opinion, I think I turned out ok 😉 Use these powerful gadgets to YOUR advantage! Install tremendous learning apps like BabyFirst, BabyTV, Kiddopia, and Kidloland and use the apps with your child. Download a favorite book on your iPad and read it with your family. Watch “Oceans” on Netflix to explore with your kids the majesty of the deep blue sea. OR, give them the iPad and let them explore for 30-60 min while you sit back, relax and enjoy a brief quiet moment yourself and recharge (before the next tantrum LOL!)
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