Life is busy to say the least. One can be forgiven for not loving the day job; heck your boss is probably in the same boat. When you have the energy to carve out time from your hectic schedule, your kids pick up on everything, so pick something that might have interest to you!
Ahh yes, the usual suspects “learn something new” the experts say. Maybe learn to knit, yoga, or play chess. Why not knit a yoga mat while playing chess?
This winter, let’s lead by example, and show your kids that there is a time and place to call upon one’s imagination. Make a fort with them, in the living room using blankets, the sofa, and maybe a dining room chair or two. It can be a 13 century castle including Old English speak, a military base full of Sir and Ma’am talk, a tree fort full of jungle animal calls or maybe a moon base with NASA control in the kitchen; you calling out communications between sips of your coffee. Maybe consider delivering a floor friendly breakfast to the fort for a nice Saturday morning treat.
Get them to deliver breakfast to you? Maybe it’s time to have them hone their kitchen skills, under your watchful, restrained and patient eye of course. Try starting with a favorite dish or item they request from you, or love at the bakery or restaurant.
Buried Winter Booty! For younger children it’s fun to seal some hot chocolate, marshmallows and a cinnamon stick in a plastic bag and tucking it into a small container. Tupperware works fine or maybe you’ve got a wood pirate like chest lying around? If the snow is soft and deep, slip out and toss in the air aiming for an out of the way spot in the yard. Your booty is buried in the snow!
Now back inside, it’s time to make the treasure map! It could be as simple as outlining the yard on paper, then a big “X” marking the spot. Too easy? Then take the same sketch of the yard, place several “X”‘s on the map. Tear map so that only one “X” is on each section. Burry each part of the map but one. Give that remaining portion to the child as the starting point.
I like including clues inside the house to begin with. Want some ‘you’ time right away in the morning then tape the first clue to their bedroom door. That clue can lead them to another part of the house where you have placed another clue, eventually taking them outside to follow those clues as simple or complicated as you wish! As they get older including math problems or riddles can be very entertaining for the parent!
Embrace what you have; sooner or later it may not want you to.