Keeping your Kids Under Foot But Not in the Way.
April 19, 2020
As I sit here planning my week - with the dog barking, the kids fighting (or as they say "playing"), the laundry piling up, and supper time creeping up on me - I wonder if there will ever be a time when I am caught up and no one is under foot?
If any of you are in the same boat - your nerves starting to wear thin, as you near the end of your quarantine rope - here are some ideas for keeping your family busy around home.
- Remember that variety is the spice of life. Take routine activities and change them up. For example - assign the evening meal planning and prep to a different family member once a week. They get to choose the theme and prepare the meal. Not only will this give you a break, but it will make meal time a family affair. For those of you with competitive natures, include a score sheet with marks for creativity, taste and presentation.
- Design and plant a Covid Flower/Vegetable Bed. Have each family member pick out a plant that they would like in the design. Order the seeds or plants online. Try shopping local from one of our area nurseries such as Ego's Garden Centre. Layout a spot in your yard, get utility locates and then start hand digging - hours of entertainment! A small scale option might be to do this in containers or in a raised bed.
- Around here, the girls are really missing being able to go to a restaurant for the occasional meal. Create your own restaurant and have the kids dress up, go outside and return to Mom and Dad's restaurant. Andy and I did this last weekend - we created the Black Cow Breakfast House - including a menu, an awesome waitress and a top-notch setting complete with candles.
- And finally - if you are looking to get some spring cleaning done while creating a beautiful keep sake - have the kids sort through their clothes and pull out anything that is too small! Pick out some of their favorite outfits that hold great memories. Then cut them into 6 or 8 inch squares. When you have enough - machine sew them into a rectangle which will be come a quilt top. The picture on this blog is our quilt. So many memories!
I know times like these are difficult for us all, hopefully this will give you some ideas to keep the kids entertained. As the saying goes - "When life gives us lemons - we need to make lemonade!" Have fun and hope to see you soon!