A thread to help do more with the kids

[Tamadot]

I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread of support for mums like me who tend to not do much with their kids at home.
I've heard quite a few mums on here say they're happy to take their kids out and about but find it difficult to spend time doing stuff with them at home.

Maybe we can make a commitment to do at least one activity a day with them, or get ideas about things to do?

I really want to try to do more with my lovely boys but I do find it hard. I don't want to ever look back and have regrets that I thought washing the dishes and doing the laundry meant that I put off doing anything with them.

[SilveryMoon]

Good idea Tamadot I do try to do stuff with my boys, but get stuck on what sort of activities est to do and to find the time.
That is a really poor excuse I know.
Yesterday we made cheese and onion muffins.
Today we did nothing as I haven't been feeling great.
Tomorrow we will do..............................................................??????

[Tamadot]

Ds1 had his 6th birthday recently and he got a book about vehicles and there were cardboard cut outs in there to tear out and put together. I just spent half an hour with him doing that. He was thrilled and I had a lovely time with him.

I've known for a long time that I don't spend enough time with him just doing stuff like that and I feel sad about it.

[SilveryMoon]

I am in the process of filling our craft box.
We have tissue paper, pompoms, coloured sticks, pipe cleaners,paints, pens, glue, NO glitter!!
I've been adding empty cardboard boxes, loo roll tubes, butter containers, paper plates etc for junk modelling.

[SilveryMoon]

Yes I know what you mean. Some days I get lost in the ironing, washing up etc and take advantage of them playing together or watching dvd's.
Mine are 3yrs and 2 yrs old

[Tamadot]

Thats a great idea Silverymoon. I've never done crafts with them.
Will you plan something specific to make?

[SilveryMoon]

Don't know.
I think that when I have loads of stuff I will just get it all out and see what we come up with.

I also saw a website but can't remember what it's called now and they had a great idea about making easter bonnets with paper plate.
Don't suppose it has to be easter bonnets, just a hat to decorate.
basically, you get a paper plate, turn it upside down and cut the middle bit like a pizza, so it has 6 triangles that you fold out a bit like a crown.
Then you decorate it. Done.

I did buy some of this from the ELC which we could do tomorrow.
Mess always puts me off which is really sad

[Carrotsandcelery]

Hi Silvery

Tamadot this is a great idea for a thread. Can I join in?

My dc are 10 and 6 and I am very good at taking them out to do stuff (we went on a scavenger hunt today) and used to be good at doing stuff with them in the house but I seem to have lost my way.

With the holidays coming up I need to get back into the habit.

I also find that this is the time, other than bedtime, that they talk to you about their day so if I don't play they won't talk to me so much.

[Ragwort]

Do you play board games - cards/dominoes/pairs etc etc. We did that endlessly - DS now 10 and still enjoys 'old fashioned board games'. Try getting UNO, that's good from about 3 years old (you will get sick of it though !!!).

[SilveryMoon]

I do spend alot of time looking at websites like toddle toddler
ichild
activity village

should do more bits from them really

[Tamadot]

Hi Carrots.
I totally agree with what you've just said about the talking.
Ds1 just made me laugh as he started talking about how some boys play kiss chase and ds1 doesn't join in. He was then talking about a particular boy playing it and then I had to laugh when I asked him if he kisses girls 'No. He kisses Johnny' he said.
If I hadn't been making those paper models with him, I wouldve never had that lovely conversation.

[trixymalixy]

My DS loves making cakes and rocky road with. I quite enjoy it too!!

I would like to hear any ideas anyone has for more savoury things to make bearing in mind he is dairy and egg allergic.

[SilveryMoon]

Hi carrots
Mine aren't ready for board games yet. I tried to teach ds1 how to play snakes and ladders but I really don't have the patience

[youretheoneformefatty]

I find it easier at this time of the year as we can run about in the garden but on days when we can't do this I'm a bit stuck. We really need a few new jigsaw puzzles as we can do them with our eyes shut now.

I used to do a lot of baking with my eldest boy (4) but since my youngest ds came along (he's now 23 months) we don't do this much. He just wants to get up at the kitchen table and either eat everything or shove it onto the floor! My poor DS1 dispairs and we end up abandoning it or I go off with youngest and DS1 continues on his own . This is usually the outcome with most arty/crafty activities too.

If I'm honest, CBeebies is on too much at home and I feel guilty about letting them get on with it. I just can't quite seem to find an activity that suits both ages (and to make it even more of a juggle we're expecting #3 in september!)

Actually, reading my post back I sound like a winging old bag! I am going to make a real effort to enjoy my babies more and come up with more activities even if its just putting them in the bath and letting them flood the bathroom splashing about......(at least until the next DC appears)!

[Tamadot]

Ragwort we've had a kids version of monopoly for over a year. Ds1 asks regularly if he can play it and I'll always reply 'later' and we've never played it.
I've just realised how awful that it

[SilveryMoon]

Right, I am def gonna pull my finger out and do fun stuff at home.
Tomorrow, I am going to allocate 1 hour in the morning to doing that magic maize stuff I bought.

The other thing I struggle with is planning.
I need to plan at leat 1 day in advance for an activity/craft to give me time to pop to shops for anything we are missing.
So now, I need to be thinking of what we will do saturday. Then tomorrow, what we will do sunday.
Maybe we should try to think of 3/4 activities to do at home over one week which will then still leave time for trips to the park, housework etc etc.
What do you think?

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

My DS is 2yo I know I don't do enough with him but in the past things he's loved are building with Lego and "baking cakes" with playdough I tend to take this a bit seriously though and get annoyed if he destroys my creations

[ComeWhineWithMe]

DD made some bouncy balls today they were about 6.99 from amazon and are so simple to make.

[trixymalixy]

Yourtheoneforme, I strap my 21 month old into her highchair and she gets her own bowl to stir with dried pasta in it, while DS sits at the opposite side of the table doing his stirring.

[Tamadot]

Good idea Silverymoon.

Some of the activities I can think of are;
baking (I promised my younger one that we'd make smartie cakes after he asked to buy one of those horrible packet mixes from the supermarket)
We can play pairs as we have some dinosaur snap cards from Natural history museum (I do like to take them out)
I can definitely try to make time for monopoly or connect 4 as we have that too.

I can't think of anything else at the moment.

[trixymalixy]

Although saying that I did the same when we were making Easter bonnets and it was DS age 4 that I couldn't keep away from "helping" DD do hers. oh the shrieking!!!

[Tamadot]

I've just remembered another gift ds1 got was some Martian Matter Alien Maker which the boys really want to make.
I think I'll do that tomorrow. They'll be thrilled

[sarararararah]

Good thread idea! I've been on mat leave for last 6 months (only have 3 weeks left. Your idea of thinking of 3/4 activities to do at home is similar to what I now do. I started trying to do one activity a day with my dd, who is 3, as I was finding I was hardly doing anything with her due to the demands of baby ds. (I don't have her on a Wednesday as my MIL looks after her for me then.)

I actually have a note book where I write down errands/jobs etc that need doing in the week and in there I write down the activities I'm intending to try. They don't always happen, and sometimes she's interested in something else instead (wanted to spend ages with seeds and compost today) so I don't force her to do my ideas instead but it's been working quite well. I find having it written down means I make myself do it more, even if I don't really feel like it and it means I don't have to think of things on the spot. The satisfaction of ticking it off the list is good too! Although this might be far too structured for some!

I've found these blogs really, really inspirational.

//www.nurturestore.co.uk
sunhatswellieboots.blogspot.com/

[sarararararah]

I meant silverymoon's idea, sorry. Got confused about who was OP!

[Tamadot]

Yourtheoneforme does ds2 have a nap? Could you do some baking with ds1 then?

[WobblyWidgetOnTheScooper]

Great thread idea :)