Is it possible to have a ‘chilled day at home’ with under 5s?

[watchitquietlyplease]

We’ve had this today and in all honesty it’s been a verrrrry long day. They’ve played nicely for some of it but for me the day has dragged on a bit.

Am I doing it wrong? I do wonder this as I feel like I’m always out with my kids but my friends don’t seem to be and I always wonder what they do at home with their children! (Most of them only have one child if that’s relevant!)

Not possible with my DC, but my two nieces would sit cutely and read/play/craft all day at that age!

It’s very possible, hand them both an IPad and it’ll be so quiet you forget you’ve got kids.

We do this sometimes, I have a 4yo and 2yo. Key is to ‘baby proof’ the lounge. They can’t get out so I just sit on the sofa and they play Lego / cars / whatever. Then when they get restless switch it up with snack time, garden, drawing. Then back to free play. I find this easier now I have two kids rather than when I had just one.

Mine love it, they’re older now but even as preschoolers they loved days at home, but if you don’t want to be overly reliant on the TV you do have to direct them/set things up interspersed with free play and yeah it is considerably less work to sit at a table with a coffee whilst they tear around a soft play 🤣

it Is if you give them unlimited access to screens and treats. When it gets too much let them out in the garden for a bit 🤣

I think it's partly what you like doing. I find playgrounds sooo boring and find it easier to find things to do at home, a friend of mine is the other way round. Even I needed to drag them out once a day for sanity's sake though!

Oh we have lots of home days I have a audhd 8 year old that needs lots of downtime. But my likely adhd 4 year old is like a whirlwind around the house. I've just come to accept that my life is always sacrificing something for another thing and I'll never have all 3 happy at the same time.

It's mundane and boring for me. I try to fit in snippets of podcasts reading or micro gardening like deadheading a small plant. I know at any minute I might be needed so always ready to down tools/one eye on them.

I have known other children and it is mostly girls that will sit calmly together drawing crafting. That has never been my experience. I come back in the house and I've somehow got 3 broken windows 😬
Don't compare to others op some people are living such very very different lives and it's not always anything to do with their parenting style but more their children's personalities.

Not with mine. They were bouncing off the walls by 10am. Definitely had to get out every day (even if it was just a trip to buy milk!)

I've done this a lot with mine this week - 5 and 3. They mostly play together well which I appreciate helps. I got out some toys they haven't played with for a while for the novelty. Then set up some toys that I play with them and then leave to do some jobs when they're focused. Move to another room and play a game/ do some puzzles. Then move to the kitchen and do some crafts. Then some garden time. Regular snack times and a bit of tv after lunch. I find moving rooms helps keep things feeling different and I've bought some new crafts to do over the summer. Baker Ross is a great site for this and is reasonably priced. Mine love magnatiles which leads to lots of imaginative and open play.

I always want to get out for my own sanity, even if it's just out for a coffee / park trip. Mine are happy playing together for a day,

Not possible with my DC. After waking up at 6am, the day is so slow by 10am

If you have a big garden and don't mind them getting wet and dirty. A day in the house? No thanks. But we don't do TV or tablets or messy things in the house so it's a couple hours of free play with toys interspersed with arguing and whining. And we have a climbing frame in the house but then they just try to see who can put the other in the hospital first.

Absolutely not. I could never stay on with my kids, even now at 10/12 I have to get out and about at least once in the day

I suspect this is easier when there are siblings my only needs some sort out of outting even just a drive out to a coffee shop then she plays pretty well at home but it's exhausting as she wants to play with me and I'm really bad at that.

I’ve always kind of found the opposite as when I have just one I can do something more individual with them like crafts or books or puzzles but together that’s more of a challenge.

With my eldest up to the age of about 5 I really noticed the difference if she hadn’t been out all day, she just needed some kind of physical activity even if it was just a walk to the local playground.
My youngest is just generally more chilled so could have some days at home playing and watching a Disney movie etc.
Just different things will work for different children

Not unless you plug them into screens all day. I’d rather go out. Time passes far quicker.

No

Depends on the child(ren)

My ds - yes

mu nephew - not a chance!

Helps if you have a garden and trampoline etc if you have active children who need the movement.

It's not possible with all children.

Not possible with mine (2 years). I’ll just chase after him and prevent him from opening tabs, grabbing things in the kitchen he can’t have, etc. And if I close the door to keep him in one room, all hell breaks loose and he screams and bangs against the door. I put him in the pram after breakfast at 7.30am and we are usually out all day. It’s exhausting, I’m very jealous of some friends of mine who sit on the sofa all afternoon with a coffee and a book while their children play in the lounge.

It depends on the children, but I would ALWAYS get out once a day. It doesn't have to be for long, just an hour in a playground will do. Then there's still upwards of 11 hours to 'chill at home'! Ime half a day of chilling is sufficient for almost all children.