To ask what to do with myself when children occupy themselves ( light hearted)

[Dishwashersaurous]

This is a light hearted question.

So I finally seem to have reached the point when at home the children occupy themselves rather than when they are toddlers and you have to look after them constantly.

Child one is quietly doing homework. Child two is drawing in their room.

I've cleaned the house, sorted all the chores and baked a cake.

What do I do now?

They are still to young to leave at home alone but are completely happy without me there.

I'm currently doomscrolling on mumsnet. So please help me do something productive with my life.

When they were babies I thought that I'd never have a time when I wasn't constantly on alert. And now I don't know what to do with myself

What did you used to do?

Do a course
Read a book
Catch up with family

Book? Colouring in?

Anyway, the minute you do something fun, a kid will need you

Read the Sunday papers, drink tea and eat a slice of the cake you just baked.

Jigsaws - adult Lego - knitting or crochet, dressmaking, model kits, embroidery, puzzle books
warning - adult Lego is addictive

Read!

I'm reading papers and drinking tea.

I think it's actually more that this is an existential moment, the realisation that this is going to happen more and more going forward.

And it's be soooo long since I wasn't constantly looking after a child that I genuinely don't know what to do with myself

I try to read a book, as I love reading.
I'm trying to start doing exercise videos, just short ones, but one kid usually comes down to narrate what I'm doing or asks for snacks every 75 seconds so that a work in progress.

It's hard to settle to something when I know I'll be interrupted at any point but then they don't! I've also taken to watching TV on an iPad (I don't watch TV in the evenings as they go to bed late).

Turn the TV on or do anything that looks remotely 'fun' or 'interesting' and they will quickly come out of the woodwork declaring that they were 'Just about' to put the telly on or 'need' something. That's my experience anyway. 🙄

Other than that, I read or play a bit of switch. Something I can quickly put down again if needed.

Well I've been asked to help with homework, so problem solved

Can I ask how old your children are? As I’m still waiting to get to this point 😄

That is excellent that your kids are like that and not fully dependent. That's how I'm bringing ours up. Our 3 toddlers are quite good atm at going to play alone so I've been catching up on reading and baking lately. Our teen disappears upstairs homework,bath and playstation every other night