Stories of a mom surviving the COVID-19 lock down with pre-schoolers.
Don't let the title of this post fool you. The title that makes you say, "Wow, the epitome of what motherhood should be during this blessing of quality time with our children: Art Projects, and Fine Motor Skills, and Make Believe Adventures." True, it's all of that + some fort building, but what this title doesn't tell you is how many times I've said "Shit" out loud in front of my kids, how many times I've yelled a little to loudly, & how many times I've aggressively "Sshhh-ed" said pre-schoolers, because not only am I full time daycare/teacher/mom now, but my hubby also does business from our laundry room.
That being said, I do have a knack for coming up with DIY entertainment on the fly with stuff lying around our lock-own perimeters. So this post is a gesture. A gesture from one Mom who's tired, deprived of adult socialization and alone time, & desperate for ideas to keep my littles busy while they're safe at home, with no apparent end to this Stay-At-Home-Order in sight. A gesture to all of my mom friends out there feeling the same. (Only 3 more hours until it's appropriate to have that drink - ha!)
Here are 3 activities I did with my girls this week, that actually worked.
& by worked, I mean easy as hell to pull together, lasted more than 10 minutes, produced smiles, & allowed me to sit down for a hot minute! Without further ado... 3 activities to turn you into "Fun Mom" this week:
1. The Cereal Necklace.
Equal parts cheap + easy + edible. Got cheerios? Fruit loops? Apple Jacks? Got some rope? Thread? String of any kind? My 2 year old eats everything anyway, so it's either going to be the cereal necklace, or the actual necklace. This is a winner every time.
2. Painting Sticks for the Easter Bunny's Burrow.
Yes, I made up an elaborate story about how the Easter Bunny's nest is made up of rainbow colored sticks left by all the boys & girls around the world on Easter Sunday. Manipulation is key, peops - ha! This is obviously "this week specific", but let's be real, what kid wouldn't want to decorate adventuring sticks any day of the week for no reason. You can paint them, chalk them, glitter them, sticker them. Oh, you want to glue on a googly eye? It might freak out the Easter Bunny, but go for it. If it's at the bottom of our art box, it's fair game.
3. Pool (Tub) Day
Remember when I said manipulation is key? The verbiage used leading up to this game matters, folks! Lot's of sentences like, "Pick out your favorite swimming suit!", "Would you like to pack a drink in the 'cooler' in case it get's hot?", "Definitely need to pack your sunglasses for this sunny day!" Half the fun for my kids is setting the imaginary stage, that this is no ordinary bath, this is a game called "Pool Day"! Throw in some bubbles, any toy they ask for that won't desolve in water, & some juice boxes, & the convincing is done! Popped some "Little Mermaid Soundtracks" on the JBL, & the girls played in there, until the water was cold, & I had to force them out. Bonus points that this doubles as bath time that you won't have to do later.
How are you all holding up? Share your "Quarantined With Kids" hacks in the comments!
@_lifeofkaylaanne
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