Okay…you can quit laughing now! I know you think I must be crazy if I think that I can actually stay sane when I have a 3-year-old and two 1-year-olds running around! But guess what? There are things you can do to at least increase your chances!
Here are five things you can do to help yourself remain sane when the kids come running at you and begging you to entertain them.
Keep ‘Em Busy
Listbean has some amazing ideas on how to keep kids busy. Funny name, incredible site! Listbean is a free website with a ton of comprehensive checklists that can help anyone get organized. Really great lists for you to use around the home, for the kids, or to help you get organized.
Because the site is so cool I got a bit off topic! But check out Listbean’s indoor activities for kids. There are some ideas I always come up with myself but I found a bunch of new ones as well!
I also found this list of 101+ Ways To Keep Kids Busy that is also worth checking out!
Make ‘Em Help Out
The next time you hear “I’m bored!”, give them something to do! Assign daily chores to your kids. Whether it’s yard work, laundry, vacuuming, making their bed, or preparing for dinner . . . there is something that can be done by kids at any age.
And if the kids don’t do what they are asked, it’s a perfect time to teach them about accountability and consequences. Take away something important to them like dessert or TV time.
Teach ‘Em Something
I have done many posts about educational toys and sites . . . Peaceable Kingdom, Learning Journey, and PBSKids.org just to name a few. But what about good old fashioned reading? Even though my little ones aren’t old enough to read yet, we have lots of picture books that they look at.
You can also find age appropriate book lists are available from your child’s school, the public library, bookstores, or by doing a quick Internet search.
But if your kids are like mine and don’t like to read on their own, consider reading some books out loud as a family . . . that’s one of my kids’ favorite things to do!
Do The Things You Keep Putting Off
There are things that just need to get done to keep the house clean and organized, and then there are things that you want to do that are also fun. So split this up in to fun things and not fun (but necessary) tasks.
Teach the kids how to make homemade popsicles. Have the water balloon fight they’ve been begging for. Clean out the closets, reorganize the garage, cook dinner together, start a garden . . . just do anything and do it together!
Take Time For Yourself
Yes, you do have 30 minutes somewhere in your day to devote solely to YOU! If you want to be less stressed and more effective, you have to do something for you everyday to recharge your spirit. It benefits you which in return benefits your family.
It doesn’t matter what you do…work out, read a book, watch a sitcom, have a glass of wine on the back porch . . . just make yourself take a few minutes out of your crazy chaotic day for “me timeâ€Â.
What other advice can you give to help other parents keep their sanity while raising kids?
