Spring break

Kids will be home for Spring Break… Now what?

Children look forward to vacation days from school. Some even mark off the calendar on the wall. Parents are even excited about it, sometimes. They have visions of playing outside, making crafts, and family dinners filled with laughter. And while I hope some of those things do happen, by the time we get to day three, things change. Parents still have work to do; laundry and dishes. Kids start strong but then slump over on the couch watching tv and spilling juice on the sofa. 

Then comes the familiar refrain…”Mom! I’m bored!”

Here is what not to do.

Do not tell them that if “you can’t find something to do, I’ll find something for you”

Do not begin to list the number of chores around the house that no kid (or adult) wants to do. 

If you don’t have travel plans for your vacation, then try making sure you plan ahead for the days you have at home. 

There are many experts that will tell you to just let your kids be bored. Ok. Sounds good. And yes, there is definitely some truth to that. Kids do need free unplugged no phone, no tablet, no video games, time to think, imagine, work out problems and solutions for themselves. To encourage that, have them help you plan ahead for your days off. 

Free days with no set activities are great. For those free days, have your kids put together an idea board of suggestions of things they can do individually or together if they get bored. Then, at that moment neither of you is on the spot to come up with something. The bonus is that it  is also your first fun family activity (Your Welcome). Get a big poster board. Colorful pieces of paper; markers; stickers; whatever is appropriate for your crowd. Add in some Ice Cream and Popcorn.

To break up the time, sprinkle in some family plans like a bike ride and a nature hike with your dog and lunch with some friends. 

Here is one more thing Not to do, Moms and Dads… Do Not worry too much about messes. Before the vacation is over, you can all pitch in and get things back to normal but until then, it's ok to loosen up a bit. 

Parenting isn’t always easy. But, it's definitely worth it. If you need some help finding your way, or with specific problems, we are here to help.