I’m on vacation with the kiddos this week. It never really feels like a vacation. More like unpaid work. I know that is not what 
I’m supposed to say but as we come to the end of this week I have vague memories of some good times together but mostly here the cries of “I’m bored.” ringing in my ears, which compels me to DO something to make them not bored. Not because I have a problem with them being bored but because I’m kind of tired of hearing them say “I’m bored.”
I’m supposed to say but as we come to the end of this week I have vague memories of some good times together but mostly here the cries of “I’m bored.” ringing in my ears, which compels me to DO something to make them not bored. Not because I have a problem with them being bored but because I’m kind of tired of hearing them say “I’m bored.”Oh yeah, and you could throw in a dash of guilt because I’ve been working so much lately that I feel like they deserve my best when they are around.
I’d love some advice. Have you mastered the art of enjoying your kids’ vacation? I’ll even accept answers from Mrs. Romney – heh heh.
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My kids wanted to go to one of the theme camps that are so prevalent today: soccer camps, baseball camps, math camps, cheerleading camps. But we couldn’t afford it, and neither could my best friend. So we put our heads together and came up with our own: early American camp. We went to an historic house that has a skating rink in the attic, we went to the “Dairy Day” celebration where the kids got to buy penny candy in an old-fashioned country store, milk a cow, and make butter from cream. We made up a play (and invited Dads to watch on play night), we carried our lunch in tin pails (our lunch was a baked potato), and we made early American crafts. The kids had a blast, and so did we. It’s something the kids still talk about, 18 years later. Now I take a week each summer to do a “craft camp” for my children’s children!
Wow – you are quite an inspiration Susannah! Make your holiday your own – such good advice!
I think the keys to this are setting up clear boundaries and routines/consistency. Before the holiday, sit everyone down and make a plan, big general ideas of what needs to get done that day and what will happen. (So, mama’s working until 1, then we do something fun until 4, then dinner, then bed or whatever you have going on that day). Make sure everyone is involved and (somewhat!) agrees. Giving the kids some control over their activities will help make them more interested in helping out/sticking to the plan. Maybe give each kid a day to plan all the activities. Then, make sure your expectations are clear: mama’s gonna work now, so you need to be calm and do your own thing, but after, we will (insert super-fun activity here). Make sure when it is your kid’s time, you are totally focussed and involved in what you all are doing. Give in to being a kid again, cut loose and have some fun with them! Having a plan will definitely cut down on that “I’m bored” irritation for everyone. Even if they are bored some of the time, at least there is something to look forward to. And having them help make the plan ensures that they are doing something they are actually going to really enjoy. And do a silly dance everyday. That always helps us. Haha.
Thanks Emily! You are the expert on mom+laughing+silly = success. Great advice! How lucky am I to have all this smart chickadees in my realm?!!!