Making Time For Fun With Little Ones

Okay class, sit down, be quiet and buckle your seatbelts. Parenting did not come with instructions, so I am here to help. Am I an expert? No, experts have stopped learning and mastered their craft. I am however, the mother of 5 and stepmom to 3, and have loads of advice to share.

I have fallen into the clutches of an evil house cleaner. My domestically challenged body has done a 360* turn and began cleaning like a crazy person. Walls, base-boards, cabinets...out with the old. Hell hath no fury like a flylady maggot. Two days I have been at it. I broke out the iron today, didn't even think I had one. I ironed my sons shirt for his game tomorrow. Usually I buy a new one or call Jamie "help, Cam has nothing to wear." Through all of this I ignored by dog, my kids, my husband. I threw food at them and was swiping it from underneath their forks just to throw it in the dishwasher so no tarnish would show on my shining sink. I watched skateboarding tricks from my doorway and snuck in sweeping the mud room while clapping and giving a thumbs up at their achievements. To my total dismay, upon reflection of my day, I realized I had fallen pray (sorry, it rhymed, I had to do it) to the person I never wanted to be. Where was my, never miss a moment of my childrens life attitude? Somewhere in tomorrow, I will find lots of time to play. Maybe even throw a bit of a pool party. Hell, I will make it a luau, these guys deserve it!

For our first lesson lets have some fun. This was always one of my kids favorite activities. On a yucky rainy or snowy day, have a pool party. Get out your inflatable pool, or just use a sink or bath tub. Fill it with warm water and put your bathing suits on. Let the kids (and yourself) play with bubbles, add fingerpaints, make fish (colored paper), attach magnets to the fish and make a fishing rod (a stick, a piece of string, and a paperclip) and go fishing. Break out the snorkels and masks. As you are doing this talk about things the child sees. They can be real or pretend. Have them look for sunken treasure, what is in it? Do they see sea creatures? What kind? What color? What are the names of the fish? I do allow "Nemo" as a kind of fish.