School is out and it is officially summer at my house. I was super excited for school to be over, obligations to be packed neatly away until August as dreams of sleeping in until 8 am danced in my head. Ahhhh! Can I get a collective sigh of relief followed by a collapse from the past month’s exhaustion?
After the bliss of school’s out for summer and we’ve all slept in until 8 am for about a week, the “Mommy, I’m bored†blues (second in pain threshold only to the “Are we there yet†vacation blues afflicting parents everywhere this summer) slowly sneak in and begins to eat at your soul, even worse than everyday ordinary mommy guilt does.
So, what to do to keep the kids sufficiently stimulated and stave off the shit ton of mommy guilt that is about to envelope you?
A good camp can save a Mommy’s life. Repeat after me, “I am not a bad Mommy because I want to send my kids to sleep away camp for one week of the summer!†Camp can provide your child with treasured life long memories. Can you say Little Darlings?
Camps are not exclusive; there is a camp for every child. Science? Sleep away? Soccer? Ballet? Zoo camp? Cheerleading? Equestrian? Football? Art? Music? Tennis? Journalism? Space? Hell, I bet if you looked hard enough there’s probably even a gamer camp.
And if sleep away camp is too much for your mommy heart to handle, there is a large selection of day camps that your child can attend and learn a new skill during the day; effectively keeping them occupied and all the hair in your head this summer.
If camp is not your ideal way to squash the “Mommy, I’m bored†blues there are classes offered through the department of parks and recreation for a very reasonable cost, like way more affordable than a babysitter. Oops, did I say that out loud?
If your children like music, sign them up for lessons in voice or to learn a new instrument. Most local music stores offer lessons or, at the very least, can point you in the right direction.
Play dates. Call up a group of your friends and their kids and host a play date; cocktails optional.
Carpool to a nearby city for a day trip to the local children’s zoo. Have a picnic in the park together. Hit up the local splash pads, pools and water parks. Plan a bike ride around town on the local green-way. Take the train into the city and explore.
Theater in the park is a fun way to expose your little one to theater and avoid a bored child, just be sure to pick a children’s production. No, 3-year-old ever needed to see the summer production of hair. Go see a movie in the park, see your local listings for which parks provide this service. Kids love this.
Take the kids to the drive-in and let them wear their pajamas and take their pillows. You will be amazed the memories that they will take away from this. I still remember going with my parents when I was about 5 and lying on the hood of the car on a blanket, looking up at the stars and talking to my dad, while my little brother slept as Grease played on the big screen. I love that movie to this day.
Dance in the rain. Show your kids how to make sun tea, roast hot dogs and s’mores on a bonfire, and show your kids the constellations. Take the kids on a suburban camping trip; camp in tents in your own back yard. Make homemade ice cream together and host a neighborhood ice cream sundae party.
Take your kids to the lake or beach and play in the sand. Remember the sunscreen. You don’t want junior’s childhood memories to include the time he got crispy fried that one summer that Mommy forgot the sunscreen.
Take the kids to a farmers market, strawberry picking, or plant a garden and let them help you tend that garden all summer. Let your children help you gather fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers for the dinner table.
When it’s really hot out, take the kids somewhere indoors; the aquarium, science museums, local art houses, indoor concerts and even the mall will break up the monotony. Just be warned that the mall may end up costing you more than you bargained for.
If all else fails, try a slip’n slide, blow-up pool, going to the park and pushing your kids on the swing or jumping on the trampoline. You will expend some energy and be a great example for your little ones and believe me, they won’t be telling you they are bored.
They may be complaining of exhaustion and you may be sore from the trampoline because let’s face it, we’re not as young as we once were. (I know this from personal experience.) It’ll be a summer to remember and you’ll never have to hear the dreaded, “Mommy, I’m bored†ever again. You may be inundated with “are we there yet†s but that’s another issue entirely.
What do you do to avoid the “Mommy, I’m bored†blues?
Photo Source: The TRUTH about Motherhood
