"I will live with a heart of integrity in my house." Psalm 101:2b

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I am a student of Jesus, the wife of a wonderful rocker, Tracey, and stay at home momma to our two sweet things, Remy & Halle.
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Thursday, July 19, 2012

Third Thursday~ Beat the Boredom!


Well, I am certainly no expert when it comes to this month's Hearts at Home Blog Hop topic, which is 'How do you beat summer boredom with your kids?' My life is filled daily with laments of 'I'm bored' and 'There's nothing to do'... When does this happen?! It never ceases to amaze me when the cry turns from boredom into dissatisfaction- how suddenly they 'have nothing to play with'. Especially after coming home from Africa, these attitudes make me cringe!

But I do try my best at keeping things interesting, and I love the challenge of figuring out what we can do at little or no cost. Here are just a few of the things on our regular agenda that keep up rolling:

~Cooking: It's no secret that I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, and the moments when I invite the littles to help me out are some of the best time we spend. I find that they eat better too, when they have a hand in preparing. So anytime I am looking at a recipe, I make mental note of the tasks that they can accomplish. Remy loves measuring (which is a great way to sneak in math!), cracking eggs and grating, and Halle takes the lead when it comes to stirring. The hardest part for me is to remind myself that it's worth the extra time and mess that it takes... God has hammered this into my OCD brain!

~Homework: This may sound terrible, but I find that the littles love doing schoolwork. We only do this once or twice a week, but I think the discipline keeps them ready for when school starts, and is a great way to break up the day. Remy can earn video game time by completing sheets, and Halle loves stickers for a page accomplished. We have several simple workbooks on phonics, handwriting, math and science, and I work hard to make it seem like it isn't work!

~Rotating toys: We don't do this as well as we could, but I'm amazed at a) how many toys they accumulate and b) how excited they get seeing something they haven't seen in a while. So we make a point to regularly sort through toy boxes and deep dark places in their closets to 'rescue' lost toys.

~Playdates at the park: This is a no-brainer, but the park never seems to get old. When it's super hot, I am thankful for their early-bird nature, and we try to hit the playground before the day gets too warm. We invite friends to join us, and spending only an hour or two there wears them out. An added bonus is that I get to have some quality mom-to-mom time while the kids play. Everyone wins!

~Macaroni Kid: Have you heard of this site?! I'm fortunate enough to know the owner of my local Peoria site, and this is a great resource for any parent! She highlights area goings-on, and many times I have discovered great hidden spots and deals to take advantage of.(My link is to my local, Peoria site, but there are tons around the country!)

So now I'm interested to hear your ideas! You can also head over to Jill Savage's blog to hear her tips & tricks and to connect with other mommas who are sharing today.

5 comments:

  1. Cooking/Baking is one of our boredom busters, too! :)

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  2. We would have been friends when my kids our little. I did everyone of the things you mention and also struggled with letting my little ones help in the kitchen because of the added mess and time.

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  3. Thanks for the mom-friendly resource. I am not from Peoria, but close enough to drive if something really great caught our eye!

    I love cooking with my kids and it is such a special time to even have one on one time with one of them!

    Thanks for posting!

    Blessings,
    ~Angie

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  4. I love the cooking idea! I'll definitely try that the next time I hear, "I'm bored!"

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  5. I love to cook with my crew, too. My little ones learned to crack eggs while we baked cookies back when they were just toddlers- sometimes we had crunchy cookies thanks to all the extra egg shells, but just the thought of them feeling so proud as the yoke dripped off their fingers makes me smile still.

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