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How Do You Entertain Kids In The Weekend?

Discussion in 'Schoolgoers & Teens' started by anika987, Dec 8, 2019.

  1. Mehana

    Mehana Platinum IL'ite

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    Playdates - oh man I actually stopped asking other moms nowadays. For me it's waste of time bez I am the one actually initiate Everytime.

    I started these things to have the kids busy:

    1. Baking weekly once
    2. Brought some activity fun books
    3. Got Small painting activity ' make my own art' Walmart sells for $10
    4. Story books
    5. Pretend drawing with my kid so he started drawing randomly which is good for his creativity
    6. Sometimes TV as I will be busy with cooking
    7. Kinetic sand, slime, Play-Doh
    8. Board games
    9. Taking to costCo / wwlmart
    10. Facetime with my parents so that kids learn Tamil and also remember grandparents
    11. House chores - today morning I did poori. I asked them to make small ball and roll it. For fun but I redid it again :)
     
  2. anika987

    anika987 IL Hall of Fame

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    Great ideas all !! Will definetly implement!
     
  3. Vaikuntha

    Vaikuntha Platinum IL'ite

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    This two points are so true. Research shows that some amount of boredom is needed. It is part and parcel of life.

    Other than that @mangaii covered every thing. My local free library has book clubs for children, movies, some seminars for us, lego clubs and many other activities.

    Is she into legos? It is very fun creative way. There are packages for both girls and boys. If she likes it, you can enroll in lego meetups in library- just meetups. Or a competitive club through schools called lego leagues.

    We have several competitive clubs through school, that child can participate in. They often take a lot of weekend hours. Eg. Lego L, Odyssey of mind, scouts
     
  4. Vedhavalli

    Vedhavalli Platinum IL'ite

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  5. Mehana

    Mehana Platinum IL'ite

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    anika987 likes this.
  6. anika987

    anika987 IL Hall of Fame

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  7. ILoveTulips

    ILoveTulips IL Hall of Fame

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    Anika, I'm so thankful for the thread. I have been wondering myself the same and didn't know the right place to ask. I share your feelings on play dates. Worse thing, not always our frequency matches with the parents.. So when the children have good time playing, we end up watching the time sighing.
    @kkrish 's words - Boredom is an important part of growing up. I wanted to hear that. I often feel so guilty that I'm the reason for her being an only child, and strive so much to fill in the place of an younger sibling. And needless to say it's so tiring. I do try so much to get new friends for her, by calling up moms no matter if they have turned me down in the past. And every time my daughter says, "I have nobody to play with", I would try to take her out get her nice things etc until I realised I'm spoiling her. One day I told her I can't keep entertaining her all the time. I was dreading Christmas holidays, hence so very happy that I have found this thread.
    As she is 7 years old now, same age as your DD, she is lot easier to handle now.. She watches movies with us, not just kids movies, anything we watch. And we 3 play games together. Like Pictionary, Hangman, I Spy, Dumbsherads, one calling out a colour and the rest running to touch an object of that colour, board games etc.. we also feel refreshed playing them. She loves making things, and will never allow us to throw away package boxes. She loves singing, so I ask her to write songs, she scribbles somethings we sing together. In the place we live there are very little activities for kids, but whenever something catches my eye I try to take her. She enjoys dressing up her dolls, so I gave her my dupattas that I don't use, she cuts and makes some gowns. I help in sewing. I do make her to help in cooking, clearing stuff out etc. But I only have energy to do all these things because I am not working anymore. When I worked full time it was hard for me as I hardly had some me-time.
    One thing I learnt and learning is, I am trying not to let her boredom make me feel bad.
    I agree with another poster's advice on moving some classes to the weekends. That really helps me.
    I also study with her, working on words and numbers, so when the study time finishes she rushes to her toys. Before we started this study time, she was playing all the time and got bored by playing itself then would keep pulling my hair for play dates. But now, after introducing study time she appreciates her play time more.
    Sometimes I feel really bad when she talks alone, holds a Barbie or a pony toy and tells some story to it. Then one day she drew something on
    a piece of paper, illustrating a story. I encouraged her to do that, and told her that we will make cartoons by ourselves.
    I do keep telling her that being bored is ok. And hope she uses that time, with some help from us, to explore her talents and skills.
     
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  8. anika987

    anika987 IL Hall of Fame

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    Awww true story with that play dates :)
    I don’t even have the energy to try anymore.Let it organically happened and that’s the way it should be.

    One thing I realized is..everyone seems to be going through their own struggles and we try to put a brave front.Sometimes the beauty is accepting as moms we all try to do our best,feel guilty but one day all these will be beautiful memories:)

    I now think it’s okay for the kids to be bored.Let them use their mind creativity.
    This is one problem living abroad especially in cold regions.Half the time we are shut in.Makes me miss the playareas down the community back in India.

    However..our kids are already seven.Lets hang in there dear! Just few more years..and they will be on their own to entertain themselves and time will fly so fast and am sure after some years..hopefully we will be in IL and give advice to the younger moms who will post the same queries...

    just seeing the bright side:)

    Happy for myself and others that this thread is so helpful!
     
  9. Mehana

    Mehana Platinum IL'ite

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    @anika987 yes everyone have their own struggles.

    In USA in winter time, I know it gets colder and dark. Parents we don't have energy sometimes either. Did you check in the city hall programs. There should be christmas tree lights ceremony event...kids should have fun.

    Do you have interest in enrolling Tamil classes like dance, carnatic music etc. You can meet lots of Desi group there. I haven't enrolled anything yet but one of my friend take her kids to Tamil music on Saturdays.

    How setting up Christmas tree and decorations? Making ginger bread cookie?

    We did Christmas tree set up and decorate it. Did bread toast with my kids. I don't no which city you live...there should be lot of places where they do cChristma stuff...
     
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  10. Vaikuntha

    Vaikuntha Platinum IL'ite

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    Just wanted to add that boys will try to hangout with you at home only till 9-10 and girls may be 11-13, I heard this numbers. So, only few years and they will be glued to their phone...ah oh!

    Also, I try to try to get the used copy of Math book that they are doing at school, and work on it at home. It take a lot of time and is helpful to kid because if they missed something, they can work on it now. The books are cheap online. That way the kid learns that learning is everyday- everyday about 1 hr and the idea of self learning- meaning one does not have to depend on institution to learn something.

    Self learning and life long learning are two very important things to be taught children. And it takes a lot of effort and time, and has to be done over few years.
     

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