Most of you know my background so I’ll spare the details.
Long story very short - working mother of two very active boys 5 & 3 (MA)
By the time we get home and have dinner and all I’m so unimaginably exhausted that I have no time to do anything fun with them. When I force myself they get into trouble and I’m screaming at them and the whole plan is soiled.
Now that the summer is upon us I need good ideas to spend time with them outdoors.
Like our backyard - or the local park or something.
And even better tips on how to manage two very rambunctious boys without anyone getting hurt.
I’m totally jealous of you parents who take your kids out and have fun.
I feel like I’m wound up to tightly to have a good time.
Tent in the backyard for storytime with simple sandwiches, fruits, yoghurt.
Banana split made at home.
Water guns, water balloons , bubbles are a lot of fun. Guns are ok if parents don’t hit paranoid button kids don’t get overly fascinated by them.
Loads and loads of running around, nothing tires boys out like running around. We always take a soccer ball , Jr. Can’t play properly yet but he does bring it back a lot.
Monkey bars at the playground.
Do they nap ? Mine doesn’t but if he has had a physically active day then he actually goes to sleep himself without any stories or much issues.
No, they don’t hurt lol! Most of the time they hit the ground and burst. It’s just fun getting them wet. And I don’t allow guns for toys either but water guns are immune…they are harmless fun!
I am a working mother too with 2 kids (4 and 2)
They have summer vacations and I hate it that I cannot do anything fun with them in the evening. The older one waits eagerly for us to come back home but by the time we have dinner, and namaz and cleaning up, there is no time left for play or anything.
I try to make it up on weekends where I have dedicated the summer weekends only to kids.
I do not know how working mothers balance everything and spend so much time with the kids, keep the house clean, make food and all. My husband helps a lot in the kitchen, otherwise there was no way for me to spend anytime with the kids if I was doing all the cooking by myself.
water stuff in the backyard is amazing…and I’m strictly against guns but water guns are okay…I’ve put an inflatable pool in the yard that is used more for refilling the water toys than swimming …and no, water balloons don’t hurt at all…they are made to burst with little impact.
have you introduced them to gardening yet? you’d be surprised how they will get into nurturing tomato plants and growing strawberries if you show them.
bike riding to the local park?
camping in the backyard on a Friday night?
bbq for dinner instead of inside?
kite flying?
bubbles?
build a bird feeder together and put it up…then watch the birds come?
like others have suggested, get water toys, bike riding, camping in the backyard, dinner picnic in the back yard, painting pottery or a wall or fence(?), planting, movie night under the open sky(?), story time…
Same here too exhausted especially on weeknights for an outing, so backyard fun it is for summer time
The girls have their purple elephant shaped pool, where the water pumps up towards its trunk…It’s so cute hubby also got a bubble blaster kit, they kick around their pink ball and just have fun all together, both are still too little for water guns so we are gonna wait on those, me on the other hand just sit back and lounge on the lawn chair with the baby and my iphone taking pictures of my ‘duck pouts’ listening to all the giggles in the background. mA mA mA!!!
The easiest and most relaxing quality time for a tired working mother is bedtime stories and books! There is no physical activity whatsoever involved but it is still fun and engaging and totally beneficial! It is such a vital part of our daily routine and I can tailor the book to teach them about whatever else is going on in life (arrival of a new sibling, potty training, table manners) so its two birds with one stone.
maybe I should be breaking that rule?
…and no, water balloons don’t hurt at all…they are made to burst with little impact.
listening to all the giggles in the background. mA mA mA!!!