What do you do with DC on weekends?
This is totally making me feel like a bad mom, but I feel like I have no idea what to do with DS on weekends. Well, I do have some ideas, but I seem to run out of them fast - what the heck to SAHMs do every day with their kids? I guess my case is aggravated by the fact that DS still does not walk full-time and the weather has not been consistently nice here, yet.
I do play with him on the floor, but I seriously cannot imagine doing it all day with just breaks for eating and nap. I take him out to run errands with me - he actually enjoys doing that, or have him in the room with me when I am folding laundry, for example, - he likes that too. But as far as "quality time", I run out of ideas and, honestly, get bored of sitting on the floor next to him.
What do you do? Please help me be a better mom!
Re: What do you do with DC on weekends?
OMG, I could have written this post when my DD was your son's age! My DH works many weekends, so it was just me and her, and I would often sit on the floor and play with her for a 1/2 hour, then look at the clock and think "3 hours until bedtime! I can't do this for 3 more hours!" We spent a lot of time walking around Target or the mall, just to get out of the house - but then sometimes I'd feel guilty because I'd think she wasn't really enjoying sitting in a cart or stroller. It did help to just make sure we left the house, though, to break up the day. She was also a late walker (didn't walk until 18 months) so parks and things weren't really fun for her, but sometimes we'd bundle up and take walks around the neighborhood, or just go sit outside, if we didn't go to a store. We also split our indoor playtime - we might play in her room for an hour, then we'd go to the living room, etc. Just for variety and a change of scenery (and toys!). There were definitely times I let her play independently (but within view) while I cleaned, did laundry, or (shhh!) even nested for a bit :-)
Once she started walking it got tons better - parks were more fun for her, we could go to mall play areas, we'd go for walks together, she liked playing in our yard, etc. As she got older, we were also able to do more fun things at home - art projects, crafts - more than just sitting on the ground and playing.
Of course then I had another baby and now it's a whole different story :-)
A ton of stimulation. Pre-baby I would wake up late on weeknds, etc...
7 am - milk sippy, diaper change, brush teeth, watch Baby Einstein video while I make breakfast, have my coffee, clean up, wash dishes. Music time - dance to the music for about 20-30 minutes, sit down and play with them, read, talk, etc.. jump in the shower, get them dressed, outside to the park for a walk with the jog stroller, have snacks and juice/water, let them walk when they get tired head back, by then it's about 10 am - give them a banana, yogurt, etc... drink their milk and nap (11-12 or 12-1 pm)
They wake up at around 2 pm - give them lunch & more playing and reading. Take them outside and play on the grass, wave to the cars, etc...go for a ride in their buggy cars, by this time it's already about 4 pm or so - start making dinner, feed them dinner, watch DVD, bath, milk and sleep (7 pm - 7:30 )
In the house: Even if we're home all day, I don't feel the need to sit on the floor playing with her the entire time. Yesterday morning, for example, I cooked some meatloaf to freeze for her lunches while she played independently. She came to check in with me and ask for help every now and then, but she wasn't in the same room with me the entire time.
Around the house: We have a sand/water table in the back yard. We left the water out all winter (too cold) but she liked just playing in the sand. This is another independent-play thing; she gets SO into it that she hardly even notices I'm there. When it gets warmer out, we have a kiddie pool and a sprinkler.
We also have three parks within easy walking distance. At that age, we'd take her over in the stroller. She's loved playgrounds since she was maybe 8 or 9 months old, when she was still crawling -- they're great for crawling and pulling up, too! Of course, she loves them now that she's walking now too, and cries when it's time to go home.
We used to take her out in the jogging stroller or bike trailer. Now, she starts screaming to get out and walk after about 15 mins in the jogging stroller. Sigh.
Further afield: Errands, like you said. I don't feel bad doing that at all; it's a change of scenery for her, lots of new things to look at.
We love going to the zoo or the aquarium. Again, this is something we've been doing since she was tiny, but she is really into all the animals now. We haven't been to the Dallas Zoo yet, but the Fort Worth Zoo is fantastic and the Dallas Aquarium is pretty good too. You can buy a membership so you can get unlimited visits; usually, if you plan to go at least 4 or 5 times in a year, the membership works out to be cheaper than paying each time.
I coach a girls lacrosse team, so I have practice or games at least one day every weekend these days. She comes with me and runs around the field and plays with the other coach's kids.
We get together with friends who have kids and let them play together.
We used to do swimming and gymnastics classes, back when we lived in California (a year or so ago). We keep saying we're going to get back into them, but we've been too busy!
We did take her swimming quite a bit last summer, and plan to do that again when the pools open again (Memorial Day).
I've also seen some groups on Meetup.com and I might check them out, but I'll probably wait till after lacrosse season ends... again, too busy right now.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
It can be hard at times but is easier now that she's older. I would try to make sure we got up, dressed and out of the house by 9:00 to either go to a park and spend time on the swings, and watching other kids, or if it was cold, go and run errands.
Sometimes I'd take her to Barnes and Noble to read books or to our local Starbucks (they have good kids books at ours). We'd split a muffin, and look at books. Occassionally we'd hit the mall or Target - she loves running errands and being in the cart.
Have you tried coloring? I was surprised my DD could manage a crayon when she was around 1.
We'd often visit an elderly neighbor who loves seeing DD as part of the day. I'm working hard now to find other working mom's to have playdates with on the weekends. Are there families at daycare you could meet up with?
I'd also give her time on her own while I did things in the kitchen or cleaning around the house. They need time just to hang out with toys or books.
If I was cooking, I'd often pull the high chair over so she could watch or give her pots and pans to play with.
we're up by 7. dd and i get ready and go get breakfast at the neighborhood bakery. we might stop by toys r us if it's open. we take breakfast home to daddy who likes to sleep in.
10 - go to beach, museum, swim in the pool, or playdates.
1 - lunch
2-5 nap
5 - shopping, errands, or park
6 - dinner and hang out at home
8 - bedDo you live near any parks or museums? Even just to take a baby in a stroller is fun and stimulates them. And stimulates Mommy, too!
Or, get outside and let your child play with water, get a pile of ribbons and let him throw them around, shaving cream in an outdoor wading pool or water table. throw a cup or two of cornstarch in a wading pool and drizzle some water in it - HOURS OF FUN!
Zoo, natural history museum (butterfly exhibit), park, bike rides (bike seat on my bike for her), shopping, mall for window shopping, childrens museum, coloring, stickers, throwing balls in the backyard.
When she was that age, I'd take her to McDonalds and let her watch the other kids play. I also steal ideas from the SAHM board and others on the Parenting board.
Somewhere around that age DD got to be very difficult to take in public. She started throwing fits around 15-18 months. It has gotten much better within the past 2-3 months so I am starting to take her on my errands now to get her out of the house rather than waiting until after bedtime.
This is such a good point. For those of us who have kids in daycare - they actually (hopefully) do all sorts of activities all week long. They probably need some quiet time, too!
What a great topic! i was about to start one like that! My DS is 22mo old
Saturday: wake-up 8 am. I get up, feed him, change him, stay in his room, usually playing blocks or reading a book till 9:15 - 9:30. Then i..; GO BACK TO BED, and his Daddy comes into play ( no idea what they do). Like this we have 45 extra minutes of sleep.
Then - downtown walk+errands in a baby-carrier. DS loves it, he sees many more things.
12:30pm - lunch, then a nap
Then.. well, it depends. I'd say a kid needs 3 sorts of activities during the day : outdoor play(DH is usually good at that one), indoor independent play with his toys (basic blocks, or smth made by me personally) and a moment of active interaction (you read him a book, you play with playdough together, draw together.. whatever...)
I also consider watching a cartoon in my native language as an intellectual activity. But 25-30 minutes of TV per day only!
I just wanted to add that many library's have fun things for kids to do like storytime or crafts with stories that you can sign up for on the weekends.
We usually go when it's icky outside. We also like going to the indoor pool.
We go to story times at local bookstores, hit the public library, go to playgrounds, listen to kids music at home (she loves to dance), finger paint, etc.