Weekends with kids (vent)

[noodleoo]

If you have young kids, what do you do on weekends? I feel like we never do anything anymore. We pretty much spend the whole day entertaining DD and I’m starting to feel almost resentful of it. It is too cold to do anything outside, we’ve taken her to playplaces but they are so crowded it is overwhelming and sucks, I’m getting bored of the library and other than that we go to the mall, but I’m kind of over shopping too. Last weekend I don’t think we left the house but DD is also bored of all our toys. I’m just so sick of sitting on the floor and doing Legos or play doh.  DD doesn’t really play alone and I’m her default playmate. I really miss having time to do my own stuff, not that I even know what that is anymore! 

[Blue Moon]

H and I tag team weekends. We both wake up with the kids and do breakfast as a family. Then H typically goes to the gym while I stay home with kids. I put the baby down for a nap and my 3 year old gets a long bubble bath while I shower (same bathroom). Then when H comes home I usually take the 3 year old with me to run errands. We try to get both kids to nap in the afternoon and then we use that time how we want. Sometimes it’s chores, sometimes one of us will run out, sometimes we nap too. We almost never go out at night, but we’ve been trying to do more at home dates after the kiids go to bed.

Usually one day of the weekend will involve a visit with grandparents. H’s parents live locally so we’ll pop over there for a quick visit often just for a change of scenery. The winter weekends are hard. I feel like there’s so many more options in the warmer weather.

[minniemouse]

It is rough in the winter. I’m not sure how old your dd is. When dd1 was a toddler, we often took her to target or toys r us and let her pick a new toy- just to get out of the house. Also spent a lot of time visiting family or friends, at least it was a change of scenery (and free!). Once she turned 4, weekends started filling up with activities and bday parties. Now that they are 8 and 4, I dream about staying home on the weekends.

[akafred]

When DD was little, we were always on the go it seemed like. She has ADHD and even as a toddler she just wasn't content to be home; she needed more stimulation and physical play than that. I remember when she started preschool they asked how we handled certain situations, and we just sort of looked at each other because we hadn't encountered that since we were rarely home in that way. I played with her until around 10 or 11, then we went out for lunch, then went shopping or to some kid activity (pumpkin patch in fall, Easter egg hunt, etc or just a Play place), then had dinner at home and then it was bedtime. She took lots of naps in a carrier or in the car.

It has gotten better. Playing with neighborhood friends has an appeal for sure.

[dottyblue]

I’m with you. It’s too cold to send my boys outside. We JUST got Library books. I’m unemployed at the moment so spending money for museums, indoor play places and shopping at the mall are all out. Having people over means I have to clean, plan food and entertain the parents.

We have been trying at least one baking project on the weekends. I think we are doing pretzels this afternoon. I have no other suggestions. My kids watch too much TV on weekends in spite of my attempts to limit electronics

[bdubs419]

Ugh I am with you. We live in New England and it’s too damn cold to go outside. So we are couped up inside. We ALL have colds. I don’t want to go anywhere because 1.) we have colds and 2.) I feel paranoid because of flu season and could end up with much more than just a cold. I have already helped build like 12 puzzles. Also, I struggle with what else to do to keep them busy. We have been trying SO hard to cut down on tv time but when they aren’t feeling great I definitely let it slide. Which creates a nasty cycle of them expecting to watch a lot of tv even when they get better.

[icedcoffee]

Just here to commiserate. It feels like we have no plans lately and we can't even make them because one or all of us have basically been sick since thanksgiving. I am nearing the end of a sinus infection and H woke up with a man cold (god help us all) so this weekend will be spent with no plans again. Ugh. I just want to schedule play dates, but I'm also nervous because of germs and all of us have really shitty immune systems right now. The thought of a public playspace right now actually makes me anxious. Ugh.

I also don't really enjoy playing for long periods of time so I like to schedule play dates. Maybe by spring. 😭

[icedcoffee]

Also--my kid won't watch TV.

[niq]

* We've had a lot of luck with nature walks. There's a park/playground/wetland preservation area that's a short drive away. We go and look at birds/plants/insects/whatever, do stick races along the bridges, generally let him run around and look at things. We go if it's above 35 degrees. Sometimes we invite friends from daycare so he has a playmate.
* Saturday mornings are workout time. Half the time I go for a run and leave the kids with msniq, the other half I take the kids to gym daycare.
* Are you in Greater Boston? Can you take the commuter rail to somewhere random? Buses and trains are fun when you're a kid!
* V does Camp Grandma every 2-3 months. Once O weans, she'll go too.
* Does she like to "help" with things you could turn into an activity, like making cookies or vacuuming? V loves the cordless vacuum.

ETA this list makes it sound like I've got it all figured out, but "success" on any of these is making it to Saturday morning nap time without feeling burned out. But being out of the house generally, and outdoors in particular, cuts down a ton on the amount of behavior policing I have to do.

[starburst604]

Could you sign her up for swim lessons or some other activity and alternate who brings her each weekend? That way she gets some energy out and one parent gets some alone time. L does swim lessons on Sunday mornings and my H brings her because I teach a class at that time. But in the spring she’s going to do soccer on Saturday mornings and we’ll probably alternate sometimes.

But yeah, this time of year is just rough. It’s friggin freezing right now, who wants to leave the house?

[dottyblue]

Feb 3, 2018 9:47:50 GMT -5 niq said:

* We've had a lot of luck with nature walks. There's a park/playground/wetland preservation area that's a short drive away. We go and look at birds/plants/insects/whatever, do stick races along the bridges, generally let him run around and look at things. We go if it's above 35 degrees. Sometimes we invite friends from daycare so he has a playmate.
* Saturday mornings are workout time. Half the time I go for a run and leave the kids with msniq, the other half I take the kids to gym daycare.
* Are you in Greater Boston? Can you take the commuter rail to somewhere random? Buses and trains are fun when you're a kid!
* V does Camp Grandma every 2-3 months. Once O weans, she'll go too.
* Does she like to "help" with things you could turn into an activity, like making cookies or vacuuming? V loves the cordless vacuum.

ETA this list makes it sound like I've got it all figured out, but "success" on any of these is making it to Saturday morning nap time without feeling burned out. But being out of the house generally, and outdoors in particular, cuts down a ton on the amount of behavior policing I have to do.

I would KILL to be able to do a nature walk right now. But it’s 19 degrees and feels like 9. 😢. My 2 year old can’t even stay warm in full snow gear when it’s that cold. 

I’m going to pitch the idea of Grandma camp to MIL (I’m sure it’ll go over like a lead balloon) but I’m getting desperate

Hurry up spring!

[gastro]

For cold weather - Indoor bounce house, subscription craft boxes like kiwi crates, play dates, go out for a meal, to the mall, indoor swimming or gymnastics lessons, children’s museum.

We live in the coast in California so spend weekends outside since the weather isn’t usually an issue. Lots of hikes, beach, go to the pool. Our gym has kids care in Saturday’s so occasionally we do that. We go out to eat for a meal.
I bake with the kids, we do science experiments from kits or that I find online/Pinterest.
On long weekends I usually try to schedule a play date either at home or send out a text to a few families that we will be at the park at a certain time.
We have memberships at the local children’s museum and aquarium so we can just go for an hour or so.
I run errands in the weekend sometimes to break up the day usually taking one kid with me while DH watches the other.

Weekends can be long with young kids...I love Mondays!

[boiler717]

My son LOVES the hardware store. We go most weekends and easily spend over an hour there. The first Saturday of the month HD has a free craft, too.
We play outside even when it’s below freezing, just a short walk even breaks up the day.
We bake and do projects inside. My son loves washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning. Painting and science type projects are fun, too.
We also have a blow up bounce house and bring the bikes inside for winter (unfinished basement).

[formerlyak]

We are in LA, so don’t have the weather concerns, but our 4 year old will not sit still and if we are home more than a few hours, it’s a nightmare. We do local museums of all sorts - art, science, a pop up museum. Check Groupon for discounts. Someone up thread mentioned you are near Boston? I’m sure there are good options for that kind of thing there.

[lolo]

In your situation, I would ask your H to take her to a weekend class while you take care of you and/or household tasks. It's also ok to decline to play with her if you prefer not to.

As far as what we do--lately it's been a lot of birthday parties but that will stop soon. Usually a playdate at a park (we don't have cold weather issues here though it is sometimes rainy) or at a friend's house. Last weekend we went to a marine center and the beach for an unseasonably warm day.

As far as inside, DD (4.5) is really really into art. We can spread out her art supplies and she will come up with ideas and create for 20-30 minutes. She also enjoys projects where we try to make something specific together, though those are obviously more hands on for me. We go to the farmer's market and children's museums, on walks, to inside play places, to tons of parks.

One idea for you as well--you could set up a daily provocation for her.

Is she outgrowing her toys? Does she just need a push to play on her own for a while? Do you mostly just need more recharge time away from her? I would reflect on that and if we can offer more suggestions, let us know.

[dcn]

My kids love to go bowling. Also indoor pool. Ride the train or the bus?

We also go for hikes most weekends. We bundle the kids- long underwear, fleece pullover, winter jackets, hats, gloves, wool socks, boots. When we lived in Alaska we went outside a lot. We’d pull Ds1 in a sled or H would ride his fatbike and pull him in the chariot. I have a long down skirt that keeps me really warm.

I’ve found rotating toys helps too. Put some in the closet for a few weeks and when you bring them out again it’s VERY EXCITING.

We also do movies - set up a blanket with snacks and pull the curtains.

Our little tikes basketball hoop gets a lot of use, as does our bowling set, slide, trampoline in the winter.

[outnumbered]

If we were stuck inside we did a lot of art. Set her up at the kitchen table and do your own thing. Stickers and construction paper. Painting with water colors (the kind that come in a tray). Buy those tubes of animals and have her decorate a shoebox house/stable. They loved their doctors kit and would examine their dolls. I used to bring them to the local Pet Smart and look at the fish and other small animals.

Where are you located? I am in Northern MA so our weather might be warmer than yours. Even when my kids were little I went outside in the cold. I just made sure they were dressed really warmly. Neck gaiter, balaclava, hat, snow pants, wool socks, boots, and mittens. I wore the same things. I needed to get out for my sanity. If there was snow on the ground I brought out the summer beach toys and dug in the snow. I would design a treasure hunt and bury a toy in the snow. We built snowmen and sprayed them with colored water. We went for walks in the woods.

I know the weekend is so hard to fill up! Those days are can seem interminable.

[karinothing]

Bowling! That is our main winter activity lol. We go to museums and have a play date scheduled for every weekend. My friend got this clear plastic popup tent and put a tarp down and the kids go inside and paint throw walls or squirt whipped cream at each other.

The other day I brought in rocks and the kids painted them. We have also done a lot of science experiments. OH and we play Wii.

Winter kind of sucks with kids. In the summer we are never home.

[docholly]

We let the kids (with my husband’s help) build a two room box fort in the basement. It is huge, has a tunnel, etc. We will keep it up for several weeks because the novelty keeps them entertained and active. They all enjoy it (7, 4, and 1).

We do a lot of errands, going to the store for little trinkets, going out to eat, and trips to museums. I also go to my mom’s house when I need a break and change of scenery. They play better at grandma’s.


It is ok to say no to playing with them and let them be bored too. They put up a protest, but they will eventually find a way to entertain themselves.

[rbp]

We are at the Children's Museum today. I'd say we do something exciting like this maybe once a month. Otherwise it's playing at home, hanging out at friends' or ILs' houses, Chick Fil A and play place, Target, etc. in cold weather. More walks to the playground when it gets warmer! Some weekend days we stay home for most of the day, but that starts to drag after awhile.

[VillainV]

- Currently swim lessons, but we’ve also done Little Gym

- Membership to children’s museum

- Zoo or local park/playground if it’s nice enough outside

- Grocery store + Starbucks if he behaves

Indoor sporting events (our local college has hockey games, men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, wrestling, swimming, baseball when it gets nice out). We might not stay the whole game/match but it’s a fun outing and usually cheap/free.

[jenny1980]

Totally depends on the weekend, but the girls are almost 5 and 8.

Today, Lu is at cheerleading camp, DH is running and Ella and I are hanging at home. I'll take Lu out to lunch with my family and will hit hot yoga class tonight. DH and I will order take out and have date night in.

We do a lot of either splitting up the girls and each taking one or switching off who's on duty so we each have a lot of time to do our own thing. We typically do at least one family "activity" each weekend like the zoo or seeing family, etc.

[abs]

Weekends with young kids (say under 3) really aren’t very fun. Honestly DH and I tag teamed it a lot back then. We didn’t really do many family activities until DD was older. Now it’s much more fun to go places and you have more choices. So, that helps you not at all but it does get better. Now the weekends fly by!!!

[sillygoosegirl]

We got an indoor swing for LO recently. She adores it. We need to push her a lot of the time, but she has so much fun with it she often doesn't seem to notice or care if I have my headphones on listening to an audio book... so that's kind of a break for me.

Sometimes she has melt downs when I say I'm not available to play with her, but she does move on to playing by herself a lot of the time afterwards. I really think it's important to set the expectation that you aren't always available to be the playmate. Your child will adjust (maybe not this weekend, but in time), and you deserve some time to yourself too.

Something we haven't done yet, but hope to do soon, is hire a local kid (like 8-12 years old) to come over every other Saturday for a couple hours just to play with LO so DH and I can do other things and not be interrupted. (We just need to find the right kid to hire for this... The one we thought we were going to hire--from 2 doors down--spends weekends at her dad's house across town, so it's not convenient.)

[ebeth]

I have one 2 yo and live in DC where it is a) not usually that cold and b) lots of free museums (including the zoo) so I don’t know how helpful this will be but:

We try to get out of the house as much as possible. Go for a run with the BOB to the park, museums, zoo, library, story time, add in a metrobus/metrorail ride for extra adventure. She also likes to go to Trader Joe’s, Costco, and the Hardware store so we’ll also take ‘adventures’ there. I signed her up for toddler gymnastics this spring so that will be our Saturday morning adventure for several weeks.

Indoor activities: she likes to ‘help’ me cook so I’ll do meal prep for the week and give her a mixing bowl and spoon and let her stir (if I don’t need stirring I’ll put cooking scraps in the bowl) or we’ll make muffins or pancakes for the week and she’ll actually stir. She also likes to draw/color right now. Flattening a cardboard box and letting her color that on the living room floor will keep her occupied for quite awhile.

I haven’t done this yet but if you have access to an indoor pool that’s a great way to burn some energy.

Today was a little too cold for the park and we’ve been hitting the museums pretty hard lately so we took the metro to Trader Joe’s for our morning adventure. After nap we’ll go to Costco. Then we’ll come home, make and eat dinner and play a bit before bed. Tomorrow H will take her in the am while I go to the gym/on my long run and she’ll probably help me with meal prep for the week after nap (roasting sweet potatoes and vegetables, marinating meats, etc)

[vtdiamond]

We recently joined our YMCA and it has been awesome. We have a family membership which includes 2 hrs of childcare while we work out. They have tons of classes for adults and kids as well as 3 pools. We’ve gone to the indoor splash pad and open swim which was fun.

Other things we do:
- 1st Saturday of each month is a free kid project at Home Depot, we went this morning and made a bean bag toss!
- we have a membership to the children’s museum so usually go once a month
- we’ve got tickets for Disney on ice later this month and might go to paw patrol live as well.

[noodleoo]

Thx for all the ideas! We ended up taking DD furniture shopping and then lunch, which was mostly a success. Of course now she’s whining in her crib and most likely won’t nap, so not sure what that means for the rest of the day. She’s 2.75 and if we stay home, she used to nap for 2 hrs which was awesome. Lately it has been shorter so I wonder if she’s dropping it. 😫 I’m going to miss it, but it might actually make going places easier. Part of our problem is that she falls asleep so easily in the car and that often ruins nap time which then ruins the rest of the day. Because of that we don’t usually go very far which rules out all the Boston museums, etc.

I do set up art projects and activities and she likes that but 1) she needs help so I’m always stuck sitting with her and 2) they occupy her for like 15-20 mins max and then we need something else. I’m just so sick of trying to come up with stuff and doing it with her. I think lolo , hit the nail on the head wi needing some time alone to recharge. But we don’t belong to a gym and I’m kind of a homebody, so I guess I mostly miss just being able to be at home and read a book or cook or do anything in peace. I’m also home with her 2 days a week so I’m her primary playmate and if I’m home it is “I want mommy” all day long.

I should ask H about signing up for an activity with her. That would give me alone time at home and be something they can do together. I take her to The Little Gym on fridays so maybe swim lessons would be good. I’ll look into the YMCA too.

I’m looking forward to when she’s older and can actually play by herself a little. 

[VillainV]

noodleoo, C hasn’t really napped on weekends since he was about 2, but still naps at preschool just fine during the week. Sometimes he’ll snooze in the car for a few minutes, but that’s getting pretty rare (he’s almost 4). We just move bedtime a few minutes earlier on weekends.

It does make it easier to not have to worry about being in a place for him to nap, but we still have to be very mindful of his energy level and not tire him out too much (he gets grumpy!), which usually means trying to strike a balance between opportunities to burn off energy and chances to rest.

[mrsbutters]

I would recommend having more kids 😆 Once my second one was 6 months old, they've pretty much played with / entertained each other much to my delight.

I'm totally exhausted reading some of the recommendations here. Maybe I'm a mean mom but I am not my kids' entertainment director. They have plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to choose from and I think we do kids a disservice by planning out so many things for them. It's good for them to problem solve with imagination and ingenuity. (Of course, this is harder for a very little one but hopefully you get my drift.)

My kids are school age down to infant and if the older ones ever come up to me "bored", I have many cleaning jobs and workbook activities for them and inevitably they suddenly become inspired for some other activity that they plan and orchestrate.

[noodleoo]

mrsbutters, LOL that’s the exact advice my mom gave me yesterday when I was complaining to her! 😂