I realize this is a niche problem for at-home care providers of younger children, but filling the day for my three kids age two through seven is a challenge. Sadly, there’s only so much battery life on the iPad – I checked. But this year I’m going to be prepared. Like every basic mom, I perused Pinterest to make myself feel bad about my parenting skills come up with some ideas to spend the break creatively. There was one glaring problem; none of them took into account the children part of child activities. Don’t worry, I fixed them. These are my realistic Thanksgiving break plans.
Decorating Cookies
I mean honestly, is there anything kids like more than decorating cookies? Of course, by decorating cookies I mean licking sprinkles directly off of the table, but who cares, we’re making memories. This break I plan to make cookie dough from scratch, painstakingly dye frosting into the festive hues of the autumn leaves falling outside our windows, and then send my kids to grandma’s house while I eat raw dough in peace. I’ll be back in a few hours…probably.
Write Letters to Santa
Sure, it’s still November, but the timing seems right to spread all of the Black Friday ads across the table and let your kids pick out what they’re putting on their Christmas lists. Writing wish lists to Santa just makes sense, because nothing sounds more relaxing than kids obsessing over toys they’ll maybe get in four weeks. This year I’m adding gift cards for a good therapist to the bottom of each of their lists. They’ll need it when they have to deal with their underlying distrust for older men with beards (and parents who lie to them about magical elves).
DIY Slime
If you’ve attempted to purchased Elmer’s Glue in the last year you’ve probably left empty handed because my kids bought all of it in bulk to make slime. Yes, slime. For some reason parents everywhere have decided that letting their progeny play with glue mixed with laundry detergent is a good idea. This Thanksgiving break I’m going to embrace the trend and let them make slime to their hearts’s content…outside with the door locked while I read by the fire. We already took Christmas pictures so I won’t even be mad when my dog needs to be completely shaved to the skin because he rolled around in glorified glue. Again.
Go to the Playground
By the third day the kids will probably be ready to run around outside and get some energy out. I plan to bundle mine up, drive to the nearest playground and then proceed to complain while pushing them in the swings for an hour. Honestly, who installs swings at parks? They’re not recreational, they’re work. All I want to do is exhaust my children so they’ll sleep at night while I binge watch Alias Grace. My fitness app better log this ish.
Be creative with leftover halloween candy
The internet is full of good uses for all of that leftover Halloween candy sitting in the buckets on top of my refrigerator. We can make cookie bars, trade it with the treat fairy, sell it to the dentist, so many creative ideas my kids will love. Or I could invite my girlfriends over after bedtime for a wine tasting to see what pairs best with Butterfingers. It’s such a hard decision.
How do you plan to spend your Thanksgiving Break? What mediocre parenting plans have you made lately?
