Remember Tom Hanks’ character Chuck Noland in Cast Away? He lived for years on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific with only his volleyball (appropriately named Wilson) for company. In my mind, winter at my hometown in Ohio can sometimes be the equivalent to getting stranded on a deserted island – the only thing to get you through it is the hope that eventually someone or something will come to your rescue! SOS!
Recently my husband I returned from a long weekend cruise.
February on the Islands of the Bahamas is MUCH different than February in Ohio!
What’s worse than being stranded inside your home with nothing to do? Being stranded inside your home with nothing to do AND 3 kids who also have nothing to do! Playing can be HARD WORK for a mom. No joke! As a new mom, I often found myself having a hard time surviving my “desert island” time with my kids. That was until I found my key to survival … Being present and passionate in the activities we choose to do together.
How I Stay “Present” in Play
It is not practical for me to play 24/7 with my kids. However, during the many, many times that I do play with them, I want to be “present”… being “present” means more than just physically being there, it also means being “mentally” present. Often I forget – as my older children have grown more independent – the importance of being both physically AND mentally present while playing with them. While my 1-year-old NEEDS me around all the time, my presence during playtime with my older kids is just as important!
My #1 survival tool while imprisoned in my home
with my kiddos is to turn what I like to do
into something my children will also like to do!
Time Flies When You’re Having Fun!
Let me explain, I find that when I have more fun, my kids in turn have much more fun. If I am interacting with them by doing something that I enjoy, I personally feel that I am a much better, much more “present” mommy. What do you enjoy doing without kids? How can you share your enthusiasm for these passions with your children? Here are a few of my own “playtime passions”…
Building: Building tents, building with blocks, building with legos – I enjoy this! In fact, I sometimes play legos with my son for hours! (Well, maybe 45 minutes - he IS only 4!) Plus, building is something both my younger and older kids like! (Although I have to admit, my 1-year-old enjoys knocking things down much more than building them up!)
Solving Puzzles: As a kid I loved doing word searches, playing board games, and putting together puzzles. My 4-year old and 8-year-old also share this passion! It is amazing how long a puzzle can keep our attention while stuck inside!
Reading: OK, so I realize my kids probably don’t want to re-read the Twilight Series for the billionth time with me! (Nor do I want them to!) However, by finding age appropriate books that I enjoy reading with my kids, I find my time trapped at home flies by!
I try to pass my passion for books down to my little ones!
Furthermore, reading has no age restrictions! For my 1-year-old, we have incorporated framed book pages within his nursery decoration which I use to make up stories about on the fly. For my high-energy 4-year-old, books that are more interactive (such as a train book with sound effects) or books that incorporate cute mischief (such as Curious George stories) can keep him entertained for ages! Even though my 8-year-old reads by herself now, she just loves to pick a chapter book for both of us to read together! Now I realize, for non-book-lovin’ moms, this could be “painful” play, but not for me… I LOVE TO READ!
Playing and Listening to Music: We have more toy musical instruments in our house than most women have shoes. As a child, I grew up playing and listening to music daily. I still remember my first purchased record: Disco Duck. (Sung by Donald Duck of course!) Music is still important to me now as an adult and mother. Music can make any dull chore interesting and fun! Additionally, my daughter now takes piano lessons and one of our favorite mother/daughter times is practicing piano together.
What’s Your “Playtime Passion?”
So there you have it! This is my list of “playtime passions” and how I incorporate them into our routine while held house-captive during the Ohio winter months. However, I understand that “one person’s trash, is another one’s treasure.” My husband enjoys almost NONE of the activities I’ve listed above. Instead he would prefer to play school with the kids or exercise with them.
It is quite comical to watch my husband on the treadmill alongside
our 8-yr-old doing sit-ups while our 4-year-old perfects stretching
and our 1-year-old is jumping on the mini trampoline!
OK lets face it, sometimes, with a 1-year-old you just have to revert back to good-old-fashioned containment for playtime!
What are your passions? Do you like math? Do you enjoy dancing? Just remember, when the trapped feeling starts to cave in on you, and you need “rescued from your home”, don’t forget to think about what you like to do… maybe, just maybe, it’s something your kids might like too?
Chime in! Leave a comment to share your unique “playtime passions” and survival tools you use when your home “becomes an island.”
