Free Time for Parents
How Sleepovers, Carpooling, and Movies Can Build a Happy Family
Remember all the advice you were given before your children were born? Remember all the tips about feeding, clothing, medication, and sleep? You were likely inundated with well-intentioned advice. Now think back; do you remember all the tips about how to make time for yourself after the kids are born? No? Unfortunately, personal time is usually overlooked when children are born. However, it is critical for caregivers to take time for themselves because they are setting the tone for the whole family and happy parents mean happy children.
To get you started, here are five suggestions that will help you gain some personal time.
Plan a Night In
Plan a night in – every week, if you can. How does this translate into alone time? One word: sleepover. Kids love sleepovers! Grandparents or aunts and uncles make terrific sleepover hosts. Friends are great too, especially if you offer to return the favor and host their children for a night. As an added bonus, sending the kids out on their own demonstrates your trust in them and builds their self-esteem and independence.
Plan a Night Out
Plan a night out - with the kids. This is very relaxing and entertaining if you stick to the maxim, keep it simple. Try bringing the kids to a friend’s house where the adults can enjoy dinner while the offspring all have a play date. How about a movie night? Film studios know that adults are sitting through their children’s movies and so aim much of the humor towards an adult audience. No matter what you decide to do, the kids will find a way to have fun. They’ll play with other kids, the waiter, popcorn, or whatever else is around them.
Plan Play Date
Invite your child’s friends over. This may sound like an oxymoron but when you are desperate for a break from hide n’ seek and tag, inviting the neighbor’s 4 year old for a play date is the perfect solution. The kids will play with each other and leave you to your own activities. A play date is a great opportunity to get things done around the house. Better yet, it’s an opportunity to sit down with a cup of coffee and a good book. Have a list of your child’s friends and their phone numbers and post it prominently on the fridge. You might want to put it with the Emergency Numbers.
Create Family Projects
Create a family project. Make it something that excites all of the family members and break the project down into small jobs. Try to assign age-appropriate tasks to children that they can complete with minimal supervision. This will boost their self-confidence enormously, especially when the finished product is met with enthusiasm and applause from Mom and Dad. Projects can be anything from decorating the house for holidays to turning your shed into a haunted house to building a backyard skating rink. For a list of great ideas that will inspire your family, visit KABOOSE.
Carpool for Free Time
A great deal of caregivers’ time is eaten up by driving their kids to various activities. You can reclaim some of this time is to arrange carpooling with the parents of other children in the classes. Find families who live in your area and schedule a rotating shift. By finding just three families to participate, you only have to drive once per month. Websites, such as Mapquest, offer maps and even provide you with detailed driving directions.
Ask for Help
You will build your child's self-esteem and reduce the stress in your life by allowing yourself free time each week. Keep in mind that the most successful strategies for creating personal time are based on cooperation and fun. People feel great about themselves when helping others - maximize this! Carpooling, sleepovers, and family projects are enjoyable opportunities that will teach your child how to be independent from parents and cooperate with others. With a little creativity and suggestions from friends and family, you will soon have a long list of your own ideas for creating your personal time.
With a little creativity you can easily add to the list above and start enjoying more free time right away.
Happy Children
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