One… just for the parents amongst us.
We adore our children. We really do. However as all parents discover there will be times when they will try, even the most patient of us. Take school holidays for instance, which we just so happen to be staring down the barrel of right now. Now in these days of computers, PlayStations and alike we could it’s all too easy to let them devour huge chunks of your data download limit, but that will only last so long, and really we do have a responsibility to try and keep them active.
So here are a few tips and tricks to consider before you run from the house screaming your head off.
First, set the little darlings a nice long list of chores to avoid. Yes avoid, for no matter what chores you set them be it cleaning their rooms or gardening they will try their darnedest to avoid completing anything on said list. This will of course involve avoiding bothering you when they get to the… “There’s nothing to do!” stage for fear of you checking the list. It’s worked a treat for us over many years. Eventually this will wear a little thin as their boredom barometer rises.
Then it is time to move onto stage two. Fun physical activities. The kind of activities that are guaranteed to knock them out, not literally of course, just tire them out long enough for you to recuperate. There is the obligatory few hours at the beach, though cold at present, there’s always the old fallback of beach cricket or soccer. We usually try and gather a few like-minded friends (read desperate parents) with kids so you can sit back and catch up as your little darlings run themselves ragged. Usually the higher the number of children involved in the mayhem the longer they take to recover.
As I enjoy a spot of fishing I have also tried to past on the meditative benefits of this sport to my sons. However, unless they catch a fish within the first 30 minutes you won’t get them back a second time that easily. If you have younger, or incredibly naive children try distracting them long enough for you to attach a fish, alive or otherwise, to their line. Their first catch results in the most joyous facial expressions. Most definitely a Kodak moment, though I suppose that should really read ‘an iPhone moment’ these days.
Once you have reached your own personal limit, it is time for stage three. Paid fun activities. Depending upon your child’s particular interest you can look as things like Surf Schools, Kite Surfing, Kayaking Adventures, Rock Climbing or Indoor Skateboarding – which as well as providing an appropriate level of energy sapping activity comes with the added bonus of you yourself not actually having to be directly involved. Speaking of which there, one way of getting them to accompany you on that shopping trip to Sunshine Plaza is to suggest they might like to see that awful movie they been wanting you to go to whilst you go do a bit of window shopping or just go grab a coffee and eat a cake or two. Though my wife tends to disallow my move on a second slice these days.
Take a look at these sites for further insights and may the force be with you over the next few weeks.
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