Creativity is key when you are a parent. I bow down to the moms and dads, who can pull a virtual rabbit out of their respective hats, when their kid is having a mammoth size meltdown in the middle of Target. The other day I watched as a mortified mom dug deep into diaper bag and MacGayvered a mock pacifier from the bottom of a broken teething toy, some rubber bands and what looked to be a plastic Fisher-Price Little People farm animal.
Unreal.
Is the creativity gene innate or is something born out of desperation?
Personally, I think it’s fine-tuned once you become a parent, as proven by my college buddy who recently had to flex her creative muscle when Hurricane Earl threatened to ruin her family’s end-of-the-summer vacation in North Carolina.
She and her husband both took vacation time from work to spend the waning days of summer on the Atlantic coast with their three kids. The trip was paid for, the kids were beyond ecstatic, and then the rain started. Earl more than interrupted their family getaway, but thanks to a little (make that a lot) of creativity on the part of my pal and her husband, they managed to salvage the trip and turn the wet weather into a fun adventure.
Here’s some of what they did:
Explore the hotel: Fortunately, my friend splurged on a decent hotel, so she and her family were able to take advantage of every amenity offered to them, including a Kids Club that featured a ton of hands-on activities.
Movie marathon: The resort my friend stayed at included an in-room DVD player. In addition, the front desk allowed guests to rent movies it had in-house. My pal stocked up on snacks, candy and drinks in the resort’s sundries shop and the entire family enjoyed a movie marathon in their hotel room.
Family game night: Due to the bad weather, the resort offered guests free access to its stock of board and card games. A portion of the lobby was turned into a game room where guests could strike up rousing games of “Go Fish,” “War” and “Monopoly.” In addition to the board games, the hotel also allowed guests to play Wii and Xbox games.
Indoor picnic: While the hotel continued to serve meals in the restaurant, my pal decided it would be more fun to order room service and have an indoor picnic. She took the comforter off the bed and fashioned a tent out of it, and then laid a few bath towels on the floor. When the food arrived, she and her family dined indoors while watching the rain pelt their windows and pretending they were in a giant rainforest.
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