Okay, the kids will be off school for Christmas vacation soon if they aren’t already. As we look forward to school or church parties and pageants, remember that once those events are over, children tend to get antsy. It’s hard not to do so with Christmas only a week away!
At first, the kids are usually glad to be home, but it doesn’t take long to begin hearing, “I’m bored!” Plan ahead. Pick up some craft items if you don’t already have a good selection and plan some craft projects.
Here are some ideas:
Christmas Crafts: Music Inspired Decoration or Gift
Make and Decorate Your Own Gift Bags
*Visit Family Fun for more inspiration.
Have the kids “check” the family games for you. As they go through them and make sure all the pieces are there, they may just decide to play a few rounds.
Make a list of things you’d like your kids to do. Try to stagger chores like room cleaning between games, crafts, or special holiday movies. If you keep a mix of activities going, more will get done and everyone will be happier while it’s getting done.
Along with cries of boredom you will probably also be frequently hearing, “I’m hungry.” Stocking up on stuff that’s easy to serve and eat is a good idea. Fruit, crackers, cheese, stuff for sandwiches and easy breakfasts… you’ll be glad you planned ahead, because there just isn’t time to stop and cook (and clean up afterward) every few hours when you’re trying to get things done.
When you do cook, it’s not a bad idea to make a little extra so you can use leftovers when everyone starts asking what’s for dinner. This works at my house, especially because everybody frequently seems to be coming and going at different times.