When Mommy Needs a Break

I am not going to lie.  I do resort to television to entertain the kids when I need a break.  But recently, with the extreme exhaustion that comes with the first trimester of pregnancy, I need a lot more breaks than usual and plopping my kids in front of the television for four to five hours a day would just fill me with extreme mom guilt.

Instead, I have come up with a few activities that allow the television to stay off and require little, if any, interaction from mom.  Here are three fun activities that will keep your little ones busy for an hour, sometimes more, and keep the television off and mom guilt at bay.  (Remember, while these activities need little interaction from you, always make sure to supervise your children, especially when playing with water.)

1.  Noodle Kaboodle. Sit your kids at the kitchen table and give them old cupcake pans, bowls, spoons, and any other cookware you can think of.  Then give them a box of elbow macaroni noodles and let them play by sorting, scooping, and pouring.  It helps them with fine motor skills as well as encourages creative play.  To make it even more fun, color the noodles with food coloring.  If your little one is still young enough that choking is a concern, use rice puffs instead.

2.  Sink Soup. Pull a stable chair up to the kitchen sink and fill a pot with water.  Give your kids spoons and cheap spices (salt, cinnamon, and garlic are good finds at the dollar store) and let them create their own soup.  When they get bored with that, give them some dish soap and washcloths and let them wash the dishes they used.  The bubbles will keep them entertained for a little while longer.

3.  Flour Power. On a nice day, head outside and set your kids up with a couple of bowls of water and a couple of bowls of flour.  Let them decide how to use them.  They can pretend to cook, paint with the paste, or cover themselves in flour "mud."  The list is endless!  Just hose them off when they are done for an easy clean-up.

Each of these activities will keep my three year old son busy for at least two hours while I sit comfortably in a nearby chair with a book and enjoy a relaxing, guilt-free, television-free break.

Go ahead and give them a try.  You'll feel like the world's best mom as you watch their imaginations roam!