How to Stay Sane During School Breaks
December 20, 2016I love the holidays. The world seems to slow down a little and I get the time to catch up with friends and family. The chocolate is even better. But with every holiday, comes a winter break and the inevitable question of what to do with the kids comes up. With the babysitters called “TVs” and “iPads” quickly exhausted, the following are cost effective ways to entertain kids during school breaks.
1. Organize babysitting swaps. If you have neighbors with kids close to your kids’ ages, consider doing a swap where parents take turns managing the children, giving the other parents a break. As odd as it may sound, it is sometimes easier to have a lot of kids that can entertain themselves than one or two kids who expect you to be their entertainment.
2. Look for winter break camps in your area. Some are surprisingly affordable, but the affordable ones go quickly so start early. Consider looking into the programs at your local YMCA or community center.
3. Eat out on the cheap. Eating out in a restaurant is a fun activity for the kids. For many of us, the problem is the expense. MyKidsEatFree.com is a national database of places where your kids can either eat at a reduced cost or for free. You can also Google your local area for places where kids can eat for free.
4. Look for free activities. Stores like the Pottery Barn and Home Depot have fun kids’ activities. Local malls as well as your local public library also host kids’ events.
5. Plan an agenda. I got this one from my colleague, Cynthia, and it worked like a charm. I planned a series of events for the kids to include a talent show. This kept them occupied until the evening. I also had them watch a few movies and created a trivia game of questions to answer about the movie for a prize.
Holidays with the family is wonderful and tough at the same time. With these strategies, they don’t have to blow your budget. Then they can truly be happy holidays.