Reply to I hate weekend parenting

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Reply to "I hate weekend parenting - anyone else? "

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[quote=Anonymous]I'm going to give OP the benefit of the doubt that she's just having a moment of exhausting and venting. We've all been there.

But, these are all solvable problems. If you can start a thread on DCUM, you can use Google, listen to a 15 minute parenting podcast, or just get a little creative with your weekend. Here is a list of stuff to make winter weekends with small kids relatively fun and entertaining, without taking an unreasonable Covid risk:

- Baking
- Take some soccer balls or similar to a field and run around until tired, eat a snack, then run around some more
- Go for a walk (younger kids in carrier/stroller, older kids on bikes or scooters to make this last longer and be less painful). Bring snacks.
- Put on a kids music playlist and let them dance around to it
- Drive to a destination for an item. Play games in the car or listen to kids songs or a stories podcast. Can be any item! Do a pick up order at Ikea or Target. Identify a taco place or a bakery that's a 30 minute drive away and pick up your order. 
- Trip to monument or cool outdoor area or playground that is novel -- the Mall, the Reach at the Kennedy Center, Clemyjontri, Grounds of the National Cathedral, the Wizard of Oz playground, Arboretum, Navy Yard, the Wharf, etc. Incredibly easy way to kill 2-3 hours. Bring snacks and/or lunch.
- Themed family dinner nights kids can help prepare and get excited about -- build your own tostado, breakfast for dinner, build your own bean and rice bowl, etc.
- When you are just too tired for any of the above, screen time and forgive yourself

Figure you have 8-12 winter weekends when it's bad. Make a list like the above and add your own personal favorites, plus indoor at-home activities that are your tried and true. I also recommend signing your older kids up for activities if you can (you may be too Covid cautious for most winter activities, but in the future this is a great way to give your weekends structure) and then you can organize outings around that 30 minute swim or 45 minute gymnastics class. Kids LOVE routines and if you can build some routine into the weekend, they get so much easier at this age.

Then the weather starts to warm, you take a vacation at some point, your kids get a little older, it gets a little better. It's really not that bad.[/quote]

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