However, it sounds more and more likely that our schedules will change. And with the warmer weather, our kids are starting to get interested in trips to the zoo, visiting grandparents, and going on vacations. I find myself frequently saying something along the lines of, “hopefully, we’ll see.”
I wish I could give them clearer answers about what will happen in the upcoming days, weeks and months. But with information changing daily, if not more often, I don’t want to get their hopes up or cause them unnecessary worry.
What I’ve decided to do instead is to focus on concrete activities that they can look forward to regardless of whether school is closed or our vacation plans change.
1. Phone calls with grandma and grandpa. Our kids love telling their grandparents about their day and listening to jokes. I’m planning to schedule some phone calls over spring break, but we might do more depending on how severely our schedule changes.
2. Science projects. If it’s not safe for us to go to museums, parks and aquariums for an extended period of time, I’m planning to do more science at home. Our kids are at great ages to build bridges, buildings and vehicles out of recycled materials. Right now they are looking forward to building bridges out of recycled material and seeing how much weight they hold (an idea we got from Lego Masters
3. Baking and cooking. I was planning to take a break from baking and cooking with our kids after baking lots of cupcakes, cookies, and cakes for Christmas, Valentines and birthdays. But it might turn out to be a fun alternative to dining out for the time being. Right now we are looking forward to baking a rainbow swirl cake. Our friend suggested it and I love how much easier it sounds compared to a 6 layer rainbow cake.
4. Crafts. Our middle child loves doing crafts and recently asked to do a project a day with me. I found that to be a bit too overwhelming. Our regular schedule just doesn’t allow for that. But she is excited for our next project, to make washer necklaces.
5. Reading together. We spend a lot of time reading together, but many times we need to pause to go to school, go to class or go to sleep. If our schedule opens up this spring, I’m looking forward to longer stretches of non-interrupted time to read with our kids. Right now our kids are excited to look for some new ebooks and eaudiobooks to borrow from the library.
