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Being a parent can be rewarding and amazing. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t get a little exhausting from time to time. After all, juggling a social life, work commitments, family obligations, time for yourself and time for the kids isn’t for the faint of heart. And more often than not, your batteries are almost dying whenever your child wants to get up and play. Toddlers are blessed with huge amounts of energy and an innate curiosity for the world that keeps them pumped and ready to go throughout the day. But if you’re just an exhausted parent, trying and failing to keep up, we’re here to help. Here are a few ways in which you can keep your kids busy and entertained, while lying down and enjoying a rare moment of rest!
1. Let Them Write Letters
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As soon as your child learns how to hold a crayon, chances are that they are more than happy to scribble on every surface that they can. If you are ill or just need to lie down for a while, ask your child to write you a letter. The letter doesn’t even have to be for you. It could be for a grandparent they are going to visit the coming weekend or an aunt who sent them their favorite chocolates. Give them a few supplies and allow them to write as many letters as they’d like. If you need to shut your eyes and don’t want them around crayons and color pencils, you could just fire up their laptop and allow them to type to their heart’s content. They’ll be too busy perfecting drawing hearts and crafting cute messages to disturb your slumber!
2. Play Fetch
We know this one sounds demeaning because it’s usually associated with animals. But if you’re a tired mom who can’t chase after her baby any longer, let your baby chase after something instead. Kids who just started crawling or walking, love playing fetch because this gives them an opportunity to put their little muscles to the test. So lie down and throw their favorite toy around. You can make sure it’s close enough to keep an eye on your little one. This safe game will save you some time and energy.
3. Go Pretend Camping
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For the days where you’re under the weather or running out of ideas to keep your kids occupied, going indoor camping is a lifesaver. All you need to do is take out your camping tent and put it up in the living room or your backyard. Then you can lie around with your kid and pretend that you’re camping. If you haven’t got a tent, that’s perfectly okay. Build yourself a little fort or tent with some pillows, chairs, blankets and bedspreads. Whatever you can find in order to make your makeshift tent. This way your kids will get a kick out of building the tent and staying in it while you supervise them from the comfort of your couch. Then once they’re done you can move to a comfy spot on the floor. You can even bring in your laptop and play a movie so that you can both enjoy your tent stay a little better. Easy-peasy!
4. Play The Story-Telling Game
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If you don’t mind thinking while you’re lying down then you can always play the story telling game. Pretend to be an old man who has a hard time recollecting a good tale. The only way you can gain your memory is if your kids find specific objects that apply to the story. So, every other sentence you can introduce something for your kids to go find. Maybe it’s a towel, a bar of soap or your favorite pair of shoes. Keep them busy and on their toes while you lie down and narrate. If this seems like way too much work for you, hand a book over to your child and ask them to narrate what they’ve just read every time they finish a page. Chances are that your little one’s imagination will get the better of them and they’ll end up going on a tangent that keeps them entertained.
5. Let Them Play Dress Up
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Let your kids put on a little fashion show for you while you lie down. This way they can experiment with their wardrobe and style without you having to lift a finger. They can also put on a talent show or dress up as a doctor and inspect you, their patient, while you lie down. With kids, a little can go a long way so don’t overthink it.
Kids are easily entertained and usually don’t require much assistance. So it is perfectly possible to keep them engaged while you lie down and rest. We hope we gave you a few good ideas to keep your little ones occupied.
