COUSIN MOMS â—½ TIPS
Mom of Three
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If I’m being honest, date nights – going out – are few and far between. We were in a season for a long while where we really didn’t want to leave the kids, because free nights were few, and we wanted to include them. Date nights are definitely important, but there is also a balance. For us, we do a good job of connecting on a daily basis – at night when the kids are asleep we chat and talk. Other times, we get a random night when kids are at a sports practice or with grandparents. This past season, while the kids were in school, my husband and I had lunch together because we both work at home! I do know that having time with him, dating him, is important. But only “date night” connections every so often is not enough, and we also have a budget, but day-to-day connections work as well.
It’s the day to day connections where we chat and spend time over coffee, or even a ride in the car to pick up the kids, that works for us! Our date nights don’t have to be big or fancy or every week. They can be a simple lunch or a shopping excursion to pick out wood floors for the house!
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When we do have a designated date night, we often stay in (to save money). We watch a show we enjoy together, and have dinner at home, and make it cozy. If we do go out, it’s a coffee date for sure – and sometimes bowling! Our love language is coffee, and we sometimes play a game. We don’t visit the theater a lot, because we watch enough shows at home. We like to go somewhere that we can talk and do something, or even just walk around!
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Sometimes we plan our dates nights together, or sometimes we surprise each other – especially on birthdays.
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So both – date nights out and daily connections – are a great balance for us! I’ve been so grateful for this season. Finding time with toddlers is hard, but now that the kids are in school we have more time. We also love to serve together, and call that connection, because we are super compatible that way!
Stuck Inside
by Charissa & Kamrin
January is cold most places…even in the south…and maybe the kids are bored, Mom and Dad are stir crazy, and what do families do then? We asked our cousin moms to share what they do with the kids in the cold wintertime…if they are stuck inside.
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Charissa
The first thing I always think is, “Is it really too cold?” We just bundle up the kids and send them outside to have fun, in layers! But there are some days when it’s just too cold, or pouring rain, and we can’t be outside.
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One thing we do is crafts. Our three girls love crafts. We make jewelry, we color, use colored pencils, and create with playdough. The girls also use their imagination, like playing school and going to work. They set up different areas of the house for these. They’ve also set up a concession stand or grocery store, using cardboard boxes, etc. Sometimes, they have a “secret club” - a closet downstairs, with a password and rules. They also love gymnastics, and they set up routines and stations.
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As a mom with a bit of OCD, I have to let my guard down and let them play, because yes – it all creates a mess! But at the end of the day, they’re having fun and being creative.
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We also watch movies as a family, but we do try to limit the screen time, so we’re not doing this all day!
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When the girls say, I’m bored, I say that’s good – let the creative juices flow. I also tell them I have lots for them to do, like cleaning. And then they say, “We’re not that bored!” And then their imaginations start running…
Kamrin
Cold weather! We don’t really have extended extreme weather here where we live, and we don’t struggle a lot with not being able to go outside. My boys will be outside in whatever weather, unless it’s 20 degrees or less! However, if it’s a wet winter or storms come through, as we shift back and forth from warm to cold, the kids can go stir crazy inside. Thankfully, at their ages now, it’s not as hard to keep the kids busy.
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My husband and I both work at home, so the kids are old enough to entertain themselves. The boys will go outside if they can, and our daughter is very artsy, so she will make slime, or draw, or paint, or talk to her friends or make movies, or write! I’m thankful my kids do find things to do.
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​Our daughter is better at inside fun than the boys. But if they are inside, they love movies and video games.
On the weekends, if we are home and it’s cold and rainy and we’re indoors, we love movies as a family. Friday nights are often movie nights. We do like to play board games but it’s a challenge sometimes to find one we all love. We do love the board game Clue. We play video games with our Switch that we can all play together. We also love the game of Life. The kids like Rummikub and card games. One of the faves is Zombie Run.
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We have also played a three color challenge. We provide paper and markers or crayons. We write a bunch of nouns on paper and draw from a bucket – maybe like a cow. Everyone shuts their eyes and chooses three random colors and they draw that thing in those colors. (I’m the worst artist of the five!)
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Sometimes, we do go for a cozy car ride. It’s very budget friendly and fun. We get a blanket, wear our house shoes, and we go get a hot cocoa or snack from Sonic, or even a blizzard from DQ (yes, in the winter!) We are so excited that the ice cream doesn’t melt (as it does here in the summer!).
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One particular memory is when we had a winter blintz – no power or water – and we were inside for days! Boredom was actually good, because they created awesome things when they were bored. One of our sons built an entire dinosaur out of cardboard. My daughter has written stories and plays or choreographed dances. My youngest built Legos. Technology is good, but disconnecting is good, too!
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I am very thankful we aren’t stuck inside too much during the winter, here in the south! And this particular January, my daughter and I are hoping to cook together!