3 Things You Must Do Before the Children Return- Sunday Parenting Party

When the children stay at a daycare, the carer, nursery or family member for a session, there are so many things you plan on getting done.

Why is that?

We could rest. We could get some mama self care time. We could sleep.

We often pick up the laundry, tidy an area, go shopping, work, blog, interview– you name it we’re cramming it into that space.

I want to share three things we must do before the children return.

Plan something for ourselves

Top of the list this one.

Get on the phone, text your friends, follow up with that mom from the playgroup/meetup you attended.

There’s something about being around people that can energise us. Yet we can look up and realise that we’ve not made it to the park, playgroup or seen friends in a while.

This child free time might be one of the first times you can really think clearly about where you want to go and what you want to do.

We spend a lot of time accommodating everyone else. Planning and putting something on our calendar that’s for us. Go on do it.

Find a connecting and nurturing activity

Sometimes they come back tired, sometimes hungry and maybe grumpy. The worst trifecta to have.

But the biggest thing is transitioning back into the home setting with us.

We’re usually wanting to do something. They are wanting to do something else.

The transitions in sometimes make for frustration.

Then that lovely feeling of connection that our children is home  melts in a moment as high emotion and maybe tantrums surface.

Have some activities or connecting activities ready.

• Plan something to suit the mood. Maybe it’s a trip to the playground, a sit down activity, a walk, a puzzle or book.
• Talking about it before you get there so you arrive knowing what you’ll both do.

It’s not about a fantastical activity it’s the activity and time of connection and nurturing easing you both back into the routines of the home. Chatting and being present before launching into the family routines.

 

Backup those photos

I know it sounds a funny one to add …. but you know you have thousands of them and you’ve either lost a bunch or know someone who has lost a bunch. It’s never good.

• Download your photos from your phone. ( and write a note to do the same with your partners phone too!)
• send some to family you know you’ve been meaning to.
• share some of the #simpleparenting moments on Instagram

 

Remind yourself of what your sweet child is like in a golden moment. This is such a helpful reset especially if you’ve had hours and days of misbehaviour, tantrums and wailing. Recapturing those happier memories and imaging a time they will return. Maybe there’s a place, activity or experience you want to do now you’ve revisited your photo memories.

Share your ideas below in the comments of what you would do on your child free sessions.

Thanks for popping over the  Sunday Parenting Party .

We’re linking up parenting posts that involve us as parents. We keep the Sunday Parenting Party free of activity based posts and instead focus on helping each other as parents through giving and seeking advice and sharing things that worked.

If you’re new here we’d love you to join in by adding your post to the bottom and have a read of the other posts.  Let’s jump into two articles from last week  I enjoyed from this past weeks Sunday Parenting Party.

 

New Bedtime routine

A Parents Actions Speak Louder Than Words

 

Would love you to pop on over to both these parenting posts and have a read.

In the meantime, link up your parenting articles below. If you’re mentioned below feel free to grab your featured button from the sidebar.

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