What do you do with your kids on the weekends?

I'm so tired after working all week and I have no family nearby and most of my friends don't have kids so it's only me entertaining 2 toddlers for a very long Saturday and Sunday. I'm tired and feeling guilty that my daughter is sitting in front of the TV right now while my other one walks around but I can't get the energy up 24 - 7. How can I get out of this rut? I really have to.

Sun. Nov 25, 10:56am

I was a single parent for 12 years and I have been in those shoes you are currently wearing. Do you have a park nearby, its free and I actually met some other great tired overworked moms at the park, after a while we actually would trade off once in a while so I could have a couple of stolen moments alone to myself. I would also check the newspaper for events that were local and lowcost to go out. I live by a college and I also took walks there while making up stories of how they would attend one day. (I actually met some great folks there). I also place a notice with the counselor there for someone who would like to take an hour or two and assist with doing things with me and the kids, it was great. Don't beat yourself up, we are mom's not super mom. As tired as you are take 20-30 minutes and read to them, little things are what they will remember most

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 11:14 AM

When I was a little girl my parents were both sick. So there wasn't a lot we could do together that took huge amounts of energy, at least not on a regular basis. But what I remember was time with them. They were the coolest parents. They loved me and they showed it. We sat together and cuddled, we sang together and we loved eachother. I am not saying it was perfect, I had 3 brothers and they were well, brothers. But I always knew I was adored. That is huge for a kid.
As we got older we got to have a "Jonny's" day. Insert your own childs name. And that child could choose what we would all do that day. We all ended up with one about twice a year. We pick dinner, we pick where we would like to go or what we wanted to do. I will never forget those days. I cherish them.

When my nieces and nephews were little we would play outside, build a fort in the house with a blanket, go to the beach and let them feel the sand in their toes. If it was warm enough I would make up a cooler full of water balloons to have a water balloon fight with. The only thing was you had to pick up every last piece of the rubber so it didn't kill the sea gulls. That was fun. We had picnics either out or if it was raining, in the house.
Tea parties and we read together. We talked. About everything and about nothing. I don't think kids really want a lot from you, they just want you.

I have a great nephew now and he is not quite 2 and we have a wonderful time together. I understand that it is different, I don't have him 24/7. They did live with me for the first year of his life however and he is the light of my life right now. We do sign language. Just simple words or ideas. We watch baby einstein and talk about the colors. We watch Barney and sing and dance with the kids.
I went to wal mart and bought a bunch of these measuring tapes that you can pull out and push a button and it retracts. He loves to play with that. I gave him a lenght of velcro to play with the other day and he loved that. It is different. Textrures and all. We talk about everything.
I buy those fake silk flowers from walmart for a dollar and he loves to look at those and carry them around. And empty tubes from wrapping paper and we use them for a trumpet or have a gentle fight with them or I let him play on the bed.
Just stupid simple things, but he has my full attention. That is what he wants. And I would assume every other child is the same.
He runs through the house yelling my name over and over and then when I say what he just goes, "see" He just wants you to see what he is doing.
He loves to help clean.
I don't know I guess I would end it with try and engage them in everything you do. And praise them for everything.

I know it must be difficult right now but you are not alone in how you feel.
I wish you the best

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 4:29 PM

I'm on my own on the weekends and I try to create new routines so that it's something we can all look forward to and it takes up time!

We'll do things like go check out a library in another town - the driving alone eats up an hour! Or go to reading time at the local Barnes & Noble or Borders. We'll go to the Farmer's Market and get some fruit or vegetables. Just ordinary stuff, streched out to take a lonnnng time!

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 4:48 PM

When I was in your place (my kids are grown now), we spent a lot of time at parks. I would just hope my kids would play with other kids for at least one hour while I relaxed and sat in the sun. We had drive days where we went for drives of 40-50 miles to see 'what was down that road' or what that tower was' - but gas was more like a $1 a gallon then. They did spend a lot of time watching videos on the VCR when I was really tired. When I was young, my mom made us take a nap or play quietly in our rooms from 1:00 to 3:00 every day, no matter what. It was really her time to take a nap and 'get away'.

Sunday, November 25, 2007, 5:29 PM

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