Have you thought about the things that bring JOY to your kids?
Have you ever asked them?
This uncharted time has brought unexpected joys to our family. I’d be willing to bet the same it true for you. These unexpected joys are both “things” and “moments” that we typically wouldn’t have experienced with our usual crazy schedules.
This spring was supposed to be filled with hockey, lacrosse, dance, softball, and soccer. Yep, 3 kids/6 sports between all of them! However, just like everyone else, our calendar has been wiped clean and we’ve been given this gift of time to be together.
Can you guess what this is?
This is one of the many toys that would probably be sitting on a shelf not even being used. Because we are home and the kids are playing outside so much, there are items that haven’t been touched in a while that are being played with so much that they look like this.
Have you figured out what it is yet?
I asked my 3 kids to name 3 things that have brought them joy during the Stay at Home Order. Here is their collective list…
1. Movie Nights & Snuggles
My kids LOVE movie nights! They set up tents and pick movies to watch from their tents! It’s be one way that we have differentiated between the weekDAYS and weekENDS. They love getting to sleep in their tents too!
By the way their Tent Bundles were the best gift ever from their Mimi! If your kids do not have something like this…IT’S A GAME CHANGER! They are so easy to put up and take down! Click here if you need a great gift idea for some little cutie!
Todd and I have been watching movies from our childhood with our kids! This has been a blast. If you’ve been doing the same thing, you’ve probably noticed that movies are rated a little differently now than they were when we were kids. LOL…. We watched “Back to the Future” and Cooper said, “Mom, you don’t usually let us watch movies like this…there is a lot of bad words in it.” Oops! LOL! Here is the list of what we’ve watched so far with our kids
- The Sand Lot
- Gremlins…yes, they watched it. We were hesitant, but we did it!
- Back to the Future
- BIG (another one that is probably for the older kids….Oops Again!)
- The Original Muppets
- Mary Poppins
- Homeward Bound….ugh….so good!
- The Parent Trap
- Annie
- Cool Runnings
- Harry and the Hendersons
- Follow That Bird
Comment below to share your favorite family movies! We want to continue these fun movie nights. and we are running out of ideas
2. Roller Blades
Well did you guess it right?
You guys….MY KIDS LIVE IN THEIR ROLLER BLADES! Forget shoes, when my kids go outside they put on their roller blades. I’ve had to buy a new pair for one kid and replacement wheels for another. They are having so much fun and getting tons of physical activity!
I mean look at that front wheel!!!
I learned that there are certain roller blades for indoor skating and others for outdoor skating…who knew! I’ve done the research and learned that your wheels will not last if you are skating outside with soft wheels.
The research is done, so click here to check out wheels and new Roller Blades! My son is in love with his new pair!
3. Morning Walks
Each day we have been starting our day with a 30 minute walk, run, or bike ride. Sometimes my kids want to take their scooters and bikes. On these days I run. This is one way that I get my workout in while being with my kids. It brings such joy to me. It is a good habit to get into. Many very meaningful conversations have come from our morning walks.
It brought me joy when the kids said this was one of their favorite things we do together! Love Tank is now full!!!
4. Bikes
We LOVE our bikes! Our kids are finally at the age where they can all ride bikes together! Our bikes get used almost daily. Well, my kids bikes do. They love to drop letters or packages on friends doorsteps. Another reason they like bike rides is because it’s been one way they have been allowed to be with neighborhood friends. Bikes keep you 6 ft. away from each other so this makes it a way to guarantee social distancing while having fun with your friends.
5. Hockey Sticks
Holy Hockey sticks. The street hockey sticks go hand in hand with the roller blades. We’ve broken two street hockey sticks so far and one is worn down to nothing. These kids have been playing street hockey nonstop. The neighborhood games have been keeping all the kids (and some adults) busy! We have this street hockey set and these are the favorite pucks (the kids favor this one). These are used EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!
6. Connection to Friends
Ok…my kids are dying to see their friends face to face! They were constantly asking to use my phone to facetime with their friends. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of my kids being on my cell phone. Actually we are not big fans of the kids using a ton of technology, but I will say that it has been a saving grace with connecting them to friends. We have a couple different types of technology that has helped with our kids with getting to socialize with friends.
Xbox
We are not a video game family! But I will say that we have had a great time playing Just Dance as a family!!! Even Todd will dance! The kids think it is hilarious when we shake our tail feathers!!! Plus, it’s quite a workout.
Todd and Cooper enjoy battling each other for the Stanley Cup on NHL and Cooper plays Madden with many of his friends. It’s really cool that he can talk and strategize with friends while playing games on the XBox. He can talk/play with his friends that he cannot be close with right now. It really has been a nice tool for communicating with friends that are not close by.
Kindle Fire
Each of our kids got one of these for Christmas. Todd and I were both nervous about it, but it has really been great! Especially now that they are learning from home. My preschooler uses hers for learning on her Osmo, ABC Mouse, and listening to stories. My 1st grader can do Xtra Math and Raz Kids. My 3rd grader has a couple games he loves and also can read on it. My favorite part is that with this device we can set a time limit. This way when their time is up, it’s up. If you want to check out the Kindle Fire click here.
Chromebooks
Our kids have used their Chromebooks everyday for their school work. I know that every school district has done it differently, but I can say that this is one tool that has been used daily and the joy on my kid’s faces when they get to Zoom or Google Meet with their teachers is priceless. Not all districts have computers that are sent home with students. I have been very pleased with our kids Chromebooks. They are user friendly and kid friendly. You can find reasonable deals on Amazon if your thinking about purchasing one for your household or child. Click here to see the Chromebook that my kids use.
What has brought you joy during this time of quarantine?
Ask your kids to name the 3 things or moments that have brought them joy during this time at home. What a blessing to hear what truly brings them joy!
Share this or comment below if you have any questions or comments. I’d love to write more about the things you want to know about.