The winter holidays have come to an end.
I used to struggle with these ones in particular, big time.
I know in the good mummy circles it is practically as bad as giving your baby coke in his bottle to whine and moan about having your kids home constantly for two weeks.
The good mummies seem to like their kids more so they love school holidays. Jolly good for them. They can be heard shouting it everywhere they go,virtual world and real, while mummy holiday of gloom feels even more stink and starts to believe maybe she just really is in the wrong unprofessional profession....? 3.5 kids too late.
But no.
I'm here to stand up for the the latter mums as a recovered holiday gloomer. It's not all their fault.
In my experience I have to say..
A little money
Makes all the difference.
How revoltingly worldly of me.
But it's completely and utterly true.
(For the mums who have tonnes of dosh and still hate holidays, eek sorry I can't help you here).
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When our kids were younger and our one wage barely covered our living expenses there was nothing, I repeat, NOTHING to spend on any extras which made the holidays so so SO hard.
We are by no means rolling in dough now, but there is enough for an $11 game of mini golf for the whole tribe (the budget one at the beach not the crazy expensey themed ones) or actually paying the donation at the museum instead of hurriedly rushing passed pretending not to have seen the pay box.
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I became an expert at free holiday activities if I say so myself. I was on the ball with all of that. But it did become exhausting and at times deflating and kinda boring too.
I was a person who liked to be out of the house for an outing almost everyday back then (as a stay at home mum), I thought it kept me sane at the time, I wonder now, really?
Now days our holidays are mixed with blob around home days aka rest days. Believe it or not kids actually like and ultimately need a few of these thrown in. With random cost free outings and the odd big special occasion outing.
The pressure is definitely off when us mums are free to be able to enjoy a treat with our kids. So for those of you out there who are still ploughing through the stage our family went through for many holidays I feel ya. I know your pain. I also have a tonne of ideas to help keep boredom at bay if you're stuck. It's not that you hate your kids and miss Mary poppins mother who can afford to shell out $60 on a afternoon activity loves hers so much more. Cause reality is her kids are crying about something else anyway.
Here's a few things I do...
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* If local to Christchurch kidsfest has a heap of planned activities. But you already know that. If in fact maybe you do live under a rock here check out their website next winter holidays. I'm realising this post is basically two weeks too late right now.
* Spend what you can afford on extra petrol and drive somewhere new. A park in an area you don't usually visit. Take your own food and drinks. Visit a few different ones in one day. Even new subdivisions have some cool parks with different things other than your basic swings and slides. Take a tour around one in your area.
* Use your imagination. Explore beaches, estuarys, rivers, the jungle, whatever, take a look around your everyday surroundings and explore what you usually take for granted.
* Take your camera. And while your kids are engrossed in finding a perfect stick take beautiful pictures and blog about it. It makes you feel like you're doing something worthwhile. It also creates a great look to the holiday lovers if you post them and share what a fabulous day your family shared in nature...heh.
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* Don't despair if you're a late mover like me. Just get out the door. We are not morning people and do our activities after 11am usually. Do what works for you and your family. But don't count the day as over just because you haven't showered still at lunch. It's the bonus of the holidays. Routine smoutine.
* Invite other mum friends over. Feed the kids whatever you've got. Drink copious amounts of coffee and have a good laugh. Tell kids over and over again to play with each other while settling minor disputes. Warning, your house will be a bombsite when this is over. Just go with it and survive the rest of the holidays with the fuel tank fulling this day provides.
* Can't afford the zoo? Visit the SPCA and the best pet stores in your area in one hit. It's the same thing. Kinda.
* Make dinner early and have a quick winters picnic somewhere you love. Or splash out on hot chips. Remember to take sauce!
* Visit a cemetery if its something you don't do often. Take flowers. Morbid yeah, but can be interesting too.
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* Any place with a flying fox equals instant entertainment.
* Feed the ducks. If you have no bread ready, go to couplands and buy a $1 loaf. Cheap as entertainment that could double as lunch! Bonus.
So that is just a small example of out door winter holiday things to do for free.
What are your favourite low cost out door activities?
I used to struggle with these ones in particular, big time.
I know in the good mummy circles it is practically as bad as giving your baby coke in his bottle to whine and moan about having your kids home constantly for two weeks.
The good mummies seem to like their kids more so they love school holidays. Jolly good for them. They can be heard shouting it everywhere they go,virtual world and real, while mummy holiday of gloom feels even more stink and starts to believe maybe she just really is in the wrong unprofessional profession....? 3.5 kids too late.
But no.
I'm here to stand up for the the latter mums as a recovered holiday gloomer. It's not all their fault.
In my experience I have to say..
A little money
Makes all the difference.
How revoltingly worldly of me.
But it's completely and utterly true.
(For the mums who have tonnes of dosh and still hate holidays, eek sorry I can't help you here).
When our kids were younger and our one wage barely covered our living expenses there was nothing, I repeat, NOTHING to spend on any extras which made the holidays so so SO hard.
We are by no means rolling in dough now, but there is enough for an $11 game of mini golf for the whole tribe (the budget one at the beach not the crazy expensey themed ones) or actually paying the donation at the museum instead of hurriedly rushing passed pretending not to have seen the pay box.
I became an expert at free holiday activities if I say so myself. I was on the ball with all of that. But it did become exhausting and at times deflating and kinda boring too.
I was a person who liked to be out of the house for an outing almost everyday back then (as a stay at home mum), I thought it kept me sane at the time, I wonder now, really?
Now days our holidays are mixed with blob around home days aka rest days. Believe it or not kids actually like and ultimately need a few of these thrown in. With random cost free outings and the odd big special occasion outing.
The pressure is definitely off when us mums are free to be able to enjoy a treat with our kids. So for those of you out there who are still ploughing through the stage our family went through for many holidays I feel ya. I know your pain. I also have a tonne of ideas to help keep boredom at bay if you're stuck. It's not that you hate your kids and miss Mary poppins mother who can afford to shell out $60 on a afternoon activity loves hers so much more. Cause reality is her kids are crying about something else anyway.
Here's a few things I do...
* If local to Christchurch kidsfest has a heap of planned activities. But you already know that. If in fact maybe you do live under a rock here check out their website next winter holidays. I'm realising this post is basically two weeks too late right now.
* Spend what you can afford on extra petrol and drive somewhere new. A park in an area you don't usually visit. Take your own food and drinks. Visit a few different ones in one day. Even new subdivisions have some cool parks with different things other than your basic swings and slides. Take a tour around one in your area.
* Use your imagination. Explore beaches, estuarys, rivers, the jungle, whatever, take a look around your everyday surroundings and explore what you usually take for granted.
* Take your camera. And while your kids are engrossed in finding a perfect stick take beautiful pictures and blog about it. It makes you feel like you're doing something worthwhile. It also creates a great look to the holiday lovers if you post them and share what a fabulous day your family shared in nature...heh.
* Don't despair if you're a late mover like me. Just get out the door. We are not morning people and do our activities after 11am usually. Do what works for you and your family. But don't count the day as over just because you haven't showered still at lunch. It's the bonus of the holidays. Routine smoutine.
* Invite other mum friends over. Feed the kids whatever you've got. Drink copious amounts of coffee and have a good laugh. Tell kids over and over again to play with each other while settling minor disputes. Warning, your house will be a bombsite when this is over. Just go with it and survive the rest of the holidays with the fuel tank fulling this day provides.
* Can't afford the zoo? Visit the SPCA and the best pet stores in your area in one hit. It's the same thing. Kinda.
* Make dinner early and have a quick winters picnic somewhere you love. Or splash out on hot chips. Remember to take sauce!
* Visit a cemetery if its something you don't do often. Take flowers. Morbid yeah, but can be interesting too.
* Any place with a flying fox equals instant entertainment.
* Feed the ducks. If you have no bread ready, go to couplands and buy a $1 loaf. Cheap as entertainment that could double as lunch! Bonus.
So that is just a small example of out door winter holiday things to do for free.
What are your favourite low cost out door activities?
