I don't know about you, but these days, I feel pretty cooped up.
More things are closed, the weather is getting colder, and the sun sets at 4:30 pm.
I also find that during these times, my kids also feel stir crazy. Their behaviour is more challenging some days. They want more snacks and ask for T.V. first thing in the morning.
Here's what my 4-year-old said to me the other day, literally upon waking up:
"I haven't had any T.V. yet today, mama!"
Mmhmm. That's because it's 7 am.
So if you can relate to any of this, then keep reading.
I'll tell you how I deal with the stir craziness of my children AND how it helps with bedtime.
1) Dance it out.
Yup. You read that correctly.
Put on a Spotify kids dance playlist and get grooving.
Dancing it out releases endorphins, it releases energy, it gets you smiling, laughing and your blood flowing.
It also does these same things for your children. By getting them to groove and dance it out, we can help them release pent up energy and change their mood.
It's a fun activity that also builds connection. See the next point.
2) Wrestling and tickling.
Who doesn't love a good tickle fight?
I don't know about you, but I LOVE hearing my kids laugh.
That uncontrollable, barely catching their breath, kind of laugh is the best.
How can you not smile and laugh alongside them when they are giggling and are acting silly?
Wrestling also allows them to release energy, get moving, and it builds a connection with you.
3) 1:1 Time.
Put down your phone, turn off the T.V., mute alerts, and get on the floor with your child.
Ideally, this should be done 1:1 with your child (1 parent per child), and it doesn't have to take long. 10-20 minutes does the trick!
The key to this is that one night you let them choose the activity: play barbies, blocks, trucks, playdough, etc.
And the next night, you choose the activity.
If you haven't done the wrestling thing yet that day, this is when you can incorporate movement.
Ideas:
Place pillows on the floor and pretend the floor is covered in lava, and you need to jump pillow to pillow to stay safe.
Play chase! You chase them, they chase you.
Blow up some balloons and try to keep them in the air, or toss them to each other.
Even though we are home more, it's easy to forget to do some simple activities as above. It's also easy to get caught up in our phones, or the news or social media, etc.
It's also challenging to entertain children AND work at the same time.
By incorporating this simple formula, you'll be building connection, releasing energy and get endorphins flowing.
Dancing + Wrestling/Laughing + 1:1 time = Calm children
And all of this leads to better sleep.
So if you drive by my house around 6 pm, you'll see me, dancing around my living room with my kids, releasing the tension, and building connection. (But don't actually drive by my house...it's a figure of speech...)
Tired of your children not going to bed easily or waking up all hours of the night? Let's work on that together. Get in touch here.
Chat soon!
Melody Patton
