*This post contains affiliate links. See my full Privacy Policy for details.*
Is it just me or do things feel particularly heavy? I’ve avoided hopping on here to work and neglected a lot of things because things have just felt overwhelming or tiring and I like to just disassociate when times get rough. Between elections- no matter who you voted for let’s all agree that election years are particularly stressful, everything this year has thrown at us in general, and heading into the Holidays in a new state with no family…it all has started to weigh on me.
But, you know who is shining in this difficult season? My son. We have to give our kids some major credit right now- because they are proving to be mighty resilient in difficult times, amiright? I mean, I want to scream when I look around at everyone wearing masks and I tear up a little when I think of everything that our littles are going through- a lot of the time without complaint. They just roll with the punches and smile through all of it and I’m striving to be more like that.
This difficult season has stolen a lot of joy and fun from our kiddos- so this week I vowed to bring some of that back! I’ve been doing little, simple things to bring an extra smile to my little man’s face. Which prompted me to share some of those things with you- because I know we can all use a little boost during this ‘unprecedented time” (can we please never have to use that term ever again?).
Give Them Their Own Space
I mean, we’ve all been at home a LOT lately. And our kids are usually underfoot and *maybe* a little bored with things. We had an epiphany this weekend- hey we live in a slightly warmer climate now…which means more outdoor time in the colder months. We dug out Steven’s old tent and put it up in the backyard and he is LOVING having his own little spot to disappear to. He’s taken books out there, listened to audiobooks, rested and watched Netflix on his kindle, he can draw, write- do whatever to his heart’s content. I’m happy because he’s outside and entertaining himself, and he’s just enjoying life. Who knew a musty old tent could bring such joy?
Surprise Them in Little Ways
It really is the littlest things that bring us ALL joy, ultimately. I got up a littler earlier than usual the other day and made Steven his favorite breakfast- cinnamon rolls (which I mean are the easiest thing, anyway) and he woke up with the biggest smile on his face! They are usually relegated to weekend breakfasts, so a treat on a Monday morning was just the ticket to starting the day off on the right foot.
Embrace Saying “Yes”
Let’s be honest, as a Mom- especially a homeschool Mom, I am the less “fun” parent beause I’m the one who gets to say “no” the most. Sometimes it’s an automatic response, to things that won’t really matter anyway. So, I’m really working on saying “yes” more often. Will it really matter if my son eats dessert 2 nights in a row or watches tv before bed with Daddy, in the long run? Definitely not. And hey- I got to sneak in a bath while they watched Loud House… win/win.
Get Your Game On
We’ve been playing a lot more board games as a family lately. (And the occasional videogame.) Especially since it gets dark so early now- we’ve been eating dinner earlier and having extra time together in the evenings. Maybe you need to school your kids at Mario Kart and kick their butts at Uno. But nothing really brings us together like a little family rivalry. I thought I’d round up a few of our more recent favorites for you to add to your list.
I hope these ideas spark some joy in your home- and that, especially heading into the Holiday season, we can give some much deserved joy back to our kiddos. Please comment and let me know how you’ve been sprinkling joy in your home during this long year!
You may also like: How to Survive When Your Husband is Out of Town
