By Jessica Mittendorf
for Work-at-Home.org
It's hard to work at home without kids if there are no boundaries between your work and the distractions. Everyone has heard the phrase, “The best things in life are free.” Try telling that to a four year old in the middle of a tantrum on the living room floor while you’re trying to work at home.
To kids, the best things in life seem to revolve around favorite characters and the name brand cereal that we pay extra for, to get the prize inside. So is there any hope of keeping your kids happy and busy while you work, while still trying to save money? Yes. The key? Distraction!
The problem with being a busy mom, especially a busy work at home mom, is that finding a steady stream of activities to hold a short attention span can take up a lot of our precious time, and money. Sometimes you’ll need your kids to be quiet so you can make phone calls or concentrate.
Here is a list of ten easy and inexpensive activities to do to help keep your kids busy and you sane (and making money from home).
1. Craft Bin Chaos -- Great for keeping kids busy while you’re on the phone.
Have a Craft Time in your house. Find a large empty box in your home in a place that is easily accessible to you on a daily basis. You can start the bin out with the usual supply of Popsicle sticks, glue, markers, and construction paper. From there let your, and your kids’ imagination run wild. Whenever the toilet paper runs out, or you take the spare button package off a new shirt or you get those cute little bottles of milk from McDonalds, throw them in the box. Between e-mails or conference calls at home you can take the time to admire the latest creation, or display it on the fridge. Even the most art challenged parent can stick bent pipe cleaners into a cut up egg carton to make caterpillars. And don’t discount your kid’s own creativity. The imagination of a child seems to go wild when encountered with a large bin filled with feathers, buttons, and old toilet paper rolls. Save this Craft Bin to use during those special times when you really need quiet in order to make phone calls. The bin loses its charm if it is always accessible.
2. Dance Party
Before you go to work, help the kids spend all their energy so they’re more likely to nap or be quiet when you trying to work. Kids love music, and parents love worn out kids. Where does that put us? Have a dance party before you start working. Music is not only fun, but it can have motivating qualities as well. While the kids are getting their groove on in their room, you could be boppin' to the beat doing the dishes or working on a report. When it’s time for you to make some work-related phone calls, your kids will be quiet. Some game systems, like the Xbox and Playstation also have music visualization programs that can allow the kids to boogie with a little psychedelic inspiration. You can even have older children create dance numbers to perform for you at a later time.
3. Scavenger Hunt -- Great for keeping kids busy while you’re on the phone.
Print off and laminate lists of different items that are found in, and around your home. If you have readers use words, or for younger kids, take your digital camera around the house for items to find. Use dry erase markers to check off items and you can use the lists over and over again.
4. Salad Face Massacre
Do you have trouble preparing and getting your kids to eat a healthy meal? Have the kids take over lunch for a day. Prep your veggies the night before and lay out bowls of pieces for the kids to build and eat. Eggs and olives for eyes, sprouts or broccoli for hair, sliced peppers or carrots for smiles, the list is endless. Admire the faces your kids have made and then let them eat them up. Just make sure to hold your calls before one of the kids yell out, “Mommy I just ate an ear!”
5. Living Room Movie Theater -- Great for keeping kids busy while you’re on the phone.
A favorite movie can be an easy distraction to work with. Take the time to make it special. Blocking out windows to make it dark, setting comfy kids chairs in front of the TV, making movie snacks like popcorn and nachos, are all ways to make it a special event for the kids to enjoy.
6. Balloon Walk
Blow up lots of balloons, and fill up a small room floor. Shut the door and let the kids kick, throw, and pop to their hearts’ content. Most kids love balloons, and they are available at most dollar stores for a steal.
7. Shaker Fun -- Great for keeping kids busy while you’re on the phone.
Most of us use water bottles at the gym, or when on the run. Dry out your old water bottles. Find rice, pasta, toothpicks, beads, and any other small object that can fit into the mouth of the bottle. On top of a tarp or lots of newspaper to ensure easy clean up, set out measuring cups and spoons, a funnel, and all your shaker goodies. After they use up all the items you have set out for them, close the lid. You can even make a “recipe” for older kids to follow. For younger kids make sure to use sturdy tape over the lid to prevent opening. Decorate with either paper mache or stickers. These make for great for parades around the house during break time.
8. Crayon Destruction Art
Save all your old broken crayons. Then have the kids pulverize the remains. Grate them, pound them with a mallet, or melt them in the microwave into flat pieces and break them up. Have the kids arrange them between pieces of wax paper. Cover them with a towel, and use a dry iron to set the picture.
9. That Big Building with All the Books
Check out your local library. Most have play areas set up for kids, for use every day. It helps get every body out of the house on those days when the weather is awful. There are books to read, toys to play with, and many times free activities to take part in like play groups and story time. You can pick up needed reference material for your latest project at work, or just the latest bestseller to read before bed. All for free.
10. The “I’m Bored” Box -- Great for keeping kids busy while you’re on the phone.
There are always small toys that accumulate in the home. Happy meal toys, stocking stuffers, Easter knick-knacks, etc. All are fun for a few minutes, but are usually overshadowed or forgotten quickly. Sneak these small items or duplicates away and put them in a box that is hidden from kid sight. When the “I’m Bored” chorus hits, while you are in the middle of something you just can’t step away from, whip out the box and let the kids pick a new toy. This also works great for potty training encouragement, or special rewards for good behavior.
Obviously these ten items won’t work for everyone, or be enough to keep kids occupied forever. To keep going the fun going, set up a binder filled with clear sheet protectors. Whenever you come across an article for an activity or craft project, tear it out or write it down and slip it into the binder to keep for later.
As mothers we always want to give our kids the best of everything. That doesn’t mean we have to spend the most. Fun can come in many different forms for kids and many activities can mean valuable quiet time for those of us that work at home.
Let these simple ideas bring your kids some fun, and let your kids’ smiles and laughter remind you how lucky you are to be able to stay home with them.
Jessica Mittendorf is a wife and mother of three. She is an aspiring writer, currently working part-time. Contact her jlmittendorf -- at -- hotmail.com
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