New Year’s Eve saw my husband working a 24 hour shift. YAY! Not. When I dragged myself out of bed on the Saturday morning, I could see three options for the day open to me.
1. Be miserable at home
2. Gatecrash a friend’s house with all my four kids
3. Find something fun to do with the kids
I was actually thinking of going with number 1: Just laze around at home and get through the day. I usually love school holidays but the kids have been bickering more than usual and I’m feeling exhausted and frayed at the moment. When I thought about the consequences of another day at home, well, it looked like a very long road. Something I’ve learned is I can change the outcome of my day if I apply myself and think outside the box.
Number two was an option: I know many people who would have me over but one of the things about having a largish family is, well, there is just a lot of bodies to manage constantly…plus, after all the Christmas festivities, I didn’t feel all that social.
In the end, I went with number three: do something fun with the kids…but what? I thought about one of the best days the children and I enjoyed in 2011.
Just a bit of background here: Back in July 2011, our family went on a road trip. You can read about it here: Australian Road Trip. It wasn’t strictly all holiday; the week we were at Moruya, my husband worked at the hospital there. I remember one of the days the children and I went exploring. We browsed the shops at Central Tilba, drove down the coast and spent the afternoon at Mystery Bay. It was a magical day! I didn’t want it to end!
Central Tilba, NSW
Mystery Bay, NSW
Keeping this in mind, I planned a fun day of exploring with the kids. We stopped at a gorgeous little co-op craft shop at Dayboro and I purchased an inexpensive handmade toy for each of the children. The ladies at the shop were excited the kids chose the toys they made themselves. The children played with the toys for the rest of the day at every destination. We stopped at many places along the way, including Mt Mee National Park, Mt Mee Lookout, Woodford, and ended the day at the beach, close to where my husband works so we could meet him for a nacho dinner.
Dayboro, QLD
Redcliffe, QLD
Going on a mini road trip is not something I would have thought to do with the kids on my own (without my husband). However, because he works so much, and on many weekends, I’ve learned to create family time with, and without him. The day was a success! It felt good: making the last year of 2011 a fun one.
Next time you’re looking for a fun thing to do with your kids, consider recreating a fun day that worked in the past.
14 Comments
JJ Stranan
January 2, 2012 at 12:33 pmYour ALWAYS welcome to come and spend the day with me in the pool – we would all love that xx
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 3, 2012 at 3:51 pmThanks JJ. You’re a gem. x
Laureny
January 2, 2012 at 12:41 pmI love doing that sort of thing – it makes memories, and those are the only things we can really take with us wherever we go!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 3, 2012 at 3:51 pmExactly! It’s about making memories.
Christie
January 2, 2012 at 1:44 pmWell done Kelly, I’m a lot like you in that I don’t consider excursions with my four without my husband along, but you’ve shown that it’s doable and sometimes necessary! I’m going to keep this in mind for the remainder of these school holidays, and if I strike a day where getting out is the best option, I’m going to bite the bullet and do it! Happy New Year! xx
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 3, 2012 at 3:55 pmYou know Christie, it took me a while to get into the mindset of creating family time with and without hubby. I see it as creating a gift that I can give to him when he is with us. It’s actually been quite liberating to see how much I can do on my own with the kids, and I don’t wait around for things to be “just right” anymore because it rarely is. Happy New Year Christie. Thanks for your support in 2011 x
BookChook
January 3, 2012 at 7:45 amSounds like a perfect day to me too! Happy New Year, Kel, and thanks for sharing what you learn and the fun you make with us.
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
January 3, 2012 at 4:00 pmThanks Susan. x
shelly
January 4, 2012 at 8:12 pmGood on ya Kelly! That’s one thing I have to constantly remind myself – to remember that I have the choice.
Alice
January 6, 2012 at 11:23 pmHey Kell, sounds like a fun way to end the year 🙂 Feel free to come and gatecrash our place next time, seriously! The beach is always a good place for me to go with the kids. The girls are always keen when I suggest it, and my son will initially say we should only stay a while, only to forget that he wasn’t keen in the first place, and complain about leaving! We’ve just been on a day roadtrip to Maleny and Mooloolaba with my folks and husband (thankfully this time) and we’ve had a wonderful day 🙂
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