Curing Boredom

I was a stay at home mom too. At the time we had 1 car, there were plenty of days that I would take my husband to work so that we could go to the library, park, museum or go to the mall and walk around get some lunch and go home and take a nap. And then play outside. I know it can be difficult in a military town if there is no transportation. Good luck!!!

I am not an expert, but I was thinking that you can try scheduling activities for each day of the week, so it will not seem so mundane and it will give you both something to look forward to. Putting the baby in a stroller and going for a power walk once a day and doing different routes each day can break the monotony. Plus she can get some air.

It's o.k. to get a job, buy a car and put her in childcare. I was going crazy and my son needed more stimulation that I could reasonably provide at home. I found a great baby-sitter and a wonderful job. We are happier, more relaxed and are enjoying the extra money. Having the other kids around him everyday has made him smarter and more social. Good mom's work too.

can your hubby possibly get involved with a carpool to work? this worked great for our family when we had only one vehicle; gave mom a few days 'out'. If you can get to the library or bookstore, there are books filled with great ideas for activities with kids. (i.e. 101 Things to Do on a Rainy Day etc.) I googled "things to do with kids" and up popped websites with all sorts of ideas for crafts and activities. www.familyfun.go.com/ was one.

Can you take your husband to work and pick him up a day or two a week? I did the same thing for a little while. Other than that, a walk in the stroller is the only thing that I knew to do to get out for a while.

When I was home caring for my children I remember telling my husband that we had to have more stimulating conversations because he was the only ADULT that I spoke to for days on end. Pick two days each week that it is not an inconvenience for your husband and drive him to work and pick him up after work. That will give you transportation during the day. Even if you only go to the park, zoo, children's museum, or the grocery store it will be better than being stuck at home every day. You will go stark raving mad stuck at home 5 days a week.

Get an activity that is just for you! You need this because you need to take a break from being defined by other people, that is Emma's mom and so-and-so's wife. It isn't easy to carve out personal time, but it is vital. You will be a better mother and wife if you have some feeling of accomplishment that is all your own to give you a lift.
Suggestions: what did you like to do BEFORE you became a mother? Drag out that old hobby and do it while Emma is playing near you. There are many college classes that are on-line, check them out. Also, try to take an aimless, rambling walk each day, this is good for both of you. All the best to you and your family, God Bless.

I just found some online games from pbskids.org I don't know whether they would be appropriate for her, but at least check them out. Go to www.pbskids.org

When my daughter was at that age, I invested in a lot of different activities- I taught her to color, draw, work puzzles, age appropriate crafts, and imaginative play. We read together all the time too. By the time she was 24 months, she began working the frame puzzles on her own. It varies a lot based on your child/interests and abilities but I viewed her basically as a little 'sponge' and anything that interested her or taught her valuable skills I tried to make available to her. She is now 17 years old and a very good student. Good luck!

Hi, Do you happen to live in a neighborhood with other moms that have young children? You might find others interested in starting a weekly playgroup where you take turns meeting at each other's houses. As long as everyone lives nearby, you don't have to worry about transportation. Best wishes!

We have done anything from yoga, baking cookies, cutting vegetables, playing chase, art work with old waffle boxes and crayons, etc. I hope some of these help!

Get a wagon, kids of ALL AGES LOVE WAGONS... Spcially if you are pulling them. Go on Nature walks in your front yard with a piece of masking tape wrapped around your wrist (sticky side out) and when you find an acorn stick it to it. Or a leaf and after you do your walk you can talk about all the things you saw. Also, tell Daddy later. HAVE FUN..
S.

where do you live??? is it close to concord mills mall??

I know EXACTLY how you feel! I have been in the exact same situation since day 1 as a mom. Crafts are a huge help with this. So is getting them to help clean up. Blocks are always fun. Read little books, but pick a bigger book that you will have to read to her that will last a couple of days. Making lunch fun and special usually helps, too. Like.. make heart shaped sandwiches tomorrow. Or tomato roses. Things like that. When it's a nice day do lots of outside activities. Coloring is fun. If you can get her a chalk board and some chalk, that would help with coloring in a much easier to clean up messy way. My oldest loves to play all kinds of games that he makes up. Feel free to message me sometime for more ideas. I know its rough. You go stir crazy. And Heaven Forbid the male actually understand. >.<

Hi! My name is F.. I am 13 years old and I would like to say that I get bored ALOT! One of the ways I get " not bored" is by reading. In school, I have to read at least 20 specific books for a grade in Language arts. That's always a way I can pass time. You can take up a hobby like execising, writing, drawing, scrapbooking, singing, cleaning,sewing,cooking,and many more things. Maybe you always liked rock climbing. You could do that now! It might be hard with a little girl, but it could work! Going to a park or lirary with your little girl is a good idea. going to the park could brng out your inner kid! It's all up to you! I hope I could help you.

Hi T.

Google MeetUp Groups...there is on in Chattanooga called Scenic City Playgroup...there is something on the calendar everyday to do with kids and moms!!
J.

I am also a SAHM...my daughter is just a little older (just turned two in November) but I remember those "what am I going to do with you all day?" days. Here's what I came up with:
- Even after she drops her morning nap, keep up "quiet time" in her crib. I put Allie in her crib (we still do this now) with a few toys and books (whatever will keep her occupied for a while) and tell her I'll be back in a little while. This gives you a break (Allie would stay in there anywhere from 30-60 minutes before getting antsy) and also lets the little one practice playing by herself.
- Plan craft activities. At this age, crafts are pretty basic...there are lots of ideas out on the web. Stickers, play dough and coloring are also big hits.
- Get outside. Even if it's cold, it's a great way to break up the day. You don't have to go anywhere (although Allie loves to go on walks - especially in the wagon)...the back yard is usually plenty exciting.
- Resist the tv temptation. We built tv into our schedule (Allie watches one episode of Dora in the morning) but are keeping her "screen time" (tv and computer) to a minimum. The Pediatric Association suggests no tv for kids younger than two...so you may choose to do no tv at all for a while. For us, 30 minutes seemed reasonble. She's up to 30-60 minutes now.
- Speaking of "screen time", there are some great educational web sites for mom and toddler to do together. Sesame Street was our favorite.
- Let her "help" do whatever you're doing. Allie loved helping with laundry (pretty much sitting in the middle of the clothes while I folded them) and helping with sweeping (I took a couple of the poles out of a Swiffer and it's just her size). Really anything I was doing was exciting to her.
- Don't feel like you have to entertain her 100% of the time. This is a great time for toddlers to learn to play independently. I've found the best time to do this is AFTER you've had some one-on-one time so her "attention tank" is full. This might start out as only a few minutes but will build up into longer amounts of time as she gets older. Make sure you do lots of praise for any time that she plays by herself.
- Are you on an Army base? Are there other moms close by? One car makes it hard but if you can find someone close by with young children, having play dates are great for moms too!

Well, that's a REALLY long response to a fairly short question! I hope something in there works for you!!

-K.

You could plan an outing or two each week and take him to work so that you and your daughter could have the car. Another suggestion is to find another mom with a child about the same age and get together. She may have a car all the time and you could help with gas or lunch or something. Finding someone whom you can trust to babysit and then returning that favor works really well and a wonderful way to build long lasting relationships. If you are involved in church, find a mom who is experiencing a similar situation. Volunteer at a child center or day care to give your daughter playmates and you some adult time with teachers and other moms .
Blessings, you are so lucky to be able to be at home with your daughter, so many moms have to work!

Crafts! Cutting, pasting, coloring, etc. They love it!

Hi T.!
I have a 5-year-old daughter that I stayed home with . . . I am also a Doctoral Candidate in Education at North Carolina State University. You may find some helpful information at my NCSU website (the URL address is http://ncsu.edu/~stmullin/PreSchool.html). When typing in the URL it is important to capitalize the P and the S in Preschool or you will get an error message. I've done ALOT of research on preschool activities and 19 months is not to early to begin some formal training . . . especially sounds, music, and some matching concepts (check out NOGGIN and PBSkids)! I had fun working with my daughter as she developed the early schema for reading and math . . . hope you have fun too!

T., how wonderful that you are staying home with your daughter! I am a mother of six and when I had one, it REALLY WAS the hardest number believe it or not!
My advice is to let her do with you EVERYTHING you do in the home, dishes, vacuum, dusting, preparing meals, etc and then take time to nap with her and play! By this, you are teaching her how to be a good mom and wife. You will be surprised how many times she will come to you when she is older and thank you for teaching her chores with a spirit of Joy! Laugh and have a good time while you are working teaches her that chores are a part of life and she won't dread them when older. Be blessed! Debbie

T.,
I jsut sent a similar request for my 2 1/2 yr old. I wanted toshare what a closee friend, who aslo stayed hoome with her 2 kids, shared with me.
She said to avoid the "crazies" cold or not, she would load her kid up in the stroller, and take him/her for a walk. The fresh air helped bolth of them. As the child got older she would make sure they got "an hour a day" of outside time/exercise usually at the park. On cold days she would bundle them up appropriately. No her's are 7 and 9 yrs old, and they LOVE their swingset time every day.
Hope it helps
R.

Have you thought about watching other children in your home? You could just do it part-time if you don't want to full time. It would give your daughter someone to play with and give you a little income and probably help out other moms. If you want to do that and want some advice on getting started, just send me a message. I'd be happy to help you. Blessings to you.

One suggestion would be to schedule 1 day during the week where you drop your husband off to work so you and your child can go places (parks, museum, plays or to the library for storytime). Then have lunch with your husband and pick him up after work.

You can also set up another day in the week to hire a sitter or arrange a play date with another neighborhood Mom so you can have your time alone at home, go out walking, ride the city bus and go somewhere.

You don't always have to occupy your child's time, invite a friend over to play with your child.

Read, color, dance around the house. Let her help you do chores. You can teach her to sort the laundry. My kids loved to fold wash cloths or hand towels (just don't be picky - you can refold them later if you need to). You can teach her to match the socks by color. Watch educational tv (but not too much). Do art projects. Play tea party. Invite another mom and her kids over for a playdate. Thay way, you get some adult conversation too. Maybe your hubby could ride to work with a friend 1 or 2 days a week to give you a chance to get out of the house. The library has story time. Barnes & Noble (if you live in Chattanooga area) has story time at 11:00 on Wednesday. It is free. They even provide a snack (usually cookie and milk) and the kids can color too. Play with play-doh. I keep a stash of toys hidden away for a rainy or snowy day. They are usually things I buy on clearance. I pull something out when my kids need something new. Buy some mega blocks (like big legos) and build things. My daughter has a really cute princess set. Hope this helps.

T.,
As a stay at home mom of a 5 yr old, I can certainly relate. My best advice is to seek out a MOPs (Mother's of Preschooler's) group. You can find a group in your area at mops.org. Generally, the groups meet twice a month. Mom's go into one area (of a church) while the children are in the nursery. Mom's have a speaker and a craft. Our group even does breakfast. The children are cared for by loving adults, yet you are in the same building if your child needs you. It's a great way to connect with other moms in your area.

msmith

HI!!
I can definatly relate to the Domestic Goddess/Army wife role. And having children!! lol

It's a hard role to fill, when your not sure if the Military is gonna keep hubby busy that week. Not knowing for sure if he will be home at a decent hour. And carrying a conversation with a little person can be a frustrating. You need MOMMY time! ....Been there done that with the T-shirt to wear! lol (along with a lot of other Domestic Goddesses) lol

Depending on how close you are to a military facility, or if you actually live on base. There are several activities the military offers families. What I had to do is get in contact with the (FRG=family readiness group through husbands unit) just to see what there is offered.
Some military facilities offer volunteer services, where you can volunteer for free daycare services. Along with meetings for mom's to bring children for playdates etc. Giving you the opprotunity to meet other women going through the same things.

Check it out, I'm sure you will find something there!

Oohh psst.. and meeting other women are great to have around when hubby is in the field, or possibly deployed.

Good luck! Have any questions feel free to email me. Military wife/Domestic Goddess for 15 years. lol

Take care..

Army bases generally have a TON of groups, and lots of lonely wives that need a friend. I'm sure that you will be able to find some friends for your baby girl, and also someone to talk to for yourself. from one army wife to another, GET INVOLVED!!! Make sure you join the FRG, and even if you don't go to their meetings, sign up on the e-mail list. There are TONS and TONS of interesting things to do as well as website links and such for you to look into. And if you need transportation, here's another part where the new friends come into play.. bum a ride!! Explain the situation to them, and more likely than not they will be willing to help (because most of us have been in that situation at one point or another). I hope this helps. Take care!

Hi T.,

here's some ideas -

1) Local Library usually has free children's programs
2) Get you and your daughter equipped to go for bike rides = helmets for both of you, a bike seat/trailer for her, bike lock, and (possibly) a bike rack to carry bike bags/supplies like diaper bag/books/toys/groceries etc. This will greatly increase your own mobility plus give you exercise. Its lots of fun!
3) Take walks, even if they are short. It's good to get outside.
4) Join a mom's group nearby.
5) Take a mom's day sometimes to rejuvenate yourself, you will find you have more creativity and ideas after it.

Good luck!

Hi T..

I am a mom of a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old. When my children were toddlers we loved the activities in the following book:

The Toddler's Busy Book: 365 Creative Games and Activities to keep Your 1 1/2- to 3-Year-Old Busy
Author: Trish Kuffner
ISBN: 978-088166357-0
Price: $9.95

I found it on Amazon. It was a life-saver for boring times and my kids really enjoyed the activities.

Have fun!

look up some things having to do with the rudolf steiner waldorf school...there are lots of activities having to do with the natural world. children love to cook, peel things, play with balls, pine cones, build towers roll cars sing, dance, make costumes be fairies and elves....
have fun...it passes much too quickly!