Long Shabbos Afternoons - what can I do?

nice and easy

Tue, May 25 2010, 12:45 pm

I am a mother of 3 living in boro park I''m having a difficult time spending my shabbos afternoons during the long summer days. when we wake up from our nap, after a couple of minutes me and my kids, get bored. my husband goes to shul for mincha and eats shalosh seudos there. could anyone give me some some idea's how to spend my afternoon (we dont use the eirev). I''m sure some of you can understand my frustration. I have neighbors but they spend their day inside their house while in my small aprtment it gets edgy... any advice or tips? thank you

chocolate moose

Tue, May 25 2010, 12:55 pm

Maybe your husband could daven mincha earlier - or later - and then take the kids to a park or play with them in the house, so you can get to a shiur or a friend or even just a walk by yourself. He doens't have to eat shalosh seudas in shul, does he ?

Sherri

Tue, May 25 2010, 1:05 pm

While your neighbors spend their days in their apartments now, do you know if they would join you if you would invite them to you? Can you organize a shalosh seudos, or little get-together in the afternoon to give everyone some social opportunity? I would think that they all feel the same- what you describe is a common phenomenon in many communities where there is no eruv.

YALT

Tue, May 25 2010, 1:22 pm

We have a closet of games that DS knows are "only for shabbos"
There are so many games that even a 2½ yr old can play. Think memory, matching, candyland, puzzles,

When DD was too small to walk, I would leave her at home to take a nap same time as DH, while I took DS for a playdate to a "common" friend (my friend who has a son close enough in age that they play together.)

Sometimes I take them downstairs to the building lobby with a big ball. Sometimes others will join us, other times we sit there alone. I bring a book down with me.

Meema2Kids

Tue, May 25 2010, 1:48 pm

In addition to the above, if your kids need to stay active, try games like Simon Says. You could make an obstacle course. Build a fort with the couch cushions, etc.

Try the books Busy Book for Toddlers/Preschoolers for other ideas (obviously many would not work for shabbos but there are a lot of activities that would).

Barbara

Tue, May 25 2010, 2:07 pm

Are the kids old enough to walk to the park? There's lots to do even without using an eruv -- tag, hide and seek, or just running around.

Invite over other families, esp in your building, if they have kids the same age as yours.

Board games. Charades. Simon Says. Red light, green light. Indoor scavenger hunt. Buy some great story books if the kids are little, and read to them. Get a wooden train set, or a doll house.

nice and easy

Tue, May 25 2010, 2:09 pm

thank you for all your ideas I really wanted to speak to my neighbors but I don't know how to aproach them. maybe they are not interested... any advice?

Raisin

Tue, May 25 2010, 2:17 pm

I would make an effort to invite over friends. Maybe your friends who have kids who can walk?

My kids are aged 2-10 and shabbos lasts till forever here. they are already long asleep by the time we make havdala.

bh we have a garden, so they play a lot in that. Also my older kids are big readers.

do something fun for shalosh seudos. Ice cream sundaes, or play resturant.

Raisin

Tue, May 25 2010, 2:17 pm

nice and easy wrote:

thank you for all your ideas I really wanted to speak to my neighbors but I don't know how to aproach them. maybe they are not interested... any advice?

do they have kids the same age? say you want to make a pirkei avos shuir or invite them over for shalosh seudos.

Barbara

Tue, May 25 2010, 2:18 pm

nice and easy wrote:

thank you for all your ideas I really wanted to speak to my neighbors but I don't know how to aproach them. maybe they are not interested... any advice?

Bake a cake (or be like me and buy one). Then call a neighbor, tell her you have a great cake for Shabbat afternoon, you'd love her to come over with the kids and share it. Mention that summer Shabbat afternoons are so long, you think that the kids would really enjoy visiting with one another, and it will give you moms a chance to chat as well.

Isramom8

Tue, May 25 2010, 2:35 pm

If our kids can sit still, reading lots of stories and doing puzzles and boxed games.
The kids dressing up and spending lots of time inventing and practicing plays the perform for you.
They might also like making a tent from all the chairs and sheets they can find.

ysydmom

Tue, May 25 2010, 5:33 pm

look up the Ahavas Yisroel Women's Project. You can host it in your house. Really nice way to get to know people. http://ayproject.com/shaylas.html

I would make a shabbos box of games and toys that you only use on shabbos. Can you make an eiruv in front of your house, we did that last year and it really makes a difference I sit on the porch and the kids play down the steps, much better than being totally stuck in.

How about going away once a month? Inviting company over? Playdates etc.

pinkelephant

Tue, May 25 2010, 6:09 pm

when im @ my in laws fer shabbos, we play settlers of cattan. its a smart game that passes the time. we also like to play munchkins, its a funny card game

nice and easy

Wed, May 26 2010, 7:23 am

wow some really good ideas here. What should I do creative when I invite ppl for shalosh seudos

skcomputer

Wed, May 26 2010, 9:32 am

nice and easy wrote:

wow some really good ideas here. What should I do creative when I invite ppl for shalosh seudos

How about if you have a theme for the food on different weeks - Italian, Greek, Israeli, Mexican. For the kids, you can have a picture of the flag of the country, look at a map of the world, and talk about the history/culture of the country. Tasty and educational!

overthehill

Wed, May 26 2010, 10:12 am

As nuts as this sounds- I try to invite a family for Shabbos lunch at least every other Shabbos. I dont start till like 12:30, and everyone hangs around at least till 4. My kids usually mingle with their kids, we have the parents as adult company and its a win-win situation for all. Yes its tiring and expensive to cook for company every other week, but I figure, L"kavod Shabbos...

preempservices

Wed, May 26 2010, 10:24 am

Quote:

say you want to make a pirkei avos shuir or invite them over for shalosh seudos.

Or Aneinu tehillim - we say it for the block and try to complete the sefer on shabbos for a shemira for our block.
http://www.aneinu.com/

mama-star

Wed, May 26 2010, 1:42 pm

if I could just add my .02, I never used to use the eiruv either. it got to a point where my kids were just going completely crazy on shabbos afternoons, so for their sanity (and mine) I was matir neder and I am now a very happy eiruv user.

there is no reason you cannot use the eiruv if you choose to, remember that.

Funmommy

Fri, Jun 04 2010, 5:04 am

Invite your neighbors for shalosh seudos and have everyone bring over one food item. It can be a rotating shalosh seudos at each other's homes. Its always nice when we do these things because our kids all get to play while we site eating and shmoozing.

c.c.cookie

Fri, Jun 04 2010, 5:10 am

I live in Yerushalayim, with an eiruv, but I also find Shabbos afternoons are just too long. What I do is, we have shalosh seudos early (at 6:00), and then the kids go to sleep at their regular bed-time.