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What do kids DO on all these days off?!
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 2:36 am
I'm a little late for being proactive but after a couple of weeks of a day here and a day there, I'm realizing that my kids have no life and nothing to wake up for in the morning. B"H B"H they are "easy" kids who love to read and play with legos and the like, so they don't really NEED things to do, and they're old enough not to need active childcare while I get stuff done. But I feel like they have nothing meaningful to do with no school. They put on clothes just because I snap at them for lazing around in pajamas like bums but really what else should they do? They're too young to send them out with friends on some chessed mission. There isn't anything left to help around the house with - that worked for the first couple of erev-somethings but frankly housework is boring, doesn't add that much meaning to their life, and I don't even need that much help. Believe it or not my slave-driving had them clean just about everything already, that's how much time they were off, and it didn't get THAT much messed up.

They're not bored, I'm not looking for entertainment suggestions. I just want some kind of meaning or structure. Before Rosh Hashanah I had them write letters to every grandparent, great-aunt, etc. They did a beautiful job. That's done. Before Yom Kippur I had them follow up with phone calls, and they prepared snacks to bring to shul before. They made sukkah decorations already. They even made an extra one for the grandparents who also got the letters and phone calls.

Maybe I'm the one who has a problem and there's nothing wrong with reading and playing legos literally all day? LITERALLY ALL DAY FOR WEEKS ON END? Am I just asking for trouble worrying that that's not enough?

Erev Shabbos they baked a cake. They fought the whole time and it didn't even come out that good. We are a small family and do not need many cakes. All the challah is made already too, in a big batch at the beginning of the season. There's literally nothing that needs doing right now. But they're off again Sunday and Monday... I'm working in the morning Thursday, then I'll take them out, but then there's Friday... then there's another Sunday...and Thursday...they'll have school Friday and then another Sunday... usually if they want to laze on a Sunday I think that's great because they're busy with school all week. But that is not the case all month right now.
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amother
Navyblue


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 2:41 am
I take them on errands. When I do the laundry I have them work along me, make a white pile, shake out and hang this one up, transfer to dryer. Let them watch videos. They peel so I can cook. I start the dressings so I can rest more on YT. The main thing is to take them out every day. I find it grounds them and makes the day easier for me. Library. Grocery. Dressmaker. Whatever. If it's too short, stop for ice cream.
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 2:47 am
I forgot to specify, my kids are 8 and 10. I do send them to the park but again they are not lacking entertainment, I just want them to do something of substance. Feed their brain and soul, if you will. They do help with laundry but again we are a small family so there isn't that much to do - and even if there were, they don't need to be my maids.
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amother
NeonGreen


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 5:14 am
Are they the type to enjoy a workbook about some interesting topic? Can be anything random like learning to draw or science etc. Or library for various books (more intense).

My mom Stuck to some sort of routine and that helped a lot. So my mom me and my brother sat down to daven and eat breakfast together then one or two errands and then we each had our things, I liked crafting and he did lego at some point. Then he had science workbooks he loved and I did intensive ice skating classes but that wouldn’t work around yt season really. (in Europe in the summer we didn’t do camp. As soon as we got to the states we never miss camp - my mom is a big believer in life needing fufilling activity like ur saying)
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imaima




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 6:53 am
I feel like they are fine. Let them relax and veg out. That‘s what vacation is for.
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Success10




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 7:07 am
Your kids aren't ripping each other's eyeballs out???!! OMG, can we trade???

Seriously, if they aren't complaining, I would count my blessings.
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amother
Oatmeal


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 7:26 am
If you’re ok with something on a computer, check out outschool.com
They have some one time courses.

Also, you might be able to find painting instruction videos if your kids want to do a paint night type thing.
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tinyspark




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 7:26 am
You are very lucky they entertain themselves. They sound like wonderful kids. I usually learn with the kids something after daavening about the chag .it can be something small and the kids can make a picture about it and give it over at the next Yom tov meal
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amother
Aconite


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 7:27 am
seeker wrote:
But I feel like they have nothing meaningful to do with no school.

In your mind, school is meaningful. Why? Because they are learning? Because they are out of the house? Because it is a social activity? Because it "accomplishes" something, like work does for you?

Your kids are at home, entertaining themselves. That's meaningful. They read and play with Legos, that's learning. They wrote letters, made phone calls, made sukkah decorations - all meaningful activities that also have educational value.

Maybe you want them to socialize more? You can send them to the park, take them to shul, set up playdates. You want them out of the house? That's for you more than for them, at this point, because they are out of the house on a regular basis.

They can go to the library, you can buy educational games (look up gameschooling). But I don't see anything wrong with what you have now.

There's this idea that school is meaningful because it "accomplishes" something. Truth be told it accomplishes nothing more than you can accomplish at home. You can also sit and learn with your children, or have DH learn with them. School is for people who can't teach their kids, so that their kids can get an education even if the parents aren't capable of paying for private tutors or teaching their children themselves. Today school is also childcare so parents can work. But it doesn't really accomplish more than that.

If your kids are happy at home, that's great. If they entertain themselves, even better. Learning to make your own structure and live without outside structure are valuable skills that school prevents children from developing. Your kids are doing fine, let them be.
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amother
Tomato


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 7:31 am
Can they learn to type? How to use word and excel?
Learn to sew?
Put together a scrapbook of the past year?
Diamond art?
Help out neighbors who do need help?
Paint the Sukkah?
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amother
Peachpuff


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 7:34 am
Our shul has a learning program with prizes for participants who complete a certain amount each day, depending on what grade they're in. The amounts of time are not huge. 3rd and 5th grade would be 25 and 30 minutes per day respectively.

If you don't have anything like that near you, you could make your own learning program with your own rewards.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 8:54 am
reading and creativity like using lego or creating art is a pretty useful thing for kids to do.

You can ask them to create artwork for the sukka.
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amother
Red


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:00 am
If they are happy just relaxing and playing, then what they are doing is creating happy memories centered around YT. Also, learning to do prep and chores first to get out of the way, before you get to relax--no procrastination--a valuable life lesson!
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Moonlight




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:00 am
PLAY DATES
do you think they can be mothers helper for someone else? You can "pay" them like 3/h and then take them to dollar store at the end
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yOungM0mmy




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:21 am
My kids had a sukka competition today, ages 6-13. Found random junk around the house, my table is a mess, but it kept them busy for a few hours. And they helped build the sukka. They'll each do a job or 2 to help the house, play a bit, read a bit, cook a bit, clean a bit, not too much fighting yet bh...
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amother
Ebony


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:22 am
School will be intense right after Yom tov with no breaks. I think it’s ok to just have slow chilled out days now.
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amother
Caramel


 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:32 am
Wow. To me you sound like superwomen.
They are relaxed
Got them to help with cleaning. They made cards and calls…They are already in some sort of disciplined routine. They play nicely. Wow wow wow.
You and your kids are what my goal is.
Shep nachas from them and yourself
Too embarrassed to sign my name
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:44 am
amother [ Peachpuff ] wrote:
Our shul has a learning program with prizes for participants who complete a certain amount each day, depending on what grade they're in. The amounts of time are not huge. 3rd and 5th grade would be 25 and 30 minutes per day respectively.

If you don't have anything like that near you, you could make your own learning program with your own rewards.

OK this is exactly the kind of thing I'd love. What do they learn? I feel slow that I didn't think of prizes but that's what this month is doing to my brain I guess.
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funmother




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:48 am
During beggining of covid when my kids had off day after day and we stayed indoors. We had a morning routine with incentive for getting up dressed breakfast done before 10:00. Also on shabbos too. The days that I couldn't entertain my kids worked on their own "bucket list" that I helped them come up with. During the school year certain things they didn't have time for. And they were so busy socializing out of the house.
"Bucket list" went sort of like this.
I want to make 3 color putty/slime at one time (hate it) but sometimes they make one with friends till it dries out.
I want to read a certain long book usually no patience
I want to eat cereal mixed with chocolate (a breakfast I never let during the school yr)
I want to make something using all of our building toys(we got alot)
I want to see how many times I can jump rope

It was written on paper as a checklist it was cute to see how my kids erased and added to the list as time went on. They were so busy with the list, feeling accomplished doing what they loved.
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Coffee beanz




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Sep 19 2021, 9:49 am
Playing builds up so many skills. Lego is a stem activity. Reading engages the brain. I would just encourage some outside time to go with it and you're set!
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