Rainy Day Activities for Mom's Sanity

We have a lot of rainy days, snowy days, excessively hot days, and other weather related reasons to stay inside. We all start to get cabin fever by mid January. To keep the kids from completely climbing the walls on the days that we can't make it outside, I try to plan plenty of indoor activities for us.

My previous experience in education has translated well to motherhood. My favorite part of teaching was all of the activity planning and I've used a lot of those activities (and discipline strategies!) in my parenting.

I try to strike a balance between educational, fun, and just plain messy activities. The clean freak in me struggles with the messy activities of motherhood, but I also know that getting messy is part of the fun of childhood. I think we would all loosen up in our parenting if we remembered what it was like to be a kid!

Cooking is one of our favorite things to do as a family. I loved baking with my mom and was so excited when my own son felt the same way. He loves getting covered in flour for the sake of yummy baked goods. This has been one of the many gifts of motherhood.

Crafts, or "craps" as my 3 year old pronounces it, are another hit in our house. No day is complete without some sort of creative endeavor. Painting and glitter are my son's two favorite craft supplies. They are my least favorite. Regardless of the precautions I take, paint and glitter find a way to spread through the house like a bad case of head lice. Parenting is full of all sorts of choices. Is the glittery trail across the pain spattered floor worth a little peace and quiet? It depends on the day!