Although you may start out in business to spend more time with your kids, being a mum in business does take time! There will be moments when you just need them to do something else and stay quiet whilst you get on with things. There are lots of things you can give your kids to do and of course it totally depends on the age of your children and how many you have.
Having an only child I often feel guilty when I tell my daughter to just get on with something whilst I work. Lucky she is very outdoorsy and loves playing in the garden and in the street on her bike with her friends. But we do live in England and that means for a good half the year that’s totally off the cards. So how to keep them busy and quiet? Here are some of the things I use to keep my daughter occupied whilst I work.
I have to say this is the absolute number one thing that will keep my daughter quiet for hours. They do all kinds of little sets which take a lot of concentration with pretty detailed instructions for older kids. Or you can just get a basic set for youngers ones and let them go to town. It’s great for creative play and I often ask her to build me something specific to focus her mind whilst I do other things.
This is always a winner with kids in my experience. I remember my Great-grandma making it from scratch with flour salt and water. I’ll have to find the recipe and post it because it’s a great fun activity to do with kids. But for now, this set should keep you going. Just watch you for your carpet!
Now luckily Ny loves science. So I got her this experiments kit and it went down so well. It comes with little instruction manual which is really simple for her to follow on her own. I have been able to leave her sitting for a good few hours with this no problems at all.
This is probably a bit more aimed at girls but there is no reason a boy couldn’t do it if he wanted. Sewing is a life skill and I taught Ny at quite a young age. She really enjoys it now so this make your own mermaid set was a great little way of keeping her occupied for a few hours.
Unfortunately, because Ny is an only child there are times when I resort to her tablet to keep her occupied. Now no one wants their child to be sat in front of a screen all day but in small doses a tablet can be fun and educational. My daughter has this one which is custom designed to only show a selected menu of apps to children. It can be used as a normal Samsung tablet also but I definitely felt more secure about giving her this when I knew she could only access games I had selected.
This craft kit has everything you could possibly need to do any kind of craft project. You can find tonnes of inspiration online for things the kids can make or you can just let them go wild. I like to tie into seasons or events and make cards for family birthdays (another great money saver!)
Now this is great if you want the kids to be a bit more active. It’s also a good one for multiple children and getting a bit of competition happening. It really can keep them happy for hours with so many different games to choose from.
For slightly older kids and if you have more than one then this make your own board game will really keep them busy. Not only do they have to make the game up themselves they then have to play it.
This is a great cheap and cheerful handheld games console. Perfect for long journeys and rainy days, with lots of different games to choose from. It’s really easy to use and is suitable for children of all ages.
Looking for something to get the kids outdoors? This gardening set is a great way to start. Why not get them planting seeds and growing their own veg? This is a great way to teach children about the natural world and how to grow their own food. A great life skill.
Hope this helps some of you! Please leave your own ideas, comments and suggestions.
Millennial Mum In Business 