As a busy mom, I would guess that at the top of most moms’ list of “things I’d give my right arm for” are a long, warm, uninterrupted shower and the chance to make a nice meal without distractions. It’s so difficult to get things done when you’ve got kids. Or, at least small kids who rely on you completely for most everything. That’s why many times, we moms have to improvise in order to make our lives easier. If we didn’t, we’d go crazier than we already are!
We probably won’t have many nice long showers for awhile, and dinnertime meals will be made hastily until the kids are a bit older. But we can tame the beast a little by giving our children something to occupy themselves with while we attempt to get things done everyday. These 9 objects have worked for me, so you should give them a try!
1. Toilet Paper Rolls
I’ll never understand why my bowel movements are so fascinating. My children love to smother me when I’m trying to use the bathroom. Even if I run in there to do a quick little tinkle, they’re after me like white on rice and I don’t have time to plan my escape. But what I can do is take their mind off of my toilet time for a few minutes by giving them empty toilet paper rolls to play with.
I show them how to pretend to be an elephant, or look through the rolls like binoculars. You can drive Hot Wheels cars through them, or even stack them up and play a mini game of bowling. Suggest these ideas to your kids, toss them some toilet paper rolls and watch your experience of using the toilet get slightly more enjoyable.
2. Hair Ties
I keep my hair ties and headbands in a lower drawer of my bathroom sink, and my little girl is always pulling them out. Sometimes she’ll just pull on them or chew on them, and other times, she and her brother will attempt to put them in their hair like mommy does. They end up all over the house, but I usually manage to find them all and get them back to their drawer. If it keeps my children busy while I try to enjoy lathering myself with some shower gel, then it’s well worth the little bit of effort it takes to pick them up afterwards.
3. Pots And Pans
I don’t know about you, but I liked playing with pots and pans when I was a kid. I think it’s pretty common. When I’m in the kitchen trying to make dinner, and my children are tugging at me and whining, I’ll sometimes open the cabinets and let them have at the pots and pans. They really can’t do any harm and they seem pretty entertained by the banging noises. Surprisingly, all of that noise doesn’t bother me. In fact, it seems to drown out the chaos that goes on in my mind everyday, and I’m able to focus more on messing up making a nice meal.