3 Creative Ways to Spend Time With Your Kids During Coronavirus

My family has gone through many changes since the Coronavirus hit.  The question hits me time after time: “Now, what do we do?”  We’re not supposed to go anywhere, but there’s a 3-year-old bouncing around the house and having trouble sleeping at night. This is an enormous problem because I am done parenting for the day when my kids are asleep.  No rest for them equals no rest for my wife and I.  It’s time to get creative with our kids and push the limits.

3 creative ways to spend time with your children during the Coronavirus are performing fun at home science experiments and crafts , block out time for creative play, and share memories from your life with your children.

Science Experiments and Crafts

There are a ton of free and exceptional things to do around your house.  Everyone could learn to make invisible ink. Kids love homemade Playdough and are inept at making dinosaur sculptures until you masterfully teach them.  You could pick up a $.99 bottle of pop and some Mentos at the grocery store and teach them about volcanoes while they decorate one. The recipes for these experiments are on Google.

Kids are a brilliant excuse for doing things you want to do, but you question if it is inappropriate for you as an adult.  I miss felt coloring posters personally. It’s time to buy one of those again for my kids and I. Don’t forget about painting. It is often a cheap yet entertaining endeavor.

Creative Play Time Blocking

Time blocking is important. It is a powerful skill to use with children. A mission of mine is to educate dads that they can duplicate their practices at work with their family.  It’s imperative to allow time for creative play without distraction.  

There is a difference between typical play and creative play.  Creative play uses more energy and involves learning a new skill.  Kids love to replay games.  There is a way to honor this and create fresh games along the way. I recommend twisting familiar games into imaginative ones and watch your kids adapt. It is mentally exhausting and healthy for them to engage these behaviors. 

We have a game called the sleeping game where they use an electronic book’s noises to knock me out and wake me up angry depending on the noise. I will change-up the rules of the game and teach them to play this game a different way than what they’re use to. These new rules tire my children out and build up their skills of creativity.

I recommend planning the activities out in advance.  There are benefits to being prepared such as extending the time activities last and their purpose.     

Sharing Memories

There are keepsakes all over your house.  This is a perfect time to share the meaning behind these items with your children.

Kids live in the present moment, and this is an excellent way to join and bond with them. It is important to give them room to play with or view the items you show them.  Share the story behind it, or show them how to use it. Encourage your child to be creative.  

I love to watch The Land Before Time movies with my kids. I brief them on memories of growing up with the characters and how it made an impact on my life.

A warning to the wise: Young kids will want to keep the item you show them.  Choose carefully about which ones you’re comfortable seeing played with.  Kids often have the mindset that everything is indestructible!

Fun for Everyone

Science experiments, creative play, and sharing memories will bond you to your children. You will enjoy the ideas you create too.  The whole point is to expose them to fresh activities that you find entertaining.  Coronavirus sucks. It is a challenge that we are all facing.  The aim is to cope fantastically with this stress, even though it’s hard.  Reach out if you get stuck. ryan.plasch@discoverymentalhealth.com.

The Good, The Bad, and The Dad: Pressures from Dadhood

Dad’s have it so easy. Actually they don’t. Dad pressures seep in relatively quickly once the big status change hits home. What are these pressures? Well, that’s not easily summed up in a post. But I would like to review 2 of them to get the ball rolling and get you thinking on how to improve.

Pressure 1: 2 Full Time Jobs

I commonly hear about the work pressure issues that occur. I hear dads everywhere make the mistake, including this dad writing this blog at one point, “Well honey, I’ve got to go make the money. Good luck with the house.” “If someone doesn’t make the money, Who’s going to?” Or if its a dual income home, “Well I’m dad, not mom. They want mom.”

Bubble burst right here. While your thinking process makes some sense. It still isn’t fair. Imagine going to work and never leaving. Imagine having a bed at where you work that you would sleep in and get out to start work in the morning. Or, for dual income houses, imagine going to work in the morning and then going to work at another job. 1 job is 5 days a week and the other job is 7 days a week.

THE GOOD

Parenting is like another job but its very different one. And just because it is compared to another job doesn’t mean it is horrible or it is a job you don’t like! I use this comparison to easily explain how it is seen in the eyes of your spouse. This then signifies why being a present father is so important. Many dads are proud of their family. It is important the family is shown this through action not word. Well word too, but mostly action

That right there is the pressure! How do you manage your workload and still be a present father in your family? That’s loaded but I have faith in you to ponder this and think about ways to improve. If you get stuck. Shoot me an email at ryan@marriagegeek.com.

Pressure 2: Where’s the Sex?

Sex gets complicated after child #1 pops out. What a bummer BUT! not all hope is lost. I assure you, it isn’t. I also want to point out the fact that you’re not just craving sex so stop thinking that way. Its more complex than that.

Sex is definitely part of it but when children are in the mix of your love life, it will likely decrease for awhile. Lets look at why first. Chances are Mom is stressed, Mom is fed-up, Mom is touched-out, Mom has had it, Mom wants everyone to leave her alone, Mom is tired. Also, breastfeeding has been associated with lower sex drive with women. Thanks a lot breastfeeding (its beneficial though).

I’m here to tell you that adjustment time is needed and intimacy is what you are craving more than sex. Its just we are flooded with sexuality from the media, our guy friends talk about it, and it is constantly on a dad’s mind. But you miss your wife and sex is harder to come by for an insurmountable amount of reasons like how long it takes to put the kid to bed. *Siren Blows* You’ve been blocked. Good night.

THE GOOD

Most men go into nagging mode or they go into withdraw mode and don’t talk about their feelings. Both are wrong. You want intimacy and/or sex from your wife? You’re going to need to understand what’s going on. And how do you understand it? By being a present father and husband in your family. Being emotionally available, being patient, and again talking talking talking. Its okay to have your feelings. That being said, your actions are what counts!

Don’t Nag, Don’t withdraw, fight the urge and seek connection. Be helpful and play peek a boo with your kid. Makes sense or starting to make sense? Good. Need help with this? Then reach out. I’m happy to talk.

Dad enthusiast, Dad therapist Ryan Plasch wants to be your everything dad related handbook. Contact him at ryan@marriagegeek.com