I want you to take a minute and think back to your babysitting days. Do you remember how EXCRUTIATING it was to entertain other people's kids -- particularly on extremely cold or rainy days when outdoor activities weren't an option?
Well, I do. In fact, the memories are burned so vividly into my mind that they actually made me partially dread having children. I just remember that pressure to always be doing stuff -- to have an endless supply of fun and exciting and interesting activities on hand -- when all I really wanted to do was lay on the couch and watch Much Music.
During my pregnancy, I often mourned the loss of lazy, rainy days as I knew them. Even after my mother-in-law assured me that it's different with your own kids (you're not getting paid by the hour, so you don't have to feel guilty for getting them to entertain themselves once in a while), I still didn't really believe her.
Luckily, we've had an amazingly sunny and dry summer, so as Adelaide has gotten more mobile, I haven't yet been stuck in the house with her. When she starts getting into trouble, I simply throw her in the stroller and we go for a walk. Even if it's not very far, the fresh air seems to make everything better -- for both of us.
Which is why I almost cried when I looked at the weather forecast on Tuesday. It was expected to rain heavily for most of the day, until about 5pm. What was I going to do? How was I possibly going to stay INSIDE with a one-year-old who has no idea how to entertain herself for more than five minutes at a time?
Well, like any good mother, my first plan of action was to get her to nap. After all, that's what I felt like doing. Unfortunately, she didn't like this. She wasn't tired and didn't understand why she couldn't continue her treasure hunt in the shag rug. She already found three pieces of dried up food and one tiny piece of plastic that she was determined to lodge in her throat. Why was I ruining all her fun????
So then we expanded her play area by moving the coffee table, laid out all her toys and cranked Sharon, Lois and Bram. We were going to have a dance party! Unfortunately, I was the only one dancing. Because she hadn't had a nap, she was in a baby zombie-like state. Too tired to dance, but not tired enough to go to sleep -- or discontinue her treasure hunt.
Then I hit Google. "Indoor activities for a one-year-old". Hmm...Play Dough? Nope. No time to make it. Colouring? Um...I might skip that one for now. Ooh! A "water table"! Now that sounded promising!
I filled a basin with soapy water, threw in some plastic kitchen utensils of different shapes, laid out a few towels on the floor and -- voila! Hours of entertainment! Sure, I could have put her in the bath, but then I'd have to spend my day on the floor in the bathroom. This allowed me to supervise while sitting on the comfy couch and replying to emails.
With winter just around the corner, I'm definitely going to keep this game in my back pocket. What are your go-to indoor activities? I'm eager to add more to my repertoire!