Fun Things to Do

Finally got around to compiling some of my favorite entries from two great books.

“things to do now that you’re…a mom” Elfrea Lockley
• Buy a newspaper &/or the number one single from the day on which your baby was born, and tuck it away for baby when he’s older.
• “Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow, for babies grow up, I’ve learned, to my sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep. I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep.”
• Invent a new recipe and name it after your baby. This may take several attempts!
• If you want to see the latest blockbuster, many local movie theaters hold regular mother-and-baby screenings, where no one minds if there is a bit of background noise. If your local theater doesn’t do them, ask them if they’ll consider starting.
• Turn your kitchen into Vegas! Get together and play poker with other moms. No money needs to change hands with Mom’s Poker. Be inventive with the chips: breast pads, rusks, or carrots will do! Or how about chits for services – an hour’s babysitting, a tray of cookies, a glass of wine upon request. Anything goes!
• If you’re not sure how to meet more women with babies search online for sites such as www.cafemom.com. Look for local mother and baby groups, or hang out in the trndy new “breastfeeding cafes.”
• Keep a video diary of your days as a mom – these early days will pass faster than you think.
• Write a poem for your baby, to see if you can encapsulate the love you feel into words.
• Enjoy the umor of being a mom and write a limerick about your child. “There was a young baby called…” It won’t be long before your baby can recite it back to you!
• Laughter lifts the spirits like nothing else, so organize a babysitter and go to a comedy club. Or sit down to watch a funny movie with your baby. He’ll find your giggles infectious!
• “There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.” Chinese Proverb
• Take advantage of nursery facilities to get a little exercise, take a swim, or just wallow in a steam bath for an hour or so. Your baby will enjoy the new sights and sounds of a busy childcare facility, and you’ll get a much-needed break.
• “There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.” Hodding Carter Jr.
• Your home should be a representation of the new you. Get rid of anything that no longer seems to reflect the changes you feel, and make some room in your house and heart for all the new possibilities that lie ahead.
• Invent a story with your baby as the central character and type it up. When he’s old enough, you can ask him to illustrate it for you.
• Our ancestors marked the year according to the phases of the moon (the lunar cycle), and believed that each cycles is linked to a tree. Choose the tree that represents the moon at your child’s birth (you can find this in a Celtic tree calendar, if you are stuck), and plant one to honor your child’s birth.
• Buy a pretty piece of jewelry with your baby’s birthstone to offer as a “naming” gift, or just to celebrate her birth.
• “The best thing you can give children, next to good habits, are good memories.” Sydney J. Harris
• Walk barefoot in the sand with a newly toddling baby.
• Find a stick and write your child’s name in six-foot letters on a sandy beach.
• Live out fairy tales with your baby – visit castles, forests, and palaces, and make up stories as you go.
• Turn a floor-level cabinet into a “No Asking” cupboard and fill it with healthy snacks, crayons, and paper to nurture your child’s growing sense of independence.
“The Rookie Mom’s Handbook” Heather Gibbs Flett & Whitney Moss
• Make a time capsule
o Old Fashion Way: decorate a box, include front section of newspaper, print a pic of family car, technology (like an ipod & say what it does).
o Lazy-Woman’s Way: Use a camera to document stuff around the house & life
• When scrapbooking ad quotes like, Aunt Sharon says, “Cutest baby ever!”
• Photograph a nasty crying jag: you’ll have lots of pictures of baby being cute so don’t forget to document the hard times too.
• Go for a swim.
• If a book-club is too time consuming, start a movie-club.
• Create a comic strip: choose 3-5 photographs to assemble into a little story. Get some thought bubble stickers intended for scrapbooking and have fun. Feature friends & siblings too. Post on your fridge.
• Go to baby or toddler story time at the library.
• Go to an outdoor concert with baby.
• Document examples of bad parenting: Do you let your baby hold your beer bottle just for a laugh? How about putting her in the driver’s seat of the car so she can “steer”? Take a series of pictures that demonstrate “What Not To Do” and share them with your friends for a laugh.
• Alter your board books: if you don’t like the original content of the book, first coat all the pages, including the cover, with nontoxic paint. When its dry, use letter stickers or go freehand to add your own title to the cover. Use the inside pages to tell a story or, teach vocabulary with big pictures and subtitles.
• Purge your crap the easy way
o Select 3 things to throw away in each room.
o Select 3 things to donate from each room.
o Walk through the house with a bag or box & fill with things you’re not quite ready to part with and store it away until you are.
o Repeat monthly.
• Throw a themed potluck dinner party.
• Take pictures of baby contortionism.
• Blow bubbles for baby.
• Create a family photo wall to show off long distance relatives & friends to baby.
• Make a memory game with cardstock & photos of family/friends.
• Give your baby a pickle.
• Use a laundry basket to contain baby for fun or for rides around the house.
• Take a picture of baby against some excellent graffiti. The contract of the urban and baby is very edgy.
• Take 1-2-3 pictures: document baby’s ability to wave or clap, or expressions that build, etc then frame in 3 space frames.
• Document baby’s birthplace: take pictures of baby with items that help document the town/city where baby was born. Feature landmarks, local celebrities.
• Record baby laughing or babbling: use digital camera or phone record.
• Photograph the inanimate objects, too: if your baby has a security object, such as a blanket or stuffed animal, take a photo of it too.
o For the sentimental: sneak a picture of baby & item snuggling during sleep.
o For the absurdist: photograph item on a lounge chair or hanging in a tree.
o For the bad girl: position item doing adult activities such as drinking beer, watching TV or driving the car.
• Produce a year-end DVD. Google “muvee” for a great program to use.
• Hang out in the backyard with some fun stations:
o Water – a large plastic bowl of water and some measuring spoons & cups.
o Tunnel – collapsible nylon tunnels are inexpensive in the store.
o Kiddie pool
o Bubbles
o Tent it
o Push toys
o Beach Balls
• Birthday Party Idea…if you have a ton of kids coming, make baby trading cards to hand out as favors. Make a set for everyone, then shuffle so not in order & distribute to families. Then everyone has to go around trading to make a complete set.
o To make: have a photo & some trivia &/or stats and use business card sheets (available at dollar store).