Some days with children can seem to last forever. Maybe everyone is out of sorts. Maybe you are just so exhausted that you can’t think of thing to do with those little bundles of energy.

Here are some ideas to keep on hand when you find yourself in the middle of a loooong day:

visit the neighbors

invite a friend over

put huge pieces of paper on the kitchen floor, let the kids “paint” with shaving cream or cool whip

play outside

let ’em wash the dishes for as long as they want to

stick them in the bathtub with measuring cups and a turkey baster

watch build-kids-up shows like Signing Time, The Tales of Beatrix Potter, or LeapFrog

read, read, and then read some more

play, “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers” over and over again (nap time will arrive early that day)

play any music! It’s always a mood changer.

have a tea party

bake cookies

eat cookies

give ’em a ball of yarn and kid-scissors

give ’em a roll of masking tape

do puzzles

let the kids text emogjs to your husband, your mother, your father, your sisters, your brothers,and your estranged cousins 🙂

do the laundry together (mere babes will sort darks and lights, put wet clothes in the dryer, AND sort underwear and socks)

give kids a plastic baby doll, a couple of cotton balls, a wash cloth and a small bowl of water for baby’s bathtime

make towers of blocks. Then, get out the remote control car and crash the towers (a recent discovery in our house)

make collages from old magazines or coupon fliers

take pictures of things around the house that begin with different letters of the alphabet

watch every single Hallmark ecard before sending one to your hubby/ daddy

make a fort under the table. A flashlight would be fun!

Hang in there, Mama. You’re going to make it today.