As a single parent, we always try to do as much as we can for our little ones. A clean house, food to be made, clean clothes to be washed then put away. Get them to school, to their sport events, music gathering, etc. We are often and I am guilty of this as well, get so busy and then we lose track of time and then we get tired and then it’s time for bed. I don’t know about you but the look of disappointment on my kid’s face is daunting, to look upon.
So, during the week, I made a promise to my daughter that this upcoming Saturday, well now past Saturday, we will do an all-day game day. Seeing that she is always asking to play games I figured I can do this for her. So, I put aside my work, housework and grabbed all the games Friday night, placed them in the living room, so that way we will be ready for Saturday.
Although with kids you have to come to an agreement. I say this so that way I am not behind on my work. I told her, if we are to play all day Saturday then we need to seriously clean Friday night, so we don’t have to worry about it later. Boy did that work! We cleaned and I have never seen her clean so fast in my life and I had seen my daughter do things I never imagined her doing without a fight. I was great!
She did the dishes, started the laundry after gathering up all of the clothes, cleaned her room and the toy room. While I cleaned vacuumed, dusted, moped folded the clothes and cleaned the kitchen.
Saturday came and she was the first to be up. Go figure. Naturally, I do my morning routine then go downstairs. I knew we weren’t going anywhere, So I wore one of the national clothes that most mothers wear. My PJ’s! Yoga pants coming in second depending on if I wanted to change out of them later or not. But you can choose any to your preference.
Oh yeah, can’t forget the slippers, messy hair and coffee. I was so ready for the day.
We had our breakfast of eggs and toast. While we ate, we watched a movie for a bit. Once done, we rinsed off our plates and placed it in the sink. Which is foreign to me because, I just wash it so I wouldn’t have to do it later. But I made a promise to do no housework.
We mainly stayed in our living room. Now if you can imagine a bunch of board games all over the floor. That is what my house looked like.
The games we played were:
- Connect four
- Trouble
- Guess who
- Rudolph the red nose reindeer
- Uno attack
- Ready set sloth!
- Sloth in my broth
- Monopoly
After a few hours per game, she wanted to play on the Nintendo switch. A two-player game of Super Mario. This was different for me to have in my hands. It was so tiny!
We even went outside and played a few hours of catch, pitching, hitting the ball and even jumped on the trampoline. We were out there till it was almost dark.
When we were done with one game, we’d start a new one. She surprised me with games I didn’t know we still had. Sometimes she would even combined games that sort of made sense to play. Like Yatzee-uno, or High ho Cherry oh- trouble. That will have to be a different day on how we combined those games to make it fun to do.
We did this all day. We either had music playing or had a movie on for background noise.
Normally I would get the house ready for the next week, but I am so glad that I didn’t. I loved spending time with my daughter. I have to say, not having to do anything but have fun playing games, laughing with my daughter was a blast!
So, if one day take the time to do whatever your kid wants to do (with reason). I guarantee you, wont regret it and your kids will remember it for years to come.
I think my daughter just appreciated being around me. Which draws at the heart strings a little. So, what I am saying is that being a single mother is hard but always take the time to be with them. You don’t have to buy things for them, it’s the time spent with them that will be the very thing that they will cherish the most. Don’t miss out on your kids cause one day, in a blink of an eye, they will be grown, and you would have missed out on the best thing.
Growing up with them.
Take care, be well and stay safe.