Help! Mom is going on a trip for a week? 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids.

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 2 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #7,574 in Family, #250,217 overall

Help! Mom is going on a trip for a week? 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids.

My wife recently had to go out of town to help a family member and asked me to stay home with the kids. My initial reaction was...Ugh! But after some coaching and reassurance from my wife, I started putting together a plan of action. 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids will give you some great ideas that you can use for one hour or one week with your children. I know some of you guys are thinking, I can do it, no problem. But, we are talking 7 days straight. Not one or two hours, while your wife goes to a store. Some people can feel overwhelmed, even with their own children, and this list will help give you some great ideas. If you have an idea or suggestion on how to have fun and survive while mom's away for a week, let me know.

Photo Source: Freefoto.com

Help! Mom's gone for a week. 

The Everything Father's First Year Book: A Survival Guide For The First 12 Months Of Being A Dad (Everything: Parenting and Family) by Vincent, M.D. Iannelli

The Everything Father's First Year Book: A Survival Guide For The First 12 Months Of Being A Dad (Everything: Parenting and Family) by Vincent, M.D. Iannelli

If you're about to become a new father and you don more...0 points

How to Feel Manly in a Minivan: The Desperate Dad's Survival Guide by Craig Boreth

How to Feel Manly in a Minivan: The Desperate Dad's Survival Guide by Craig Boreth

For every guy who has wondered how he could possib more...0 points

The Divorced Dad's Survival Book: How to Stay Connected with Your Kids by David Knox, Kermit Leggett

The Divorced Dad's Survival Book: How to Stay Connected with Your Kids by David Knox, Kermit Leggett

The Divorced Dad's Survival Book: How to Stay Conn more...0 points

One of 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids 

What's your favorite meal? Do you go crazy for homemade lasagna, french bread, and a caesar salad? Well, your kids do too. Maybe not this meal, but they have favorites. Find out what your children's favorite foods are, and make them happy. I have a 4 year old daughter that eats most foods but a 2 year old son that is Mr. Picky. He won't eat meat and eats a lot of fruits and vegetables. Since my wife is gone for a week, I figure I need to plan three meals a day for seven days, right? Wrong! Kids eat snacks and you always need a backup meal, just in case one burnt or wasn't a hit. These meals should be fun. Mom is away and we should eat healthy, so let's go to it. I had my 4 year old daughter help me with the list. She loves to help, and this is a perfect assignment. She even likes to feed my 2 year old son.

Make a list of your favorite meals.
Make a list of your kids favorite meals.
Can you combine these into one meal for you and the kids?
If the kids like fruit and you like yogurt. Make a fruit smoothie.

Not sure what your kids like to eat or what your wife buys at the grocery store? Do you shop with a club card at the supermarket? We shop a Safeway for some of our groceries and they track your purchases through your club card. Go to www.safeway.com and create and account and enter your club card number. Yeah! You can now view your entire shopping history. You could also do this if you want to impress your wife with a home cooked meal. Don't know how she makes her favorite dish? The website will have all the ingredients for the recipe.

Great books to help prepare fun meals for kids 

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

<p>It has become common knowledge that child more...0 points

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine

Parents will do almost anything to get their kids more...0 points

Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids by Rachael Ray

Cooking Rocks! Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids by Rachael Ray

Kids rock! says Rachael, and it seems the feeling more...0 points

Better Than Peanut Butter & Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love! Revised Edition by Marty Mattare, Wendy Muldawer

Better Than Peanut Butter &amp; Jelly: Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love! Revised Edition by Marty Mattare, Wendy Muldawer

This new revised edition of the trusted guide to v more...0 points

Cook It in a Cup!: Quick Meals and Treats Kids Can Cook in Silicone Cups by Julia Myall

Cook It in a Cup!: Quick Meals and Treats Kids Can Cook in Silicone Cups by Julia Myall

Cook It in a Cup! -- This fresh take on kids-in-th more...0 points

Two of 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids 

Do you like hanging out with your friends and playing hoops or going to the gym and working out? Find out who your kids like to play with and get parents info and telephone numbers. Call them up and let them know your wife is out of town and you want to do a play date. A what? Yeah, I know. Better yet, call up a buddy that has a child the same age as yours, and take them to the park. You guys can catch up and the kids can have fun for an hour or two playing together.
Sounds great if your child is potty trained, but what if one of your children is under 3? Don't forget that diaper bag and snacks for the park. Remember the snacks, always. You get hungry and grumpy after working out, so do the kids. Pack apple slices, raisins, water, juice, crackers, animal cookies, and string cheese. Lot's of options and the kids will be happy when you drive home.

Some other ideas for play dates:

Library, go for a walk, bike ride, jogging stroller, and movies.

Outdoor games and activity ideas 

Outdoor Fun and Games for Kids: Over 100 Activities for 3 - 11 Year Olds by Jane Kemp, Clare Walters

Outdoor Fun and Games for Kids: Over 100 Activities for 3 - 11 Year Olds by Jane Kemp, Clare Walters

A lively game not only enables young muscles to gr more...1 point

Kids Campfire Book, The: Official Book of Campfire Fun (Family Fun) by Jane Drake, Ann Love

Kids Campfire Book, The: Official Book of Campfire Fun (Family Fun) by Jane Drake, Ann Love

The Kids Campfire Book has everything you need to more...0 points

Attention Games: 101 Fun, Easy Games That Help Kids Learn To Focus by Barbara Sher

Attention Games: 101 Fun, Easy Games That Help Kids Learn To Focus by Barbara Sher

If you want to focus children's attention, you fir more...0 points

Three of 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids 

Did you have dreams when you were a kid? I wanted to be a fireman or a pilot. Take this opportunity to tell your kids your dreams and visit a fire station or airport. I live in the bay area and we have 4 major airports and dozens of local ones. At local airports you can get up and see the planes and maybe even talk to a pilot. If you have the money, you could arrange for a one hour flight with the kids. If you call ahead you might get a tour of a fire station and meet some firefighters. I've taken the kids and we were able to tour a fire engine and sit inside. Very cool, for me and the kids. Did you dream of being a baseball player? Go to a high school or college baseball game. Tell you kids about the game and let them experience it. Get to the game early and watch batting practice. They could meet the players and maybe get a ball. They will remember this day forever!

"When I grow up" books. Share your dreams with your children and listen to theirs. 

When I Grow Up I'm Going to Be a Hockey Star by Kimberly Jo Simac

When I Grow Up I'm Going to Be a Hockey Star by Kimberly Jo Simac

Nearly all kids who learn to play hockey dream of more...0 points

I Want to be a Veterinarian When I Grow Up by Dr. Chad M. Hamel

I Want to be a Veterinarian When I Grow Up by Dr. Chad M. Hamel

Most children grow up wanting to be a firefighter more...0 points

When I Grow Up : Cool Jobs I Might Want to Have by Bruce Lansky

When I Grow Up : Cool Jobs I Might Want to Have by Bruce Lansky

This is a book that parents "write" with more...0 points

When I Grow Up: A Young Person's Guide to Interesting and Unusual Occupations by Jessica Loy

When I Grow Up: A Young Person's Guide to Interesting and Unusual Occupations by Jessica Loy

What do you want to be when you grow up? Consider more...0 points

I Want To Be a Kid When I Grow Up: Adults' Guide to Sanity, Freedom and Happiness by Margaret Maes

I Want To Be a Kid When I Grow Up: Adults' Guide to Sanity, Freedom and Happiness by Margaret Maes

Somehow we adults have managed to create lives tha more...0 points

When I Grow Up I Can Be... by Marie, A. Broadwater

When I Grow Up I Can Be... by Marie, A. Broadwater

Marie Broadwater has limitless creativity, showcas more...0 points

Great bedtime books 

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

The 1964 Caldecott Medal Winner for the Most Disti more...0 points

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

Time for Bed by Mem Fox

Darkness is falling everywhere and little ones are more...0 points

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam Mcbratney

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam Mcbratney

The tender contest between Little Nutbrown Hare an more...0 points

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

In this classic of children?s literature, beloved more...0 points

Four of 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids 

Do you hate to go shopping for birthdays, Christmas, holidays, anniversaries, and Mother's Day? Great! Now you have a week to get all the presents your wife every needed. If you want to create gifts for your wife that she will remember and keep forever, gather the children. The best part, this will cost almost nothing. Does your wife love getting notes and cards from you and the kids? Duh, sure she does. Get the kids to create one of a kind cards with paper, pens, paint, construction paper. Get creative, and have fun. Be sure you get in on the action as well, your kids will enjoy it more. Do you have a few dollars to spend? Buy your wife a Starbucks prepaid card for one or two drinks and have your kids make a card of her enjoying her coffee. Have the kids get some yarn and past noodles and make her a necklace. Want to earn some serious brownie points for your next anniversary? Take one of your wedding pictures, and make a copy of it. Important word, copy! Go to Staples, Office Max, anywhere you can make a color or b/w copy. Create a greeting card with your picture and write her a personal note about your time with the kids and how much you miss her. If you are creative you can scan the picture into your computer and design your own greeting card.

Kids craft ideas 

IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit

IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit

IlluStory <p>Write and illustrate your own b more...0 points

The Toddlers Busy Book by Trish Kuffner

The Toddlers Busy Book by Trish Kuffner

<b>365 fun, creative activities to stimulate more...0 points

Ed Emberley's Complete Funprint Drawing Book by Ed Emberley

Ed Emberley's Complete Funprint Drawing Book by Ed Emberley

ver two million copies of Ed Emberley's innovative more...0 points

40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can't Resist (Grades 4-8) by Marcia Miller, Martin Lee

40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can't Resist (Grades 4-8) by Marcia Miller, Martin Lee

Humorous, reproducible math mystery stories will g more...0 points

Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need to Know When You Start to Sew by Elissa K. Meyrich

Sew Fast Sew Easy: All You Need to Know When You Start to Sew by Elissa K. Meyrich

Includes three ready-to-use patterns<br />&l more...0 points

Great Children's Movies 

Useful to let you cook dinner or clean up before mom comes home

001- Night at the Museum

Chaos reigns at the natural history museum when night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) accidentall...
002- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

When four London children (Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Anna Popplewell) are...
003- WALL-E

In a futuristic world, human beings have destroyed Earth and evacuated the planet, leaving the clean...
004- Ratatouille

Brad Bird (The Incredibles) co-directs this Oscar-winning Pixar offering about a passionate rat name...
005- Cars

Prepare to peel out with this revved-up animated adventure featuring classic automobiles, plenty of...
Try Netflix free for 14 days
Rent from Netflix

Five of 5 ways to survive and have fun with your kids 

Do you have a list of 100 projects you want to accomplish at your house? Gardening, wash the car, wash the dog, or painting. Me too! When my wife was gone I got really frustrated that my list would continue to grow and I wouldn't be able to tackle one project. I decided to wash two cars with my 4 and 2 year old. I got really frustrated when my 2 year old decided to spray the car again with the hose while was drying it off. My 4 year old got wet and started to cry. I got mad at my son and well, chaos. Lesson learned. Bathing suits! It was a beautiful day and why not have fun. I even got to work on watering some brown spots on the lawn. The next car was easier and I had my 2 year old hose down the car and then water the grass. While he was busy watering, my 4 year old and I dried the car and sang some songs.
The next day we tackled my second project and we washed the dog. We put on the swimsuits again and my 2 year old got to hold the hose. My 4 year old put shampoo on the dogs and I scrubbed. My 2 year old got distracted and started watering the lawn again. Great, it needed it. I was so happy to knock off two items off my list. My only frustrations was that I didn't have time to think of more projects we could accomplish together. I'm sure you have projects around your house, take the time to have fun as a family. The next time it's time to wash the car or dogs, your kids will be pros.

Outdoor projects you can do with your kids 

The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden

The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden

<p> The bestselling book for every boy from more...0 points

Super Duper Art & Craft Activity Book: Over 75 Indoor and Outdoor Projects for Kids (52 Series)

Super Duper Art &amp; Craft Activity Book: Over 75 Indoor and Outdoor Projects for Kids (52 Series)

Banish boredom forever! Using materials easily fou more...0 points

Sports Science: 40 Goal-Scoring, High-Flying, Medal-Winning Experiments for Kids by Jim Wiese

Sports Science: 40 Goal-Scoring, High-Flying, Medal-Winning Experiments for Kids by Jim Wiese

Dive headfirst into the science behind sports--and more...0 points

Wally's Big Book of Gardening: Featuring Indoor and Outdoor Projects by Susanne Tommes

Wally's Big Book of Gardening: Featuring Indoor and Outdoor Projects by Susanne Tommes

Wally the mole, a natural expert on the earth bene more...0 points

Congratulations! You survived a week with the kids by yourself. 

Show your wife and friends that you are a super hero! Or, buy this shirt for your man and let him know that you noticed his effort.
Powered by CafePress

New Guestbook 

submit

 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

by ScottE

Thank you for visiting my lens and I hope you take a moment to leave a comment and let me know if the information provided was useful for you. (more)

Explore related pages

Create a Lens!