The document provides tips for spending time with kids on days off from work or school. It suggests planning an activity that both parents and children will enjoy, such as going on a picnic to a park, playing a game chosen by the kids, taking a trip to a nearby location like the beach or park, or going for a relaxing walk together in the evening. The goal is to bond with children and engage in fun activities rather than just letting them watch TV or play on their own at home.

1. Spending Your Day off
With the Kids
BY CAROLE ARGO

2. Children 101
Sometimes, raising kids can feel like a full-time
job. It’s made a bit more hectic if you, like many
mothers do, are also working an actual full-time
job on top of it.
So, on more than one or two occasions,
parenting can be tumultuous and stressful, but
in the end, it’s an incredibly rewarding and
beautiful experience I wouldn’t give up for the
world.
If your kids are home for a few days, consider
planning an activity rather than letting them
run around the house endlessly bored and in
search of snacks and entertainment.

3. Quick Tips:
Plan something according to how
long you and your kids have off (a
day? a weekend? a summer?)
Choose activities that you'll BOTH
enjoy!
Choose something that allows you to
bond with your kids instead of sitting
them in front of the TV.

4. 1. A Picnic
There are few things that children enjoy more than eating their
favorite foods--so take those foods and bring them with you on a
picnic.
Lay out a blanket to a park and pour a few glasses of iced tea on a
nice warm summer afternoon and let the kids run around, eat and
enjoy themselves.

5. 2. Play a Game of Their Choice
Children typically do not like adult games, just as adult games aren’t
typically overwhelmingly enjoyed by playing Chutes and Ladders.
But if you’ve got time to spend with your children, it’s important
that they enjoy time spent with mom or dad. If it’s a rainy afternoon
or a picnic isn’t in the mix, let your kids pick out a game to play and
sit down and enjoy yourself.

6. 3. Take a Trip
The duration and distance of the trip can vary depending on how
much time you have off. If it’s a day, plan a trip somewhere an hour
or less away, whether it’s a park, outdoor theater or to a nice
restaurant. If you’ve got a weekend, consider a trip to the beach or a
camping weekend with the kids.

7. 4. Take a Walk
Unwinding with a walk as the sun begins to set is a great after-
dinner activity with your kids that will let them get out some of their
pent-up energy. Going for a walk is calming and allows you to have a
chance to talk to your kids, learn more about them and what’s going
on in their lives (if they’re older) or talk to them about yours (if
they’re younger) and remind them how much you love them (any
age).

8. CAROLEARGO.ORG