Hosting a weekly family game night is a great way for working moms to spend quality time with the kids.
It’s hard to have the energy to play with the kids when you get home from a long day of work. My 10 year old son doesn’t typically want to “sit down and play” with me. He’d much rather watch Minecraft videos on Youtube, play games on the XBOX, or talk to his friends on the phone (…about Minecraft or playing games on the XBOX).
However, my three year old daughter is all about self-directed play…meaning she directs play with me. Notice I did not say independent play. If she’s not taking my order at the restaurant, she is teaching me the days of the week, or instructing me on how to crack and mix eggs. I appreciate this, really I do. I know that this is just a season and it will pass. But, sometimes that’s hard to remember when all I want to do is sit down for a few minutes and veg out, after being up and at ’em for 12 hours.
I have learned, though, that if I just give them a few minutes of my time, the evening generally goes smoother. So, my routine is to ask my fifth grader about his day, his homework, and his after school activities. Then, I will play with my daughter for a few minutes before sitting down to tackle dinner, a project, or some writing. Another great way for us to get quality time is to carve out time for family game night.
As you can see in the picture above, some of our favorite games are Monopoly, Sorry, Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, Dominoes, and Operation.
Disclosure: I have partnered with a sponsor to write this post. Infographic provided by FamilyGameNight.net. I have been compensated for my time spent writing. All opinions are my own.
Read other posts in the 31 Days to Make Being a Working Mom Easier series.
[…] Find Quality Time for the Kids […]