Can’t We Just Stay At Home?

I like to think I’m a fun mom. Most days of the week, I’ll take the kids out to do something they enjoy like the park, swimming, library, beach or bookstore. We do lots of other things like Aquarium, playdates, farm, waterslides and scavenger hunts. I feel like it’s important to do that with the kids to keep them engaged, inquisitive and learning. I also want them to have great memories of their childhood and all the fun things we did.

Then the other day my five-year old asks me, “Can’t we just stay at home?”

I was so surprised. Here I am, trying to plan all this fun stuff for them and I’m getting a request to just stay home all day.

So that’s exactly what we did today. We had a slow start this morning and stayed in our pj’s for a while as we read some books in bed.

reading in bed

Then we tackled breakfast. I have to admit, it was really nice not having to rush and worry about getting out of the house in time and making sure I had snacks, water bottles, hats, sunscreen etc.

This is what the rest of our day entailed:

First we made button pins, a fun activity I’d been saving for a rainy day but they kids really wanted to make them! They made four pins each and wore them proudly for the rest of the day.

wearing their button pins

After that it was some chores, more reading then outside for biking riding, drawing with sidewalk chalk and some fascinating bug watching.

day at home collage

Of course there were meals, snacks, some TV so I could prepare and of course the mandatory board games and Lego.

playing monopoly

Staying home for the whole day makes the day seem a whole lot longer! But we all did have a lot of fun.  So maybe each week or two I need to make one mandatory stay at home day for the kids. What do you think? How do you usually spend your days with the kids. Do you try and get out everyday or usually stay close to home?

19 thoughts on “Can’t We Just Stay At Home?

  1. Hi Salma,

    Sometimes we are so caught up in planning things for our kids we forget to ask them what they would like to do. I bet it was so nice to just have a relaxing day at home. What a great way to connect as a family. It is almost like a date night. When it is over you just appreciate each other that much more. I am sure your kids appreciated mommy and connected with her really well on that day. It will be a day they never forget. Thanks for sharing.

  2. First, your kids are adorable!
    Secondly, stay at home days are great! Not only does it save you some money but it helps with that QUALITY time that is so important to kiddos.
    Great post!.

  3. It looks like the kids and you enjoyed the stay home day. They are having so much fun and you look relaxed too. You are a great mother, sometimes I wonder where do you get so much stamina. Keep it up.

  4. I love being out and about, I like to plan fun family things but hubby and my daughter would rather be at home, they are not social people at all

  5. I love slow start days that I can hang out for a while… I often get up even earlier on weekends to have more time to spend with my slow starts and hanging out at home doing nothing much important.

  6. I think it’s important to have stay home days (we love ours), and also to have non-structured time. I rarely get my kids to do projects or activities – they spend a lot of time making up games or playing independently. I’d like to be the kind of mom that does more outings but with the big age range between them and the fact that there are 3 of them makes it a lot of work. Hopefully as the littlest becomes less physical work I will get out more, but for now am really glad that they are happy at home and playing outside with neighbours!

    1. You are right, it’s important and nice to do that. And the kids are now able to play for long periods of time without me and just enjoy playing together! That’s wonderful that your neighbourhood plays together. I’d love to live in an area like that 🙂

  7. Sounds like a fun day! Sometimes just staying home and spending time together is a really great day, and one you will remember forever!

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