March break 2023 is officially upon us.
And while kids and school staff are no doubt celebrating the break — and deservedly so! — it’s possible I made them “pinkie swear” that they would, in fact, be taking them back in a week.
Since the moment the kids stepped foot off of the bus, it has felt like a whirlwind of logistical planning: Who can go where and when and how?
We have been inundated with their requests for playdates, sleepovers and other ways to have “fun” while doing our best to limit the extra screen time that will undoubtedly occur with two kids at home.
I won’t lie, it’s definitely much easier to plunk them in front of the television or an iPad while I try to work or get stuff done around the house, but we have learned the hard way over the last three years that the more they have them, the more they want them.
The new rules in our household is that in order to get a clue to where the device is hiding, you are required to complete several simple tasks — from ensuring their teeth are brushed, beds are made and rooms are tidy to reading for a set amount of time.
So far, it’s been a successful way to curb the addiction, if even just a little bit.
And sometimes they require additional clues, but mostly because it is possible we forgot where we hid them.
We consider ourselves to be pretty lucky in that not only do we have family close by who help out when we need it and over the last few years, I have managed to find myself an amazing little “village” of amazing people who have always stepped up to lend a helping hand when we find ourselves in a pinch.
We have created a pretty great “give and take” — kind of like a timeshare for kids, if you will. You take my kid this day and I will take yours another day.
This has also proven successful, and goes a long way in keeping Thing 1 and Thing 2 busy and avoiding their eyeballs from going raw from staring slack jawed at a screen for too long.
I have told Gramma and Grampa to make sure they earn their keep when they’re over there, and we also have plans to co-ordinate with a few folks in an effort to make everyone’s lives even just a little bit easier.
I know not everyone is as lucky as we have been, so to those moms, dads and all the other caregivers out there that are there to help, I hope you know how valued you are to the people you are helping. Even just an hour here and there can make a big difference in getting through the day sometimes without totally losing one's mind.
Nikki Cole is a staff reporter at BarrieToday.
