Motherhood: Thinking Outside The Cable Box

THINKING OUTSIDE THE CABLE BOX
By Cheryl Gochnauer

School’s only been out for 15 minutes, and already your kids are bored. If you’re on a tight budget – as many stay-at-home moms are “there’s nothing to do!” blues can’t be far behind.

Enough of that! Here are some things I’m doing with my daughters, Karen and Carrie, this summer. Let’s get you thinking about what’s available in your hometown, too.

In my area, some local theatres are showing $1.50 family movies at their early shows, 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. These movies are already on video (titles like Prince of Egypt, October Sky and Stuart Little), but my girls still like seeing their favorites on the big screen. Check theatres in your city to see if they’ve got something special going on. For instance, AMC Theatres still provide free popcorn with each ticket purchased on Wednesdays with a Movie Watcher card.

In many cities, AMF Bowling Centers are featuring one free game per child, per day, through mid-August. You just pay to rent shoes. What’s going on at your local bowling alley? How about the miniature golf courses, batting cages and skating rinks?

Visit your Parks and Recreation Department and ask for a map of local attractions, then take your children on a tour of your town’s parks. In my suburban hometown, there are two dozen “official” parks that run the gamut from lively softball fields and concession stands to quaint, quiet benches nestled in a half-acre haven. The girls and I will be checking them all out.

A family pool pass is great. Just pay once, then go as often as you like, without feeling like you have to stay all day to get your money’s worth. If you find the price of a pool pass to be out of budget range, consider investing in a collapsible pool for the backyard. Ours is 10 feet round by 2 feet deep. I turn my 7- and 11-year-old girls and their friends loose with Super Soakers and the sprinkler going. It’s cheap fun, and they’re entertained for the afternoon.

Other ideas:

Plan a progressive dinner, sampling ethnic foods as kids travel from one “country” (friend’s house) to another. For instance, have tacos or spaghetti at one home, fried rice at another, French fries at a third, and finish up with German chocolate cake and ice cream “from Alaska”. Not very healthy, but lots of fun!

Or turn your progressive dinner into a progressive games party. Go from house to house, enjoying a different activity at each stop. Example: shoot baskets, draw with chalk, play dress-up and “beauty parlor”, or use jump ropes and hula-hoops.

Take the kids on a safari hunt. In the evening, hide stuffed animals around the house or in the backyard, turn off most of the lights, then use flashlights to trap your quarry. Dump your catch in the living room, and set up your own zoo.

There’s more to summer than re-runs. Try some of these ideas, or your own unique variation, and whip up those potential mini-couch potatoes!

Comments?

You can e-mail Cheryl at cheryl@homebodies.org, and visit her website at www.homebodies.org.

Her new book, “So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom,” is available at your favorite bookstore.

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