I love having the kids around during their summer break from school. There's not much of a schedule. We all sleep a little later. There's no homework to be done. And our wardrobe usually consists of t-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops.
But the biggest benefit of summer break is also the biggest drawback: The kids are around more. Like, all of the time. And their presence makes an afternoon quickie hard for my husband and me to pull off.
Over the past couple of summers, I've come up with some kid diversions that allow me and my husband to squeeze in a quickie every once in awhile. I mean, it's our summer break, too!
Here are five of my favorite diversions:
Send the kids outside: We ban the kids (two 13-year-olds and an 11-year-old) from the house for a set amount of time. Usually, it's 30 minutes. And they're not allowed to come back into the house until that time has passed. Once they're outside, they love it. They go on a bike ride or shoot hoops. And they have access to cold water in the garage refrigerator and cell phones for emergencies.
Use the electronic babysitter: We don't watch a lot of television in our house so when the kids sit down to watch a show, they get engrossed pretty fast. Electronic games will work here as well. The trick here is that the items they are using have to be items that usually only get used in small doses.
Go to the library: I'm not saying have a quickie in the library. Rather, take your kids to the library. Let them check out as many books as they want. And send them to their rooms to read. Again, give them a set amount of time to stay in their rooms. A good book can make them oblivious to their surroundings.
Pawn them off on a neighbor: But then tell your neighbor that you will return the favor in a few days. My kids love going down to my neighbor's house. Different toys, different snacks, and other kids to play with.
Lie: Tell your children that you don't feel well. You and your husband both have headaches. It's just a white lie. And in the long run, the lie will make you a better parent because, after your quickie, you'll be more relaxed and in a better mood. It works for me.
Try a few of these diversions before the kids head back to school. But a few words of advice: Lock your bedroom door (in case their book turns out to be boring) and remember, it's called a quickie for a reason.
How do you fit in an afternoon quickie when the kids are home from school?
Image via doortoriver/Flickr