I’m going crazy. I’m 29 weeks pregnant with twins and have recently been put on strict bedrest due to early labor. I have 4 very energetic kids(oldest is 5, youngest is 2) who I stay at home with all day. At first it was really simple to pile them all onto the bed with me and watch movies all day until daddy got home but now they’re becoming bored with it and are wanting to get up and do something else all the time and I don’t know what to do. I can move from the bed to the couch, but that limits the children to playing in the living room because I can’t watch them if they are in any other room. I’m sure I’m not the only mama who has experienced the angst of bedrest and trying to entertain kids, so does anyone have any ideas of how I can keep them occupied all day in a contained area where I can see them? or should I just break down and finally ask my mother to come help me with the kids during the day?
I think I would ask my mom for help. I can’t imagine having four children running around and being on bedrest. It was bad enough with just one, for me! I know there are website you can go on that will give you ideas for how to entertain your children…
1)I read about one where a woman on bedrest had her children bring random items to her from throughout the house and she would make up a story around those items. She said it didn’t always make sense, but kids aren’t looking for that, just for someone to engage them.
2)I would be tempted to have them fingerpaint, etc, but to make it less messy you could always put it in plastic baggies and let them swirl the paint around in the bag.
3)My boys love to take baths, and when they get really bored, sometimes I can entertain them for 30 minutes in the bathtub with some shaving cream. I just let them draw on the tile wall with it.
3)Maybe you could make some salt dough and let them make little trinkets out of it, and then allow them to paint it once it has baked. 4) Have them put on a play for you.
5) I got some banner paper at Target. I think it was $5 for 50 feet. It’s approx. 15 inches high. I would pread a few sheets of that on the floor, or tape it to the wall and let them color. (with Washable markers!) Or perhaps the paper can become a hopscotch board, etc?
6) My older boy (3) loves this… I took an old shoe box (a rather large one) and cut a hole in the top large enough to fit a piece of mail through. I give him all my junk mail before it is shredded, and he loves pretending the mail is his, and sticks it in his own “mailbox”. This can keep him entertained for 30 minutes at a time.
7) Give your kids a roll of toilet paper, and see what they create. They may just shred it up, but I guarantee it will keep them entertained for a good while!
8) Get an elefun. It’s a little battery operated elephant that spouts pretend butterflies from its nose. My boys will be entertained for hours (if I can stand it that long) with this toy.
9) Give them a few sheets and blankets and let them build a fort.
10) I read about this earlier and am eager to try it with my boys… take 8 cups of flour and mix it with 1 cup of baby oil. The mixture is moldable but still has the consistency of flour. If you can watch them on your back porch, etc, I think this would be an excellent activity.
11) This may work for your younger children, though your older children may think it’s fun too, but I’ve heard of cooking a handful of spaghetti and once it cools just give it to your children to play with. It keeps them entertained for a while (then you put them in the bathtub where they can play for a while… Maybe get you an hour of mostly restful time?)
12) Put on a fun Cd and let them dance! Or a sing-along dvd.
13) [name]Baby[/name] Einstein is wonderful. It keeps kids involved and is educational. [name]Win[/name]-win!
I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head, but if I can find some websites to reference I’ll attach those later! Best of luck to you!
I just posted this yesterday. [name]Haven[/name]'t had them yet.
Hoping that I make it until at least 37 weeks if not longer. But I want to make it to term at least.