A MUM'S SECRET TO KEEPING KIDS BUSY EASILY

I have been quiet recently mostly because I have been busy with my little bundles of joy, the customer orders and some temporary health issues.

A few weeks ago, I had a cold just like most other family members but fortunately, it didn't last long after paying some conscious attention to my well being, daily diet and the sun exposure. One of our secrets to getting rid of a cold is some fresh homemade soup (mostly vegetable soups with some lentils) and pouring a raw mixture of freshly squeezed lemon, homegrown chilli flakes and crushed garlic into it. It works like a magic!

Early this week, however, something happened that took me all unprepared unlike a cold and I just had to accept it and deal with it as it happened. As I was at an open day of a school, looking around, having some chats, out of nowhere came this pain in my spine on the neck that made me almost immobile for the rest of the day. I am a young and a fairly healthy person and this was a total surprise to me. It turns out that somehow, one of those gentle head movements pinched a nerve on my neck which caused muscle spasms. So, this week, I have been mostly robot-like, not moving much, not laughing much, trying not to cough or sneeze. It is getting better day by day and seeing a physiotherapist the day after it happened has helped heaps.

The one thing that becomes a real luxury when you have young children is to be sick, even if it is temporarily and I am sure if you are a parent, you know what I am talking about. My little ones, aged 4 and 2, do not comprehend it well yet. They cannot really understand that Mummy can get sick and she may need some time to rest or be not on the move as they wish, when they wish sometimes. It is only fair on their behalf too, I suppose. So, we have all been trying to do our best to compromise as a family, as much as we could. Mr. Hubby stayed at home the first two days, the little one didn't get to stay in my arms as often as she normally likes to, Mr. Junior had to settle with not being able to go to the library on the day he wanted to etc. I, in the meantime, have been trying hard to give myself some rest while still being the main carer around the house and the kids for most of the week.

Luckily, this week has been beautiful weather-wise here in Melbourne and I have been using it to our advantage. Instead of trying to keep the kids at home bored and demanding, I have been encouraging them to go out for a gentle walk with me as it is an activity that doesn't really put pressure on my neck. It keeps them busy, while giving them some exercise that helps them sleep well and feel better whilst giving us all some strength, a change of environment and some positive energy. Walking is definitely one of my all-time favourites.

Look what else has been helpful (apart from going for a walk) in keeping the kids happily busy while letting me take it easy this week! They are all low-demand activities that once you get the kids started, they do not need you much (if not at all) for a while and you don't even need to do much afterwards either as they are pretty much mess-free!

Some arts and craft activities.

Chalk drawing.

Water paint (You can read more about this activity here).

Have a healthy day!