In need of a Sunday Funday? I’ve partnered with Zappos and Crocs to share the #FindYourFun movement and some tips to make your Sunday a Sunday with kids. #ZapposStyle
Lately our family has been embracing the Sunday FUNday mindset and making the most of a day that was once riddled with laundry and wishing for Saturday to return. Here’s how we do it with two kids of very different ages.
We Start Early
I get ahead of the game on Fridays by throwing a couple of loads of laundry in and folding them with Craig while we’re catching up on our favorite shows after the kids go to sleep. Romantic, right?
Craig and I have always both worked NY hours so we’re up early 7 days a week. 6:30 is officially sleeping in. Sometimes when Sundays roll around we throw everyone in our big bed for a while but I’ve found that delaying getting up only makes it harder.
These days we’ve been getting everyone dressed and fed early which is a chore, but pays dividends when you’re out seizing the day. Our favorite thing to do is head downtown to the water front. There is an amazing park that looks out to ships docking and has some very unique play equipment. Getting out early gives us a good chunk of time to enjoy the day and make sure both kids have some outdoor time before Blake takes a nap around noon.
We Take Turns
Craig and I take turns with the kids. Because Kayla and Blake have a 5+ year age gap their abilities are very different so sometimes we have to divide and conquer. Especially in wide open public places. The upside to this is that each child gets some one on one time with mom or dad. Undivided parental attention is rare when you have a sibling. I know, I have three of them.
Blake was desperate to go on the big kid slide which is super steep and fast so I climbed up the giant hill with him and slid down at the speed of light a bunch of times before calling sub and letting Craig take over on that.
We Make Them Share
Yep. One of the best parts of having a sibling. The lesson of sharing. We have officially reached the age where Blake wants everything that Kayla has and she isn’t exactly thrilled about it. As soon as Blake showed an interest in Kayla’s scooter I thought about running out and buying another one but then paused.
Until he is really old enough to use it and scoot along with her I’m going to let them duke it out even though life would be easier with two. As one of four girls I see the big picture lesson here. Siblings are who you first learn to share with. If you lash out with pterodactyl screeches and pushing, your sibling gets ice cream and your parents don’t get a phone call home from preschool which makes everyone’s life a little easier.
We Dress For Success
Trying to be a kid in a park wearing a party dress you’re not supposed to get dirty and fancy shoes stinks. I try very hard to find a balance of comfort and style for Kayla and Blake’s clothes as well as mine and Craig’s. Kayla has an endless supply of fun printed leggings and a few pairs of Crocs to choose from. These jelly sandals are her current favorite on the weekend (I have a matching pair) and she also has a glittery pair because, seven year olds and glitter.
Craig is probably the hardest to please in the balance of comfort and style. Left to his own devices I think he would wear mesh shorts (gag) and sneakers for all eternity. Lately We’ve settled on submersibles which are basically bathing suit/shorts hybrids that look like shorts an actual adult might wear.
I recently took a gamble and ordered him these slip ons which look like a pretty stylish casual shoe to me as well as some flip flops with arch support. To my surprise he liked the slips on so much he threw them in his bag for a weekend with the guys in Vegas because they are so lightweight and wound up wearing them all weekend!
We Leave Before The Bitter End
It’s amazing how quickly a happy day at the park can turn into a screamfest-total-meltdown-disaster at the park. We’ve all been there. If there is one parenting tactic that Craig and I are completely aligned on it’s the leave on a happy note plan. We don’t try to squeeze every last second out of the day. Kayla gets plenty of notice that her time to play is coming to an end. Blake is starting to understand the “all done” concept.
That’s how we tackle Sundays and find our fun! Everyone but Blake is wearing Crocs from Zappos.com. Poor guy’s feet are still a bit small for most styles, but he has a pair waiting for summer.
I love shopping Zappos.com because they have super fast free shipping, a ton of styles to choose from and a generous return policy for slackers like me who still need to ship their sister a box from five months ago. Oops!
