So here we were, the first real day of my sons holiday break from school, and with a newborn baby at home and about 3 hours of sleep under my belt, I knew it was going to be an interesting day! Here are a few things I found through some trial and error to be the most effective for having a successful Mommy day with both my baby boy and my six year old son. Hopefully you might find some of these things helpful – and if you already knew most of them – kudos to you for beating me to the punch! I’m new at this “Mom of Two” game =))

1.) Play Restaurant!
Allow your older child to make you lunch, and maybe make themselves lunch while their at it. Nothing too fancy – a simple PB&J will do! But if you make it fun for them, allow them to be the chef and the waiter while you sit at the kitchen table enjoying their creations, they’ll be entertained and occupied while your able to knock some things off your “to-do” list while even getting to eat something…a win win, I think!

2.) A little mood music anyone??
If your baby is anything like mine, then he/she likes music and can usually be kept fairly content with some tunes playing. And if your school aged child is anything like mine, then he/she probably likes to be in control! Give your older child the ability to put on a concert or be the DJ for the day and let them create a little soundtrack to your day while keeping you and your littlest one entertained and calm.

3.) VACUUM!
Sounds random – but does the monotonous sound of the vacuum make you want to snuggle up and drift off to sleep?? Well then it may work for your kids! Today I put the baby in the swing, told my oldest to pretend like the floor was hot lava and make a snugly spot for himself on the couch and before I could vacuum even half the room, the both of them were in la-la land, and I was halfway to having a carpet I was no longer ashamed of…hahaaa…not a bad deal!

4.) Walk it out….
This doesn’t work of course for bad weather or super chilly days…but a good walk outside can do everyone some good. And so long as it’s safe to do so, my oldest likes the job of pushing the stroller, and it gives me some time to just enjoy them both in the nice fresh air.

5.) Movie Snuggles!
It doesn’t matter what age you are, a good movie and a good snuggle never gets old. And no one is better at snuggling than a newborn babe! So let your oldest pick the movie, grab a good snack and snuggle up on the couch for some family time and relaxation.

6.) Bath Time
One of the things my baby loves is bath time. And since he is so happy and behaved, I’m able to allow my oldest to help out with the bath. Its a great bonding experience for them, and you get a squeaky clean baby in the end. A great way to include them both in something thats both fun and productive.

7.) Story-time
My son is at the age where he is just learning to read independently. And my baby is still little enough where the sound of a voice is really soothing and comforting no matter what the context. Create a story-time to read to both or have the oldest read to you and the baby. Its great for both brains, and a good way to pass some time quietly.

8.) I spy!
So if your like me, you probably feel like you spend half your day in the rocking chair with the baby, and you feel sad when your older children actually ask you if you’ve moved at all today! But the great thing about the “I Spy” game is you can be feeding your baby and playing it with your older ones at the same time. For anyone who doesn’t know the game…you take turns “spying” different objects in the room, only identifying them usually by their color, and then have the other person try and guess. Keeps the little ones busy for awhile, and you can be stationary for awhile and feel no guilt!

9.) Reward the Quiet!
Last, but certainly not least…its taken awhile for my oldest to finally catch on to the fact that if he’s quiet and lets the baby take a nap, Mom will have more time to play with him independently and without burping, feeding or changing his brother! So, don’t hesitate to use that to your advantage and challenge the older children to play as quietly as possibly while your getting baby to nap, and then reward them with some great one on one play time during the nap!