What do you enjoy doing with your family? « Back to Group Discussions

[Catholic Mama]

Not just instead of watching television, but more positively, what do you and your family do together? (I hope that makes sense) This discussion can be similar to the "100 Things to do Instead of Watching TV" thread in the TV-Free forum, only we won't limit it to 100.

I enjoy reading to my children, planning meals, taking long walks, reading books, praying the Rosary, doing sit-ups with my oldest daughter, and journaling.

[sweetmilk]

I love to cook with my DS .I feel like he can really get involve in it and he love seeing the result. And it is kind of funny to think that he actually knows what goes in a spaghetti sauce or a chili or whatever we are eating that day and he is only 21/2 year old. He does more than some college kids!!!!

And we love taking walk and hiking.

[Catholic Mama]

That's great, sweetmilk! Thanks for reminding me that I need to let my children at least watch how I cook more often than I do; they are all order than your son (but still under 10)!

[PacificMar]

We love being outdoors, hiking, bicycling, dragonboating, and gardening. There's also nothing like reading in front of the fire on a chilly winter evening. Our daughter is only nine weeks but has been hiking with us in her Ergo carrier since she was two weeks old! We also are avid community theater performers, woodworkers, and  costume-makers and look forward to doing all kinds of creative things with her when she's old enough. Right now, she smiles when we do hammy fake accents and facial expressions.  

[Catholic Mama]

PacificMar, it's great that you carry your daughter around - and that you're able to amuse her! :)  My husband and I didn't obtain a carrier until our firstborn was a little older than yours, but when we did, we really enjoyed taking walks on a scenic abandoned road near the apartment we lived in.

This morning I was at my in-laws'. They have a very long driveway out in the country and I love walking up and down it for exercise. This morning my 2-year-old rode a 3-wheeler and my 3-year-old walked holding my hand, and we all had a great time.

[PacificMar]

Our office is in a coastal town (we're physicians and run our own practice, which is why we get to bring our little one with us to work), so whenever we get a longer lunch break, we go for walks on the beach. She loves the sound of the waves and we look forward to watching her play in the sand and run along the water's edge. My husband is an expert at teasing the waves and not getting splashed, but when one of our nephews visited, he was not as skilled at evasion. After getting soaked up to the thigh several times, he cried, "Back, cruel ocean! You have had your fun with me!"

[pek64]

My son and I spend much of our time writing. I hope to finish a book soon, and get it published. My son is also working on a book. Together we are writing scripts for a tv series we hope to produce. We looked at what has made the most impact on society, and it's television. We want to make a show that will model helpful, caring behavior.

[Catholic Mama]

Thanks for sharing that, PacificMar! :)

pek64, I think making a show like that is an admirable goal. Do you mind telling us what your book is about?

I also like to write - mostly journaling, sometimes a letter to a loved one, and more rare than I would like, a few pages in the mothers' book I hope to someday publish.

Another thing I've been doing lately is thinking about what I would like to teach my children. While I don't currently homeschool, there are a few things that I want to be sure they learn before they fly out of the nest in a few years, like basic cooking, operating a washer and dryer, and ironing.

[pek64]

I'm writing a teen detctive book, but I've been stuck for a little while. I realized there was an error in the plot. Now I have to figure out how to correct it without a major rewrite.

[Kamiro]

Instead of watching TV? Weeeeeell..

We read...a LOT.

I like to check out big photography books. We gather on my bed and all of us just look through amazing photography of wild life and what not.

I do a lesson of some sort. This may count as TV, but we like to do counting/educational videos on you tube that also involve exercise. A great one is Count to 100 fitness. It's just a fun song that helps get your heart pumping! The video isn't impressive, just the song and counting.

We have cross stitch, sewing, modeling clay, markers, color books up the wazoo, lots of stuffed animals (my kids LOVE playing pretend), work sheets...Sometimes we bake together, but some times that is super frustrating for me.

Just tons of fun things to do out there.

[glassesgirlnj]

I hope to get back to more hobbies when our LO is a little older! (Right now she's 14 months old, and our main hobby is chasing her from room to room and trying to keep things babyproofed...when we're not also caring for my wheelchair-bound mom, or I'm at the office, or my spouse is running one of his online businesses...)

But we do like taking long walks together as a family - we have a number of arboretums, cool downtowns, museums, and parks around here. And we read many, many board books to her every day - it's not uncommon for her to ask for half a dozen in a row!

We also enjoy listening to all kinds of music from Krzysztof Penderecki to Miles Davis to the Go-Go's. ;) And we like taking her to church services (we sit in the back and leave when she can't sit still anymore - at least she's getting the general idea).

Once she gets older, I hope she will enjoy our "glamping" trips (I insist on at least a cabin with electricity and hot water), and my hobby of collecting indie perfumes, especially Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. And I hope my spouse will teach her to cook - CERTAINLY I'm not qualified for that myself! ;)

[Momma2Maxwell]

My son is 6 months old and recently started solid foods.  I like to sit on the floor with him and show him each step involved in making his food.  I talk to him about colors and flavors, etc.  My husband is a musician so my son also likes to play on our hand drums.  We dance along to his rhythms and CDs.  He also likes looking at our blank TV since he can see his reflection..haha
 

[Catholic Mama]

Onemoreontheway, the photography books sound fun and educational. I only have one of those but I've seen them at the doctor's office.

It sounds like you have plenty of activities to keep your children occupied. That's great! If you don't mind my asking, at around what age do your children learn how to sew? I'm still learning but my oldest daughter was six when she started.

I can't stand markers because they tend to get all over hands and sometimes other things too, but we do crayons and I need to remember to get the colored pencils down sometime soon.

We have stuffed animals, too, and plenty of dolls. You know how adults like to ask children what their doll's names are? My children don't really name their dolls, which doesn't surprise me because I don't remember doing that, either. But my 2-year-old daughter carries her dolls around sometimes. Other than that they don't really play with the stuffed animals so I hope to give them away when my children are older.

I can understand about baking together being super frustrating. I do that rarely, and I do most or all of the cutting and measuring into the bowl.

glassesgirlnj, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate! It's wonderful that you have so much to walk to around you. We live about 15-20 minutes away from my in-laws and they are very good about taking us (I don't drive) - meaning my children, their grandchildren and I while my husband, their son works - to a park, or downtown in their town, or just inviting us over so we can explore their property. My toddlers (2 and 3) love it when I read to them to, and I try to do that every day. It's usually easy when we're at home and I don't have to compete with a TV! I play music for them, too, mostly classical and Gregorian. I hadn't heard of any of the artists you mentioned. Like you, we go to church at least once a week, and my husband takes over and takes one or both of our toddlers outside when they refuse to be quiet. Our 3-year-old loves to be loud and talk all the time, so he doesn't really like church yet. :)   I hope your spouse will teach your daughter to cook, too. I'm not qualified to teach a few other things that I hope to either learn or politely delegate, sewing and driving included.

Momma2Maxwell, welcome to the group! (along with everyone else who just joined) I applaud you for making your son's food for him instead of buying the food at the store like my husband and I did. Hand drums sound fun.

One thing I like to do that my children don't necessarily (hopefully I can add a 'yet') is clean. Yesterday morning my 7-year-old daughter, my oldest, asked me for the lyrics of our favorite CD - Singing Nuns' "God Of Loveliness" - and I knew it was buried in the pile of papers under this laptop (it's lifted up so that it can be more at my eye level) so I gladly started recycling papers, putting papers away, and decluttering under the laptop until I found the lyrics. Anyway, enough about me. Thanks for contributing, everyone! I hope you and your families are all having a great day.

[pek64]

I gave up church a long time ago. My husband didn't help out, and after my parents traumatized my son, I couldn't take him into church without him freaking out at the sight of a crucifix. He was three. I wonder, sometimes, how different life would have been if others had behaved differently. And some days I wonder how I caused all the crap. Most days, though, I just remind myself that they made their own choices.

[Catholic Mama]

pek64, I don't intend to get into a religious debate or conversation here on Mothering, but I just want to say that I'm sorry that happened to your family. I hope that someday your son will fall in love with God and realize that He died on the cross out of love for us. On a slightly different note, happy Saint Valentine's day! :)

[pek64]

Sorry about that turn into self pity. I just wondered, briefly, how life might have been if people had behaved differently when he was young. Then, too, I felt momentary jealousy when reading about husbands helping at church. Oh, well. It was short lived, and I'm back to normal.


Happy Valentine's Day to all!!

[glassesgirlnj]

It's wonderful that you have so much to walk to around you.

Well, we live close to a major county road, so it's a little frustrating that we can only walk safely in one or two directions! There are lots of interesting things on the other side of the road, too, but it wouldn't be safe to cross with a toddler...

My spouse doesn't drive, either, by his own choice. It does cut down on the expense of owning two cars! (I'm not sure if you're familiar with the cost of car insurance in NJ, but it's HIGH!)

I play music for them, too, mostly classical and Gregorian. I hadn't heard of any of the artists you mentioned.

Are you familiar with Francis Poulenc? He's a 20th century composer who became a devout Catholic in the middle of his life. You might have heard his "Dialogues of the Carmelites" or "Litanies to the Black Madonna"...

Like you, we go to church at least once a week,

Um, I should mention we don't make it to church EVERY week! And sometimes just one parent goes.:blush: But we're working on it.

pek, I think a lot of American Catholics have complicated feelings about the Church. There's so much great art and so many works of charity that are Catholic-inspired, and then you have things like the abuse scandals and the Magdalene Laundries... it's hard! (On a lighter note, I also like detective stories and would be interested in reading yours...)

[Catholic Mama]

Great, now I don't feel so bad about not driving. (At least when I was growing up and my parents drove me everywhere, even when I was a teenager, it seemed like it was a burden to them. My husband never complains, though.)

No, I hadn't heard of Francis Poulenc, so thank you for introducing him to me! I hope to somehow listen to his music when I have money again, someday. (Ha ha)

Sorry I assumed that you go church every week. I applaud you for working on it, though.

While we're off topic, here's one of my favorite websites: http://cmri.org

And back on topic, here's a webpage I just read today and wanted to share, about things to do instead of watching TV:

9 awesome alternatives to TV