We’re a month in to this lockdown, you’ve painted, created, read stories and watched Frozen 2 until your ears bled. Now it’s time to put your kids to work. Let’s be honest, you’ve fed them for years, kept them safe, washed their hands till they turned to sand paper and now it’s pay back!!! Of course, I’m joking but in all seriousness having a project you can work on together will helps to bring a little focus in the chaos .
We still have a way to go before things go back to any kind of normal and last months entertainment is already getting tired. My locked up little *treasure need something practical to focus on and in all fairness so do I. We love DIY and gardening so with that in mind, I’ve dug out the paint, dusted the cobwebs from the brushes and this week we plan to get down and dirty.
*I used the word treasures as today is a good day, if you had caught me yesterday I would have used an entirely different and far less favourable name. We all have our lockdown moments eh?
The bonus to doing something practical, is not only about the end result, but it will also assist in channelling their energies. You can even turn this is some kind of education session if you have the energy, or simply use it as a time to bond and produce something together. For me it will help to fill a few open hours and tick a few boxes from my COVID to do list.
Here is your DIY Gardening Plan!!!
Step One – buy, dig out or scrape out the relevant equipment and it can be as simple as a pot of paint or few seeds. If you’re stuck in a flat, why not grab some window pots (I’m using an old Pot Noodle Pot), plant some herbs that can help disguise the odour of confined teenager or apparently some grownups who have taken to not washing for 3 days.
Step Two – make it fun and dress for the occasion, I’ve had mine in camouflage gear and a hard hat for giggles. i learnt a valuable lesson recently when I started working on revamping the garden in my favourite nice but comfortable jeans. My boy had assisted in covering them in paint within moments so now we dress for the occasion.
Step Three – crack on, I know the kids may not have your expert skill with a paint brush, so see if they want to help with the undercoat or washing up the brushes. You can make them your little helper give them a job and make them feel valuable.
I’ve agreed to let mine personalise the garden furniture, I may regret this at a later stage, but I guarantee we’re going to have blast making it happen. They have also asked to plant some sunflower seeds, for the sake of a bag of dirt and £1 on seeds why not? I’ve brought a few bedding plants and some bits in preparation.
Its worth mentioning I had to contain my mums excitement a few days ago when she saw me eating an apple on Facetime. At 74 she told me the following “darling did you know that any fruit and veg you eat, you can save all the seeds and plant them” I didn’t want to burst her bubble by explaining that the climate may not be right for bananas and mango’s and her aspirations of an avocado tree may take a littler longer than lockdown. But in many aspects shes right. Seed are more difficult to come by right now, so maybe try replanting some of the seed you already have in the kitchen.
Funnily enough I’m not the only one working on my garden during isolation, it’s become a bit of an on-going joke with my neighbours. We’ve been saying how this isolation is going to turn everyone’s garden into the Hampton Court flower show. If there is any good to come out of the lockdown, at least we’ll have spankingly gorgeous gardens to BBQ the summer months in.
In all honesty I love a bit of DIY, I fecking HATE housework and do love a project. So this is the perfect procrastination for me. I desperately want to paint the bedroom and my 11yo has made me promise not to do this without her. I was only joking about putting your kids to work but if like mine, yours love something hands on a practical then find a way to let them help.
Update – Since I wrote this my 5yo is growing rather impatient waiting for anything to sprout. heads up it may be worth mentioning that that strawberry plants don’t grow over night!
Update on the Update – always remember to securely put the lids back on quick drying white gloss to avoid a 2 hour clean up on an Italian marble kitchen floor….. just saying!!!
Coming Up
Motivation in Isolation –
- A Parents Survival Guide: A Bloody Marvellous Crisp Sandwich
- A Parents Survival Guide: Go nuts with Go Noodle
- Tik Tok Challenge:
The Lockdown Hacks You’ve Already Missed
- A Parents Survival Guide: How to Get Tech Savvy With The Kids – Safety First https://bsingleinstyle.wordpress.com/2020/03/23/motivation-in-isolation-parents-survival-guide-how-to-get-tech-savvy-with-the-kids-part-1/
- A Parents Survival Guide: How to Get Tech Savvy With The Kids – The Fun Stuff https://bsingleinstyle.wordpress.com/2020/03/29/how-to-get-tech-savvy-with-the-kids-part-2-parents-in-lockdown-survival-guide/
- A Parents Survival Guide: Day One https://wordpress.com/view/bsingleinstyle.wordpress.com
- A Parents Survival Guide: The Shopping List (You’ve been stockpiling the wrong stuff) https://wordpress.com/view/bsingleinstyle.wordpress.com
Motivation In Isolation –
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