As those of you who read my pieces already know, I get a kick out of all of the Celeb Mom pics found in the tabloids. One could choose to be intimidated by the women who seem to be “Just Like The Rest Of Us” while Having It All, but instead I thought this month it might be more constructive to use some of these photos as inspiration for creative ways to spend time with our own kids.
THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT
“Reese Witherspoon Gets in the Spirit With Tennessee and Two Funny Men”
Witherspoon, Kevin Nealon and Adam Sandler all brought their kids to the Brentwood Corn Festival to enjoy some seasonal activities. Festivals are a great way to introduce things to your children – such as farm animals – which they may only have read about in books, and they often don’t cost a lot of money. An added bonus: the calendar-specific nature of many festivals can help younger kids begin to gain an understanding of the cycle of the seasons. You can find out about special events through sites like Red Tricycle and Mommy Poppins, which offer daily listings of events, as well as local newspapers. Cultural museums are also a good source of festivals, especially over the next several months where many feature events highlighting how different people around the world celebrate the holidays. It’s an easy way to give your kiddo a taste of something beyond their usual routine.
Tip for the busy momma: Sign up for newsletters from sites and museums so that the information comes right to your in-box. That way there’s less of a chance of getting sucked down the online rabbit-hole that’s so easy to fall into when the browser is open.
THE COSTUME PARTY
“Neil Patrick Harris and His Family Head to a Halloween Party”
People recently featured an adorable pic of Harris, his partner and their two children dressed up in Alice in Wonderland-themed costumes. Of course, the costumes are darn near perfect and they all look like they’ve just stepped right out of the Looking Glass. But the most important thing about it isn’t what they’re wearing – it’s that they all had an adventure in Wonderland together. You don’t have to wait until Halloween to don a costume, and no matter when you enter the Land of Pretend, you don’t have to be dressed in a faithful replica of a firefighter’s outfit or the latest Disney princess ball gown to make it through the doors. For many kids, a hat or a simple prop is enough to launch them on the journey – especially if you are there beside them, validating their faith in their own powers of imagination.
Tip for the frugal momma: If your child is especially fond of dressing up, wait until a day or two after Halloween, and raid the party stores. Costume prices will have dropped as much as 50% – 90%, and you can pick up a bunch of props or costume pieces on the cheap to create a Dress Up Chest for adventures all year ‘round.
THE FREQUENT FLIER
“Pajama, Party of Two”
This Labor Day weekend pic of Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy from US Weekly’s Celeb Moms’ Guide to Everything features the multi-talented performer holding her pajama-clad kiddo while onboard a yacht in the Mediterranean. While most of us won’t be spending the holiday season frolicking on large, luxurious boats, the next two months often involve some sort of travel for the majority of us. Far too often, overcrowded seating, flight delays and grumpy fellow travelers are part of the experience. So do yourselves and your kiddos a favor – take a page from Beyonce’s book and dress them in travel clothing that is comfortable and familiar to them. It’ll make the journey more pleasant for everyone…and might even increase the chances of nap time occurring while en route. Heck, I wish I could get away with wearing PJ’s on the plane!
Tip for the traveling momma: Those of us with younger children make a frequent habit of packing extra clothing for our kids in case of potty accidents or food mishaps. But to keep your sanity, throw an extra t-shirt for yourself into your bag, as often you are the one the residual debris from such accidents usually lands on. It’s a hell of a lot easier to fly cross-country when not wearing clothing saturated with spit up and mashed apricots.
These are just a few ways to take what you see in the glossies and adapt them for practical or creative application in your own life. Have some examples from your own life you’d like to share? Please do so in the comments!