win 1x AMF single game of bowling & 1x double Hoyts adult movie pass

[suzieblonde]

http://blundermum.com/2011/single-mums-in-school-holidays-win-bowling-movie-pass/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Blundermum+%28Blundermum%29



Leave a comment suggesting another way to survive the school holidays with only 2 hands and no money, and which prize you want.
Single mums in school holidays. Win bowling & movie pass.
December 30, 2011 Leave a Comment

 
They’re home. They’re bored. They’re acting up because of this. School seems light years away, what is a mummy to do?
Well, you could try the old “wait until your father gets home!”, except that would just be you again, with different pants, but still the bad guy. You could try throwing them outside, but then you’d have to supervise and someone would cry over something and the others would agitate the sooky one further, making you wish you’d settled for some nice tv sedation instead.
Perhaps that’s just my house. And the house I grew up in…
Anyway! Here are my suggestions for surviving school holidays, on the cheap.
Farm the kids out. You heard me. A change is as good as a holiday, and if Grandma wants the big kids to come help clear some firebreaks on her property you should pack them a bag right now. Bye, I love you! Bye!
Younger kids can be loaned out on an overnight basis. It’s called a sleepover. Whether or not you agree to reciprocate with their kid is up to you. *note, only loan your children to the right people. Der.
Embrace some free kids activities. You will need to stay and watch, but you won’t need to listen to them for at least 30 minutes. See below for some suggestions.
Proactively nap the nappable kids, the rest get a midday time out where they can stare at a screen and be quiet and not move. This ensures the witching hour is not the worst it could be. Sure, kids shouldn’t watch tv, yadda yadda yadda, but come on – kids who don’t are weird and we don’t like their mums.
Vacation care is not a bad thing. If you can afford it and they’re accustomed to leaving the house anyway, why not enrol them for one day a week. They get xbox, crafts, playground and other kids. Win win. Just so you know, child care benefit and rebate apply to vacation care too.
Bedtime does not change. They can stay up late on Christmas and New Years, but just because they don’t have to get up at 6am in the morning doesn’t mean they won’t. Even if my big one stays up past 9:30pm she is still jumping and flapping by 6am, except she gets tired and cranky early, and I missed my me time the night before, so I’m cranky too. Bedtime does not change.
Use online grocery shopping, or teach your kids ironfast shop rules, ie don’t misplace your children purely because you ran out of hands. Leashes on toddlers are super cute and necessary. Older kids must hold onto part of my body, or the trolley, or part of a sibling’s body. We are a family group at the shops, go around us, because if you try to go through us I will mow you down. Sadly, we single mums can’t just do the shopping when hubby gets home, nor can he pick up milk on his way. We are inconveniencing you by necessity, not choice.

We went bowling last year. Trust me, one game is long enough for young kids.
Cheap & cheerful activities
Art gallery – free admission except for the special exhibits
Museum – free admission except for special exhibits (*Brisbane Museum closed this summer for renovations)
Botanical Gardens – pack a picnic, bread for the ducks, sunscreen, bug spray, and a portable sport. Ta-da.
Beach/River swimming – however I don’t recommend this with young kids unless you can rope in at least one helper per 2 kids. Preferably 1:1.
Go to the playground. Get on the equipment too and pretend nobody is watching.
Have a treasure hunt. Write the kids a map and send them on their way. Young kids will declare their own treasure in the form of snails, older kids might need you to plant something.
Bubble wands – those big ones for $1 at BigW are excellent.
Check out what’s on at your local library. They aren’t quiet places anymore. They have Playstations and puppet shows.
Play a board game. It’s okay to be the earthquake instigator yourself.
Cleaning the house. Only works on young kids who do a shitty job, but it’s a shitty job done by someone who isn’t you.
Sign them up for free kids craft at Bunnings, library, art gallery, etc. You’d be surprised what you can find. Google what’s on for kids *your city name here*. I could list a bunch of what’s on websites, but you probably don’t live there.
Go ten pin bowling. For free if you lub me.
Go to the movies. For free if you lub me long time. You can pack your own snacks and juice boxes, the cinema staff won’t frisk you. Really. They might get annoyed if you bring in a burger though.
 
What’s that? You DO lub me? Long time?
Hurray!
 
Leave a comment suggesting another way to survive the school holidays with only 2 hands and no money, and which prize you want.
You could win:
1x AMF single game of bowling (3 winners). Expires 31 March 2012.
1x double Hoyts adult movie pass to any movie. Additional cost for 3D movies.
The passes are all in email form so you’ll need to print them off to use them.
Obviously only open to Australians because that’s where the vouchers work, and preferably they’ll go to winners who have such in their town.
Winners will be judged.
Competition opens 31/12 and ends Monday 2/1. Just a quickie. Kids are bored now, not in 2 weeks.
Have at it!