It's my job

When we put the house on the market in August, I got in to some bad habits.  Before then, I had planned activities very carefully for the three days a week I had Miss A.  We had a rota of painting, baking and gardening that we did during Istyboo's morning nap.  Istyboo mostly just needed interesting things to look at, so was pretty easy to keep entertained.

During the whole moving house process, my primary concern was keeping the house in reasonable shape for potential buyers.  We often had viewings every day and evacuated the house at the weekends.  I made the most of the fabulous East Dulwich infrastructure.  We had the fabulous local parks (especially Goose Green, tiny but brilliant), the libraries, and playgroups, all within walking distance and all guaranteed to keep my house sparkling and tidy.

One of the advantages of the new house is the play room.  I finally have a place where all the toys live.  We do lots and lots of free play, so it normally looks like this:

Why, yes, we do tidy up every evening.  Why do you ask?

Now that we are (mostly) settled in, I feel like I should start planning activities again.  I like a plan and find it much easier to make a big mess if I've planned it out and made sure I've got all the necessary stuff.  I have Miss A all but two mornings a week, so there's extra time to fill.  Also, Itsyboo needs more stimulation these days and I'd like to make sure there are some age-appropriate activities for him.

I came to the conclusion that, as a stay-at-home mum, I should really be doing something akin to a weekly lesson plan.  I've done lesson planning before, during the five summers I spent working at the amazing Concordia Language Villages (my kids are so going there when they are older).

Mildly embarrassing photographic evidence here.

 

There are so many fabulous resources, too.  My favourites are Imagination Tree, the Artful Parent, and Rainy Day Mum, but my twitter feed is constantly pointing me towards new ones.

 

So this week, my resolution is to start my weekly lesson planning.  We will have fun!

 

What are your favourite at-home activities with your children?  Are there any sources of inspiration that you'd recommend?  I look forward to your tips!