Fun Ways to Shake-up Everyday Routines

I'm all for silly!

Here's something I do (and always have done) with my son: when we're driving past something that catches his eye (a monument, a tall building, a statue, a new park) I just scramble into a parking lot and we're OFF to explore! He loves it and so do I. And who cares if you get home 30 minutes later than usual--this is the kind of stuff kids remember!

Have Simon Says day or Mother May I..all day long. Have Backwards day - put your shirt on backwards, walk backwards, have dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. Have greenapalooza day. Put green construction paper foot prints on the floor, wear green, serve green eggs, green lettuce on sandwiches, pesto dip and pitas, green frosting on mini cupcakes. Have name change day and change everyone's name for a day. Make grocery shopping a scavenger hunt and give the kids pictures of things to find at the store. Or shop alphabetically - apples to zucchini. If your kids are old enough to read, have a treasure hunt for everything - write clues for where they will find their clothes, their toys, their meals, the TV remote. Have Olympics day and make a mini competiton out of how fast they dress for school, how fast they fold laundry, how fast they pee, how fast they clean up toys (they don't have to compete with each other, just use a stop watch and make a big deal out of whatever the result is). Have meals they can cook, like pizza or they can assemble, like tacos. Have an appetizer dinner where they can pick from a mini-buffet and use fancy toothpicks and drink milk from a wine glass. Dress up for it. Hide and pretend none of you are home when dad comes home from work. Make a spin wheel and spin for What's for Dinner Tonight? or spin for where we will go today, or spin for what to wear today. Or draw the choices out of a hat. I want to come to your house - you sound like a fun mom!

Pajama days, breakfast for dinner, playing with water in the kitchen, mopping the kitchen in sock feet ( we call this mop skating) painting in the bath tub with washable paint, buffet night where we clean out left overs, green eggs and ham day, go on an in house scavenger hunt...lots of fun ideas out there = )

Mine always loved the video camera to be on and they would have neighbor kids come over and make music vids or movies. Kept them busy for hours and hours...
I'd load the neighborhood kids in my car and take them to the park... it's fun to be the fun mom on the block.
Don't just think about shaking things up, just do it!
Even going for walks or bike rides with the kids is a blast, they love to show off and talk to mom. Put a kiddie seat on the back of a beach cruiser and go cruising with your kid on back, mine always loved that.... and of course it's great exercise.
Let your imagination lead you... think like a kid and then become one... you don't always have to be "grown up"... THAT is what is BORING, haha.

How about dance parties, or good ole fashioned "fort" building with couch cushions, or old cardboard boxes?
Or depending on how old your kids are, get out the finger paints, put down a plastic tarp, strip the kids and let them decorate! Tell them they are helping you with new things to put up on the walls.

My neighbor once brough home a GIANT box of packing peanuts that kept our 2yr olds busy for HOURS!

Oh I am so with you. I work part time from home and my kids are in school full time (1st and 3rd grade), but monotony kills me! Today they have a half day at school and we're going to Chuck E Cheese. I try to get out and do something at least everyother weekend - a musuem, hiking is one of our favorties. Just get out of the house!!! Run away! LOL!
While at home, music helps while doing chores. Can't wait to view and use your other responses!

What about mixing up meals a bit. Breakfast for dinner is always a big hit! Or making english muffin pizzas where they can pick the toppings.

Themes of the day - like today is red day, have the kiddos pick out as many red things that they can find to wear. Or mismatch day, that one is always fun!

We sing a lot, I make everything into a song. Sometimes I think I do it too much because my 2 year old will say "No sing mama" hahaha!

I hear you! I love the dinner-shaking-up suggestion already described. I have always done little things to vary the routines. When I have to drive to the store or anywhere else, I try to take different routes. I might go to a different grocery store, even in a different part of town. I love playing different kinds of music at home while I work! If I usually clean bathrooms in the mornings and vacuum in the afternoons, I'll switch the jobs. (The bathrooms and the rugs don't care.) If I have a huge load of ironing and some work to do on the computer, I'll set the timer for 15 minutes and alternate those jobs until they're done.

Get some fresh air every day, somehow!

I used to take "book breaks," but that doesn't work for me; if the book is really good, all of a sudden it's four o'clock and I haven't done anything else!

If you can get your children in on this, they could have fun (you don't mention how old they are). Instead of their making their own beds, let them make yours.

Try a camping-out day where everything is done on the floor (of the forest, of course), and supper is campfire style, cooked in the fireplace if you have one, or at least served on whatever sort of plates you use outdoors. What about a pioneer day? (You take it from there.)

Take a play day (or a play half-day) for yourself, once a week if possible, when there's nothing on your to-do list and you can choose what you want to fill up that time.

Most of all - I'm getting serious here - every morning when you wake up, say to yourself, "I'm so thankful that I have my family, and that I GET (not HAVE) to stay home and take care of them!" Some Mamas would much prefer SAHM "tedium" to juggling paying work and family care. But you already know that. :^)

Fieldtrips are a lot of fun and give you the opportunity to meet other SAHMs. If you take your child to a regular event, like a class at a rec center or a weekly storytime session at the public library, you'll most likely meet more moms. Yes, the early years with children are full with everyday routine, which helps you stay organized and productive. For those of us who love spontaneity, this period of life can drive you a little stircrazy. However, there are opportunities for things to do all around you. My SIL shared with me many years ago, just do the things you love to do and take the children with you. Made me realize that all I ever did was work or go to school, and most other activities I did for fun were not kid-friendly nor budget-friendly, like eating at restaurants, visiting spas, and traveling. I learned to love going to the library during storytime. I loved reading, and my children eventually became avid readers. We liked visiting Petco or Petsmart, plant nurseries that have hayrides or family events, parks (anywhere a child can play and eat), bowling (find a place that offers duckpins), and if you're close to Baltimore, there are a ton of kid-friendly places like the Maryland Science Center, Port Discovery and the aquarium. Also, use Google to search for mommy&me activities around your favorite hobby. If you like art, for instance, find a studio that offers classes. There are now a few places in Washington that offer exercise classes for a parent and child. (Note: I had to edit my initial response, which was much too long. If you want more suggestions, write offline.) Just count these monotonous years as an investment in creating the family bond. Don't forget to include Dad in the program, so that you can get some quiet time to decompress.

Gotta have music on. I like to plan meal and music combos: Italian opera w/ Italian food; Spanish music with Mexican food or paella; etc. I always change the music to expose my kids to it all. Currently, my 8 yr. old loves Enya. My 11 yr. old boy loves Beethoven.

I like to really get away on 1/2 days and full days off. Some moms make all their dr. appts then. I use that time to escape from our daily routine. Last week we had 2 days off. We went to the zoo first day, then I took my kids rock climbing at a cool indoor place. But I know how to belay. So you need to invest a little time into some hobbies like that. My personal preference is to do something I think we'll enjoy long term as a famiy: hiking, walking, biking, feeding the ducks when their small, go to your local parks, greenbelts, ponds, lakes.