Finding care for kids during the winter holidays can be a real mind-bender! Our usual sources of great care are unavailable and we need to be a little more creative.  In the middle of all the shopping and decorating, take a few  moments to think about what your care planning needs are during the winter break, since they are likely to be a little bit different than your regular needs. You may have holiday parties to attend (without the kids), travel plans, and other seasonal needs to contend with—so take stock of your child care options and get started with your planning.

Babysitters:
Even babysitters go on vacation, so get your requests in early. Know when your holiday office party is? Don’t wait another second to call your sitter. Don’t know when your office party is? Talk to your sitter and see what holiday plans are on her radar. Some babysitters come home from college and it is good to reach out to them earlier. Let her know what’s coming up on yours, so neither of you will be caught by surprise. Some sitters might even hold a tentative date for you until you can confirm your plans! Ask early and remember that your care takers want to make holiday plans too. You can also go to Care.com to post a job today. Many of our members have success in finding babysitters when they post a job ahead of time.

Friends:
During winter break, you’ll find many more friends at home. Organizing play dates can actually be much easier than during the school year when you have to navigate all kinds of appointments and lessons and activities. If you need to arrange kid coverage so you can get to work or have a few hours for yourself, talk to your friends. Many parents find themselves at home with the kids and wish they had play dates to liven things up. Call or email your network of friends now—organize a group play date—or find out if anyone can trade off some time with you. It works just great and the kids love it. Finally, don’t forget to check in with your friends who have older kids home on college break. They might love to baby sit to make extra money.

Family:
If you’re lucky enough to have family that lives nearby, check in with them about helping with the kids during winter break. Even if it’s not something you can usually arrange during the year, grandma and grandpa, or aunts and uncles might have more flexible schedules during the holidays. It’s extra special when kids can spend time with family. They can have a local adventure together to see a movie, go to the library or do crafts at home (which you will have already prepped for such an occasion). See my blog post on holiday activities if you need some tips.

Camps:
If you need regular child care throughout the holidays, check your local town listings for special winter break camps. Most town recreation departments offer vacation camp for kids ages 5-12. Check your town’s website and see what’s available now. Camps like this fill up quickly, so now is the time to check it out. Your hometown is not the only source for camps and activities though—check your local museums, libraries, YMCA’s, gyms, and colleges. You’ll find a wide variety of winter break classes and activities for kids of all ages. The key is not to wait, if possible!

Cheers,
Sheila

This holiday season, it can be hard not to feel bored and restless while cooped up in the house. But even if you don’t have travel plans, there’s plenty you can do to make your holidays just as memorable. And, when (and if) the weather gives you a break, you can venture outdoors for activities or day trips that will excite the whole family—especially if everyone is involved in the planning.

If you’re staying home…

• Try a new recipe. Whether it’s a whole meal or just a holiday treat, take the opportunity to bond in the kitchen by cooking together as a family. Check out MomsMenu.com for some great ideas.

• Plan and have a holiday party. This can be for friends, family, or both. Choose a date, and get the kids involved in making invitations and decorations. A party will be a fun (and convenient) way to see loved ones who will also be staying close to home this holiday season. iVillage has some great ideas for those on a budget.

• Relax and watch a movie. While this may not seem like a memorable activity, sometimes we get so busy during the holidays that carving out relaxation time is exactly what everyone needs. It’s important to just be able to enjoy each other’s company. Check out MSN’s 13 favorite holiday movies for ideas that the whole family will enjoy.

If you’re itching to get out of the house…

• Have cold weather in your local area? Round up the kids to go snowshoeing, sledding, or have a snowman building contest. Or, get in the car and go to a local ski hill (if you aren’t skiers, be adventurous and take a lesson together)!

• Have warm weather where you live? Get outside with the family and check your local trails for hiking. Your local sporting goods stores, such as EMS, are great resources for hiking and camping information.

• Try visiting a museum! It’s a great family activity. Some parents are hesitant about taking kids to a museum, but there are so many options now for kid-friendly programs that this shouldn’t be a concern. If you don’t have a museum nearby that caters to families with young children, you can still bring your little ones. Kids love visual art. If they’re young, just visit the museum for 30 minutes—take a stroll through one gallery. Point out colors and recognizable images and maybe have a snack in the museum café. You’ll all have a good time without the kids getting tuckered out from an overlong museum visit.

• You can also “play tourist” in your own town. Use this time to check out some of the local places you’ve always meant to see, but never had time visit.

There are so many things to do; gather the family together and start making a list!

Cheers,
Sheila

We dread it. We know they'll hate it. But do we have an alternative?

Holiday shopping with kids is the pits. When we are actually shopping for them, rather than for the other family and friends on our list, taking them to Toys R Us or similar places just means they will be exposed to tons of toys they won’t be getting for Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Although we're shopping in order to be generous to them, we'll either end up feeling like Scrooge for saying “no” to many toys they're dying to have, or else we'll bust our budget and spend the rest of the year scrimping.

Are there any alternatives to this horror of a day, which of course includes crowds everywhere, parking miles from the store, and losing something along the way, whether it's your child's favorite blankie, your credit card, or your older son's jacket, which “I just put down for one minute…”

The best solution is to hire a babysitter to care for our children while we shop. Care.com’s babysitter listings are just what you need to save your sanity.

You can always consider some of the more desperate solutions other moms have invented. They're expensive and silly, but they have worked for some. One mom had her hubbie watch the kids for the day, and then checked into a motel right next to the mall. She spent the day shopping without enduring any whining; returned to the motel, wrapped and labeled the gifts; and returned home at midnight to hide the presents while the kids were fast asleep. It was, she said, the most perfect shopping experience she had ever had. Her hubbie of course had a different opinion.

Another friend, desperate to have her kids visit Santa at the mall without waiting in line for hours, which in the past had ruined the experience for all of them, actually took them out of school for a morning so that they could be the first ones to visit Santa. This then kept the kids in a good enough mood for her to do a small bit of shopping, without crowds. It was a strategy born of need, but should only be used as a very last resort measure. She feels guilty to this day, I'm sure.

Other options? Be realistic.

Carol Tibaldi recommends the following in her article Christmas Shopping with the Kids

• only shopping with well-rested children
• taking frequent breaks—for snacks and play time
• bringing small toys for your kids to play with while you’re shopping

But the general consensus is that this is one experience it is best to avoid if at all possible. Hire a sitter and give yourself a break. Get to Care.com now and you can get your shopping done at an enjoyable pace and feel confident the kids are safe and having a great time while you stock up on their holiday gifts. And, by the way, many a babysitter has been known to help with wrapping presents—always good for an extra tip!

Cheers,
Sheila