A child-free zone: our top tips
Written by contributer Paul Watson
Ahhh, you sigh, the kids are finally in bed. Time to put my feet up.
So you head into the living room, only to be greeted by a sea of LEGO bricks, Iggle Piggle plushies and Action Men. No worries, you think, I’ll take haven in the kitchen.
But the kitchen is the same fetid sight, full of flung-around baked beans, ground down muck and more Frozen paraphernalia than a branch of the Disney Store.
You need shelter. You need time away from kid’s stuff. You need a place where you can lounge in comfort, without fear of sitting on a dismantled game of Buckaroo.
You need a child-free zone, and you need it now.
But what will you put in your hidey hole?
Sit back and relax
When the kids are in their kip, you can enjoy a pleasant sit down without any of the noise and hubbub of child-rearing life.
So, invest in a soothing set of recliner chairs for your child-free zone, away from the messy hands of the kids.
While you might suffer through chairs that have more in common with torture devices than ergonomics, your den should have a little more luxury. Shell out for the best and you’ll be able to sit down, lie back and feel wistfulness wash over you.
Hobby-tastic
Setting aside time for hobbies when you’ve got little sprogs running around is about as likely as a unicorn flying to the moon. But when they’re having their 40 winks you can delve into your hobbies with gusto.
Whether you’re an avid gamer, cineaste, musician or model train collector, fill your child-free zone with more goodies than a sweet shop of miracles and you’ll be able to turn your downtime into a couple of hours of fun.
The calming of the waves
According to website Working Mom’s Break, 88 per cent of working parents suffer from stress or anxiety. This is exactly why relaxation should be the name of the game when the kids creep off to bed.
Invest in relaxation CDs that will treat you to the calming of the waves, the gentle mewling of whales or any other sound you find soothing.
Couple this with a back or foot massager (or both, if you’re feeling lavish) and let your stresses ebb away with the tides.
Potting for perfection
Those calming evenings can always be polished off with a good ol’ pastime – in other words, the kind of genteel activity your kids are too young to understand.
If you’ve got the green, invest in a pool table and perfect your potting technique. Then , when the kids are old enough you can teach them how to master the art of putting away a red.
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Image credit: Elegant woman crying over dirty laundry and toys via Shutterstock (modified)
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.