Are You Ready for Christmas Break?

Ready or not, Christmas break is going to start soon....if it hasn't already. (Two of my three kids started their break tomorrow.)

And frankly Christmas break makes life so much more complicated for work-at-home moms with school-age kids. (If you've got little ones at  home, life is already pretty complicated!)  Once kids are home on Christmas break, it's not so easy to run out to the mall for last-minute items. And packages from UPS or Fedex need explanations. Funny how I get a lot of office supplies this time of year. Before they could read, it was remarkable how many packages I accepted for the neighbors.

And, of course, there is always the problem of how are you going to get any work done with the kids at home. You'll need plenty of things to do during Christmas break. Plus here are some tips for managing school vacations.

• Go over your work at home ground rules. Remind kids of some of the independent activities that they enjoy. Maybe set up an art space for them to be creative or download some audio books.
• Invite a friend over to play. Believe it or not, play dates can be very productive for mom. Nothing keeps kids busier than other kids. But if extra kids in your house will be too distracting, see if your child can visit a friend and you'll host on a future date.
• If your kids are just too young to spend the whole day occupying themselves, think about hiring a mother's helper for the day. There are probably teens or tweens in your neighborhood who are off school. This would be a good opportunity to audition them as future babysitters.

What are your your ideas for things to do during Christmas break?

_{Laureen Miles Brunelli}