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I live where there is snow and cold. We have limits financially..so we can't ski (like many of my kids' friends)...and we don't have equipment...either cross country or down-hill.
Sledding is a blast. You don't even need to buy a sled...we have gone sledding on a piece of plastic. If you have a few bucks, sleds or tubes are cheap...then you can pull your daughter back up the hill (attach a rope to the sled). Memories made.
If the snow is the right consistency we like to build forts or snow caves...and then have a rousing snow ball fight...from our fortified positions.
Then there's hot cocoa and marshmallows when it's time to come inside. MMMMM.
RP
-- Edited by rehprof on Sunday 20th of January 2013 07:24:02 AM
After 3rd day of being sober, my 13 year old tells my ABF that he was more fun when he drank! This was after the lecture (while he was in detox) on how we need to try to reduce his stress for a couple of weeks, just until he can get use to being sober and part of life again. Then, on day 10, she tells him she feels like she lost him. He does live with us, and she just doesn't have his drinking to make fun of, or of his constant being under the influence. Anyone have any ideas of something a 13 year old with moderate cerebral palsy and her mom's bf can do for fun, in the middle of winter?
Winter nature walks, movies (where I live it's $5 for the early shows), indoor mini golf, library time, mall walking/window shopping and an ice cream or small treat, if you have a dog - dog park or even borrow a friends dog for some fun outdoor play, ice skating, roller skating, bowling, family game night but think big - make it a party with special foods, nonA mixed drinks (seltzer & juice) and maybe even some silly hats, family crafting - make a bird house together
My daughter and I do spa day too, just the two of us which might give your recovering A a little break. We do it at home though - I have limited finances for going out all the time.
I only plan an activity per weekend. My 12 year old needs to amuse herself and we have chores and other things to do too. I'd hesitate to try to fill up too much time with a 13 year old because the reality is, sober or not - she is responsible to amuse herself - not the adults in her life. At least that's my take on it. I also encourage her to have friends over (new for us to be able to open the doors freely) so she can have fun with her friends too. It's really important to me that she learn to have fun and make a solid foundation of friends for herself. We've both been very isolated and it's not healthy.
That was awesome abbyalana - I don't think you realize it but you just gave a huge chunk of recovery right there. For alcoholics - we don't know how to entertain ourselves without booze. For the partners/family of alcoholics/addicts we don't know how or have forgotten how to enjoy our time because it's been dominated by having alcoholism and/or addiction constantly in our faces.
Thank you for reminding me about all the fun things that are out there in the world for me to enjoy if I just choose to.
I know lots of people put down video games and the like.. but we live where it is normally warm and beautiful around Christmas time. So, Santa in his infinite wisdom always brings things like bikes, scooters, trampolines and the like. Well, this winter it was COLD.. really, really cold and rainy the whole time school was out. I was stuck in this house (smallish home) with 9 kids between the ages of 3 and 14 for almost 2 weeks. We had a BLAST playing the WII. There are 4 versions of "Just Dance" a WII game. Up to 4 people can play at a time (you need a controller for each player) but its fun contemporary music from the last 20 years.. yeah.. there's 80's stuff along side Justin Beiber. But, its so much FUN. Basically the idea is you as the player make the same dance moves as your avatar on the screen. You score according to how well you dance like your screen dancer... all the kids from 3 year old twins, to 8-11 year old boys, to teen girls and even ME played together! Gotta move the furniture a bit to make room for 4 playing at a time, but well worth it. You can get WII's at pawn shops for 30-40 bucks around here, and the games you can get at Game Stop for as little as $10, or you can rent them for $1 from Red Box. We played so much those 2 weeks that yesterday coming home from church a Justin Beiber song came on the radio and all the kids started busting into their dance moves in their seats.... LOL.... I see everyone's hands coming up in unison behind me in the van in my rear view mirror to the music just like they were dancing! I like the WII because its games you can play with others that require you to move once in a while unlike most video games.
