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I’m having surgery in about a week. It’s not serious surgery, just something little but necessary. I found out about it a few weeks ago, and was told to take it easy until the surgery (hah!) and then for 2-4 weeks after the surgery (hahaha…).
Books
This may be an obvious one, but it’s golden. Reading can be a great way to get some snuggle time with your kiddos while you relax. Or read to them while they’re playing. If you start getting tired of reading the books you own over and over (I know the feeling!), have a friend pick up some at the library for you. I’ve talked about Overdrive before, and it’s a great way to check out library eBooks right from home.
There are also tons of free Kindle books. And you don’t even have to have a Kindle to use them. You can download the free Amazon Kindle reading app for your computer, phone, or nearly any tablet.
Audiobooks
. We have several books from Audible – when I did my free trial a while back, I grabbed an awesome recording of my favorite Star Wars book Heir to the Empire. We also have some of the Magic Treehouse books from Audible, which are great for kids. Audio books give the benefit of “reading aloud” while giving your voice a rest.- Story Nory is a fun little site with free children’s audio stories. We’ve listened to several stories from here and really enjoyed them.
- Adventures in Odyssey is another great resource. Only several of the most recent episodes are free, but you can become a member of their club and listen to all episodes.
Movies
When you really need to take it easy, don’t feel bad about using some movies or TV shows. It can be a great way to snuggle up and enjoy some time with your kiddos while you’re resting. It’s a great time to pull out some crayons or colored pencils and let your little ones color while you watch.
Limit the Toys
We do this normally. But when I need to rest and take it easy, it’s vital to help the house stay manageable.
We keep the majority of our kids toys packed up in the closet. Up until we lived in this house, we did it mostly out of necessity – we just didn’t have the room to have a lot out. But it’s something we’ve kept up even since we’ve had a little more space. Cleanup is easy, the kids are much happier, and I’m much happier. This is how we do it:
- We choose a few things to keep out. Legos always stay out but everything else rotates.
- Every few months, I pull the box of extra toys out and let the kids pick what they want to “trade in” to pull new stuff out for. It’s like Christmas morning when I pull that box down.
Easy Printable Crafts
Note the easy. When I need to rest, I’m a big fan of simple print and go crafts. I’ve got a lot of simple printable crafts here.
Made By Joel is another great source of free printable crafts and toys. I love printing his stuff and giving my kiddos something to keep them entertained. It’s amazing how something as simple as some robots printed on cardstock can keep them engaged for an hour or more.
Pinterest is a great place to find printable crafts. I started a board for compiling printable crafts that you can check out here. I have a one of those $1 accordion folders from Target that I’ve been gathering crafts in for my boys to do after my surgery.
Ask For Help
I put this here as a reminder to myself as much as it’s a tip for you. I don’t always do this well. I get in “self-sufficient, I-can-do-this” mode, which isn’t always the best. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and actually rest when you get it.
Have you had to take it easy or been on bedrest before? What did you do to help yourself get the rest you needed?
