I
WINTER BREAK BOREDOM BUSTERS
think we can all agree
that there are mixed
feelings when winter
break rolls around. We’re
excited because we get to
see our kids more but we’re
stressed because we have to
see our kids more.
Winter break is a time for
kids to stay up late, sleep in
late, and lounge around the
house in their pajamas. We
always have good inten-
tions of doing fun things on
school break, and while we
may do one or two things
here and there, the notori-
ous, “I’m bored!” is bound
to creep up on even the most organized
parents. Help prepare yourself and your
sanity for this year’s upcoming winter
break with these seven boredom busters. cipient know how much you’re thinking
about them with a quick note and plate
full of delicious cookies.
1) Volunteer at a food bank or
soup kitchen. Most places have a 3) Write letters to troops over-
seas. This is a great way to get your
7 Simple Ways to Get Your
Kids Involved in Good Things
website you can go to, to find basic in-
formation about who to call to inquire
about helping out. Pick up the phone,
make the call, and let the person on the
other end of the line know that you and
your kiddos would like to volunteer for
a few hours. While you’re at it, ask if
there’s anything they’re low on so you
can bring a few donations with you.
This is a great way to do something nice
for your community and it doesn’t cost
a thing.
2) Make cookies or a meal for
a sick friend or neighbor, or for
the new family who just moved
in down the street from you. Break
out a trusty family recipe or buy the
“Break & Bake” cookies at the grocery
store if you’re in a pinch for time. Let
your kids take the lead on as much as
they can. Little ones can break apart the
dough and place the cookies on a sheet
pan while you teach your tween how to
start the oven. Get crafty and have your
kids decorate a card while you’re wait-
ing for the cookies to bake. Let the re-
8 WNY Family February 2019
— by Meagan Ruffing
kids to work on their penmanship while
doing something kind for someone else.
If you have a family member or friend
in the military, you can write specifi-
cally to that person. If not, consider vis-
iting the Veteran’s Hospital website
(www.va.gov) to find out who to drop
your letters off to, to make sure they get
to where they need to go. It’s important
for kids to know how to write a good
old-fashioned letter as well as learning
how to say thank you for something so
important like someone protecting their
freedom. Use this as an opportunity to
teach your kids about the sacrifice our
military makes each and every day by
serving.
4) Blessing Bags for the home-
less is something my son asked
me if he could start doing. I let him
take the lead and decide what things he
wanted to include in the Ziplock bag-
gies. I told him to pick out what he
wanted and I would pay for it as long as
he saw this project through to the end.
He had a blast putting all of the items
together — a pre-packaged
single serving of pudding,
plastic spoon, water, tissues,
mints, crackers, gum, and a
handwritten note — and he
added a personal touch by
making cards for each home-
less person. Now, we have
a plethora of Blessing Bags
in our car for whenever we
see someone in need. The
first time my son was able to
hand out a bag to someone in
need, was a moment I’ll nev-
er forget. He genuinely lit
up and said it was one of the
best feelings he’s ever had.
5. Organize your kids’
rooms. I know I’m not the only parent
who likes to do this. Right? This is the
perfect time to do this project because
you don’t have any time limits. You
don’t have to stop what you’re doing to
get up and drive to the school pick-up
line or drive any of your kids across town
to basketball practice. You can hunker
down for the day (or two) and make four
piles: Throw Away, Donate, Keep, Sell.
These piles will serve you well and they
will help minimize the clutter. Bonus
Tip – turn your sell pile into cash and
save your money for a rainy day; give
each kid a few dollars for helping out,
or take everyone out for a treat for their
hard work (including you!). Not only
will you have everything organized but
you and your kids will be ready to re-
turn to school after winter break feeling
refreshed and ready to go!
6) Operation Christmas Child
(OCC) boxes are a hands-on way
to get your kids in on the spirit of
giving, year round, not just at holi-
day time. This non-denominational
worldwide effort is run by www.samari-
tanspurse.org, now chaired by Franklin
Graham, son of the late Billy Graham.
Grab a shoebox you have laying around
the house and fill it up with items for a
child in another country.