North London with Kids Weekend Survival Guide
ok… I made it just fine for 48 hours, just me and the 2 kids (5 year-old girl & 2.5 year-old boy) in North London.
My wife is on a business trip and flew out early Saturday morning. I wasn’t actually worried about being 1 on 2 prior to it last week, but I did get a little nervous when the nanny left on Friday evening and said, “see you next week.” It was not always easy or fun, but in general we had a good couple of days the three of us.
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| cold play today at the Primrose Hill playground, but the kids enjoyed the muted winter sunshine |
I did figure out a few things and thought it might be useful to share some tips and ideas for Father’s on their own for the weekend trying to keep it flowing here in NW3.
5 Top Survival Tips for Dad’s Alone with Kids in NW3 North London for the Weekend
<1> Think like a kid. I was initially thinking about keeping us busy each day with various activities, shows and playdates–but then, well, uh, I couldn’t organize much at the last minute. There was a little panic actually (and you can see here what I found as I scoured the web for ideas on what to do.) But this (predictable as my wife would say) lack of planning, unexpectedly gave me some insight into having fun–which is less about what you do and more about how you do it. We actually had great fun taking the car to the car wash. Kids seem to love noisy, big, random things–generally not what parents are looking for after a long week at work. The RAF Museum was a good choice for us this weekend.
<2> Have Some Decent Options. Don’t rely on the killer activities/things to make the weekend a big success. Kids seems to have quite a full week themselves and they also like to have a more flexible, less structured weekend. The weekend is basically 4 activity slots and 6 meals. You got 2 breakfasts which should be a slam-dunk (cereal, juice, yogurt, bagel, fresh fruit, milk), but make sure they eat or you are in big trouble with cranky kids until lunch. For some reason my boy won’t easily drink milk, so we made it a sort of challenge/contest with his older sister. Milk = full belly = happy enough kid.As far as the activity slots, outdoors is a good play, you got your standards in NW3 Zoo, Heath, Primrose Hill, (Antrium Gardens for under 2’s). You can zap into these spots for 1-2 hours easy, although it is cold this time of year and make sure you have hats, gloves and snacks with you. So, maybe lock in 1-2 slots and then roll with the other 2-3. Lock in a playdate or show or even a creche drop like the one at Spring Health, my call on that. There are actually quite a few interesting shows for kids–but book weeks ahead. Girls seem to handle being indoors better than boys–so think about painting, crafts or taking a ball into a park. If you have an energetic boy without an inflated ball you are living life on the edge of meltdown as far as I can tell.Avoid long meals in crowded restaurants–sounds obvious, but if you are in this situation you will suffer, suffer, suffer. Better to eat at home or hit picnic-able provisions. A restaurant/playdate can be a misery worse than being on your own I fear. At least alone, you can focus on the kids and they can deal with you. Introduce OPK (other people’s kids) and potentially UPIC (useless parent in a coma) and your worries of 1 on 2 are nothing compared to what can be unleashed in a badly run restaurant. Restaurants are really dead-zones for your dealing with kids in 99% of the cases. My guess is that you are better off putting on a Dora/Thomas DVD and feeding them take away.Speaking of which, do yourself a big favor and get a couple of new Kid DVDs for the weekend as a back-up. Just make popcorn (kids are so amused by this you cannot imagine really) and watch something new together.
<3> Keep it Tight. My kids tried to work me all weekend. Lot of moments where whinning and tamtrums almost blew-out the weekend. We had a few real moments, but I was firm and there were tears (only me once–ok twice, but second time was when I slammed my head into the car door). They will test your resolve on eating, beating on each other, asking for stuff they never get from mom etc. Hold the line the first 24 hours Man! You can do it–and they will respect you more than if you turn into a subservient, “ok honey” crap-eating animal-handler. If you can be tough even when they push you to the limit, you will make it through the next 24 hours just fine. I was really firm on manners, no sugary crap, sharing stuff, cleaning-up and it was all good in the end. Boy had 2 time-outs, girl was fine without any bribes/indulgences. She had a strong response when she darted off in the Museum. They love to challenge you in public it seems–to see what you will do in the face of other parents! But she was mainly very helpful. In fact, my daughter actually stepped-up quite a bit when I told her directly that i needed her help (ok I did beg a little for help.)
<4> Plan Meals and Plan Toilet Breaks. Good to be flexible on activities–bad to loose track of timing for meals and toilet breaks. There isn’t much worse of a result for you than a wee-wee soaked, hungry kid on a cold winter’s day. You are after all in charge and this is the ultimate failure you need to desperately avoid. My suggestion is plan most of your meal to be at a home (yours or playdate). So other than your 2 breakfasts, you have 4 meals to worry about–take one out at a restaurant maybe and do the rest under controlled environment (which is a lot cheaper btw).Good kid meals with minimal effort/kitchen mess–burgers, chicken drumsticks, tuna salad, fresh sausages, omelets, stir-fry, and smoked salmon. I try to avoid pasta because they get a lot of that during the week. Try to get some vegetables in the mix–cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, cucumber are usually winners. My kids like green beans and peas also. If you can, make the meals in advance.
<5> Talk to your Kids. Well, you are with them…ask them stuff. Tell them what you do, what you like. It is really a chance to get to know more about them and for them to know more about you. It amazes me how much they understand and remember. I had a real moment with my daughter when I was trying to feed my boy. I asked her–”what can I do to get him to eat?” She said, “well, you are confusing him. He is tired and you should just relax.” Yeah, she is five and was right on that one. So I stopped forcing him to eat and then of course he started.But, also, it is a chance to ask them about school, friends etc. What is their favorite stuff. Sing little songs with them. You know, the kinda stuff fathers rarely have time to do, but know you got the time (the whole weekend).
Things to put in your backpack–yeah, you need to take one
- Winter gear — hats, gloves, extra fleece, extra socks in case they get wet. Lip balm, tissues. The weather changes fast in London and it gets much colder under clouds and when the sun fades around 3pm.
- Crayons and paper. Kids love to draw and they can amuse themselves for 20-30 minutes with a box of crayolas and pad of paper. I give each kid a small ring notebook. Kids under 3 should have the big fat crayons, older kids give a mix of pencils, markers etc.
- Snacks — raisins, dried fruit, pretzels, water. Avoid fruit juice after lunch–make them too hyper and then they crash before dinner. Avoid chocolate (spike and crash) and crisps (too fatty–makes their hands greasy and too salty–makes them thirsty–makes them need toilet)
- Basic first aid — hand wash, anti-septic, band aids, ibuprofen for you (you are the only man on deck after all).
And don’t forget to charge your phone–wife will be calling every 2 hours to see if you are still in the game or if the kids vanquished you. Also good to take occasional photo and email to her.
