8 Ways to Spend Your New Free Time with School Starting in Twin Falls
School is starting for many in Twin Falls this week, and while for some parents it brings tears to their eyes watching their children go up another grade, for many they are rejoicing that their sanity, alone time, and peace and quiet have returned. It does take a day or two to get used to the silence, but most parents that work from home or stay home are thrilled to see their kids go back to school. It may be boring for a short time, but the extra time allows you to get so much more done. With all this new free time, how should you take advantage of it? Here are some ways to spend your morning and early afternoons with an empty house.
Naps Are Glorious
While the kids being out of the house is nice, the bad part about school starting up again is you have to get up early as well. Unless your kids are older and you trust them to wake up on their own, you will have to make sure they are up and make it to school properly. With everyone waking up early, and the kids gone, why not take advantage of the silence and sprawl out on the couch and enjoy a nice midmorning nap? Catch up on the sleep you are now losing.
Clean the House While It's Empty
With the kiddos out of the house, it's time to use it to your advantage and do some much-needed cleaning. Often kids won't leave their rooms, playing video games, watching shows, and talking to their friends, so it is time to get in and clean up the messes they made this summer. It may not be a fun task, but it is practical. It is much easier without the distractions and the bodies in the way.
Spoil Yourself
This can take on many different looks. Getting your nails done, watching a movie, binge-watching a show, or perhaps taking a nice, long soak in the bath. If there is something you enjoy doing, but the kids being home stopped you from doing it, this is your time to enjoy those moments to yourself once more. The cleaning will be there when you get done, so take some time for yourself first.
Run Errands Kid Free
For any parent that has had to run errands with multiple kids, it isn't easy. Running them by yourself is almost enjoyable, minus the fact you are running errands. Get your grocery shopping done, go clothes shopping, or get things for the house without worrying about your children. Enjoy a child-free cart and how much easier it is to navigate a store without them. You will appreciate shopping much more by yourself and find it takes half the time.
Have a Coffee or Lunch Date
With the kids taking up all your time this summer, you may have some catching up to do with your friends. Make time for a coffee or lunch date to enjoy some adult conversation and catch up. Odds are you will use it as a venting session about the last few months, but it will be therapeutic to let it all out. Relax, converse, and enjoy time with other adults.
Go to the Movies
There is nothing like going to the movies alone and enjoying the peace of the theatre without kids. You can hear the movie, see what you want to see, and if you go after dropping them off, you save money on the matinee. You may drift off in the dark room, but hopefully, you can enjoy something you have wanted to see that may not have been suitable for your younger ones.
Pick Up Your Hobby Once More
Odds are when summer began and your kiddos were home, whatever hobbies you had such as knitting, quilting, crafting, woodwork, painting, or anything else, that got pushed to the side. Now with the kids gone, and the house empty, why not pick up where you left off and enjoy your hobby once more? The naps and cleaning can wait, you have some crafts and projects to finish.
Be More Productive at Work
Many people began working at home a few years ago, and some still do. Having the kids home all day can be a distraction, and may reflect on your work in the summer. With the house quiet, you can now get back to work in peace and be more productive than you have been the last couple of months. Maybe your production hasn't dropped off, but there were more distractions, so now you can get things done more quickly.
There are many ways to spend your new quiet, free time, but these are just a few ideas. Make sure to enjoy the time and use it to get things done that you can't when the kids are home. Spoil yourself, sleep, clean, work, or use it in another way. Whatever you choose to do, enjoy the next few months, because Christmas will be here before you know it, and the kids will be back in the house once more. Congratulations on your new peace, you made it through another summer.