Water Wednesdays

This week the kids were tired, moody and constantly fighting. On Wednesday afternoon, at school pick-up, the kids had already made each other cry before we had even left the school grounds. Then they proceeded to resist crossing the road safely, argued over who got to get in the car first, and screamed at each other (“stop looking at me!”). This was the middle of a long week with tired kids. But I had a plan.

We drove to Bonville Headland in Sawtell and hopped out of the car to have afternoon tea. The food kept the kids quiet and helped to boost their moods. Then I brought out a bag of bread crusts (I freeze them throughout the week from lunchbox leftovers). The kids fed the seagulls before chasing them, while I enjoyed the fresh air and views. The kids didn’t fight or argue once, it’s like they completely forgot to.

I had packed swimmers, towels and our water/rock shoes, so we headed down the northern side of the headland to explore the rocks pools and have a swim. At first we were the only family there, which reminded me that most people don’t do this sort of stuff on an ordinary Wednesday in school term. The kids explored, splashed, played in the sand, and completely revived their souls. They turned from being tired, angry and mean, to joyful, light and fun. We stayed and played for so long (it was a gorgeous day) that my husband met us there when he finished work. (And lucky for me, he helped get the kids back to the car.)

Anyway, after the huge swim, and then play on the sand, and then another swim, we decided to head home. The only difficult thing about a midweek, afterschool mini-adventure, is that they still have to get to bed at a decent time. My kids don’t cope well with late nights, so we preserve those for weekends. We could have topped the adventure off with a picnic dinner at the headland watching the sunset, now that my hubby was there it was pretty tempting to order takeaway. But we didn’t. (Sometimes the temptation to keep doing more ends up backfiring, and despite how much I wanted to stay out, I accepted the kids’ needs and appreciated the time we did have.) We went home and had an easy and quick dinner, sitting outside because everyone was sandy, and the kids continued to play together.

It may have taken a little extra effort, I’ll admit, than a normal school pickup routine. But all I really needed was some afternoon tea, swimmers and towels chucked in the boot. The whole family had fun and were so refreshed and rejuvenated by our swim in the ocean. Even if we’d had to drive to the coast and had takeaway dinner, getting home just in time for bed, it would have been worth it. Somehow it felt like we captured the joy of holidays and brought it home with us for an afternoon. It felt a bit like cheating – like surely we can’t have this much fun during the week.

If your kids – or you – need a midweek refresh, find some water. Fit it in the middle of the week, after school if your kids are that age, and it’ll feel like the weekend is already here. You don’t have to sacrifice going early to bed, or school evening routines. Just pick somewhere outdoors to have afternoon tea, or to play instead of at home. If that’s really impossible, like if you live in the middle of a city, find some way to bring water play into your Wednesday. I don’t mean in a little play table or tray. I mean, get soaked. Immerse yourselves. Have a water fight, wash the car (and each other) or put the sprinkler on, go to the local pool or let the kids play in the bath tub for fun. It’ll tire everyone out for bed, hopefully lift everyone’s moods, and ensure a good night’s sleep in the middle of the school week.

We try to do it regularly now.

Water Wednesdays - it’s such an easy one to remember and makes a whole heap of difference when you need a booster in your week.

Related Article: Mini-Adventure for a Monday Pick-Me-Up