Health & Fitness
Don't Stay Home: There's lots to do with kiddos on the Eastside
Stay at Home Moms should never stay home. Thankfully, there are plenty of family friendly activities to keep the kiddos entertained on the Eastside.
The first rule of “Stay at Home Moming” is don’t talk about “Stay at Home Moming.” Oh wait, that’s Fight Club. Okay, the first rule of Stay at Home Moming is actually: Don't stay home.
It has taken me two years testing the fences of parenting to learn this truism. There are no exceptions. I wish someone had told me this when I had a newborn and the four walls of my living room were closing in. Oh wait, they did. Lots of people told me to be sure that I not wind up sequestered in my house all day.
But it seemed impossible to get out of the house in those early days when the challenges of parenting were new and frightening. Eventually, I learned that even a short daily activity away from the house could bring order and purpose to those otherwise endless hours of breastfeeding and diaper changing.
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Here's the thing: Watch the second time moms. What do they do? They strap the baby to their chest (where baby wants to be anyway) and chase the toddler. If mothers-of-two can tackle the world with multiple kids, surely I can get out of the house a few hours a day with number one.
Now that my newborn is a walking, talking terrific two-year old, we follow this rule as though it was handed down from on high. We get the heck out of the house at all costs. Thankfully, that’s not hard to do.
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The eastside is a smorgasbord of child and toddler friendly activities. There are parks, indoor play-places, and story times galore. If you haven’t been to storytime at the Bravern, go for the valet parking and free mini-cupcakes.
My favorite toddler park of all time is the Phyllis A Needy Houghton Neighborhood Park. (Thank you Kirkland Park Department for the tidy bathrooms.) For a rainy day, it’s worth a drive to the Playdate Café in Lynnwood. And Skymania Trampolines off 116th in Kirkland has toddler time at 10 am every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Trust me, it’s impossible not to tucker out a two year old on a giant, warehouse-size trampoline.
My secret weapon for spring and summer is the Woodland Park Zoo Annual Pass. For just $43, I get unlimited use of the park all year. My daughter is free until she is three. You can pretty much find me there on any given Tuesday.
Still short on ideas? Red tricycle distributes a weekly email packed with fresh family activities.
It doesn’t matter where you go, just leave the house. I mean it. Go.