Hashtag MomFail

How to Entertain Your Kids

Advice from a First Grader

Written by Jamie Johnson

In the spirit of the Kids Takeover issue, Jamie's son, Henry, decided to write her article. We are loving his ideas of how to entertain your kids! Jamie - we think you have a future writer on your hands!

Hi, I’m Henry Johnson. Today we have kids take over, so my mom is writing this, and I am saying the words. Shoutout to Sutton Elementary because that is my school! Let’s get to it and also, I have eight cousins. My dog Newman has floppy ears, one white spot on his chest, and he is the best. That’s all about me!

I am going to be writing about helping entertain your kids. ›› Besides playing video games all day. If you have a fireplace in your house, you can light it up and tell stories. They can be funny or spooky. ›› You can sign them up for a sport. I recommend football or soccer because that takes a lot of strength and energy to do. By the time they are finished with their hobby, they will be done! ›› Your kids could start a lemonade stand. ›› Your kids could start a marshmallow stand. Yum yum! ›› Maybe if your kids are bored all the time, you can get them a pet. It can be a cheap pet. It can be a dog or a cat or an inchworm. ›› You can play more games with your kid. You could play pirates and use your imagination. ›› Or maybe you could go on a holiday. Also, I recommend none of these being inside because if your kid plays football inside, they would tackle a pillow and rip it open. ›› Maybe you can get them a bird watching book and watch for birds. ›› Or you could go visit a zoo. ›› Or maybe you could start a holiday that other people don’t have to celebrate. ›› Or maybe you could buy some card games. Fun fun! ›› Make sure your pet is treated well. ›› Or maybe you could go outside with your kid and have a hike. ›› Or maybe you can teach your kid how to ride a bike without training wheels. Or maybe you can teach your kid how to drive a car. Haha. ›› Or maybe you can have a snowball fight in the winter and go in the outdoors more. ›› Or maybe you could buy your kid a punching bag. ›› Also, you could bring your kid to the Super Bowl. Woohoo!! ›› Or maybe you could teach your kid how to read the funnies in the

newspaper. ›› Or maybe you could do a mom/ son thing or a mom/daughter thing or a dad/son thing or a dad/ daughter thing. That was a lot of words. ›› Or go out to the movies. Sing 2! ›› Or maybe you could do a game called the rhyming game. It’s when you say rhyming words. Do it when you are bored. It’s a family game. ›› Or maybe your kid could have a job like a mail kid.

If your kid doesn’t want to do any of those activities, make sure you ban all screens and electricity, except light. And that’s it! OP

JAMIE JOHNSON is a full-time working mom to two little boys, wife to Logan, and part-time writer. Her pieces have been featured in HuffPost Parents, Motherly, Today Parents and PopSugar Moms. You can follow her blog at HashtagMomFail.com!