Tisha b’av & occupying kids (updated title)

amother

OP ↓

Sat, Jul 25 2020, 11:04 pm

I’m feeling so overwhelmed. I don’t fast well, my kids are little and it doesn’t look like I’ll have any help this year.

I want to plan entertainment for my kids. They’re ages 2-8. Ideas for arts and crafts? video? How do you keep your kids busy without losing your sanity or your tisha b’av?

cuties' mom

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 9:36 am

I park ds in front of the computer and let him binge watch acapella Trisha b'av songs. Ari goldwag has a few that we keep replaying: ad ana bechiya, yerushalayim, and seasons of redemption are the ones I remember from last year.

Last edited by cuties' mom on Mon, Jul 27 2020, 11:52 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Aqua

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 10:40 pm

If you live in monsey my son has a great Kindergarten morah thats running a tisha bav camp for ages 2.5-5 she let me send my 6 year old along with my 2 younger ones. you cant try calling or texting her to see if she still has any room. good luck fasting! 845-826-4062

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 10:44 pm

cuties' mom wrote:

I park ds in front of the computer and let him binge watch acapella Trisha b'av songs. Air goldwag has a few that we keep replaying: ad ana bechiya, yerushalayim, and seasons of redemption are the ones I remember from last year.

Thanks! I'll check them out.
Bought several books and craft kits and I'm hoping to convince my oldest to make a day camp for my others.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 10:45 pm

amother [ Aqua ] wrote:

Thanks. Not in monsey and the day camp near me only took kids age 3-5, which left two of my kids out in the cold. It's all or none for me because the middle two are my easiest kids! They'll have to entertain each other.

precious

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 11:08 pm

Prepare a detailed schedule in advance. Hopefully your oldest will be excited to run it. Include getting dressed, davening, meals, snacks, arts and crafts, specific games or toys, clean up time, video time etc. I try to prepare all meals in advance so kids can serve themselves from the fridge. Create a chart or tickets and raffle at the end for following the schedule and cleaning up after each meal and activity. You can also included a couple surprise activities where they have to find the clues that lead them to the activity. Some ideas are a pkg of plastic cups to build a tower with, a new Chinese jump rope or similar to play, a new pkg of markers or stickers to make a project with, a pkg of baby wipes to clean the toys or cabinet doors or bathroom. Promise your oldest a reward if all goes smoothly. Hatzlacha!!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jul 26 2020, 11:35 pm

Wow you have a lot of great ideas, thank you! I'll have to take some time tomorrow to prepare. My oldest is a challenging kid and my second is a lot more responsible, but my oldest is the one who needs to be "in charge." That's the dynamic that worries me ... I'm thinking that I'll tell them they have "bunks" and the two middle are in one bunk and the oldest is my toddler's "counselor" but they're all in the same daycamp. Lol it sounds ridiculous but if my oldest goes on a power trip it's going to be all over.

I'm sure we'll have neighbors over for part of the time. It's just a very long day. Husband may need to take over at some point ...

zaq

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 11:34 am

Anyone else disturbed by the thread title? "Tisha b'Av entertainment" is a particularly inappropriate term, even when we're talking about very young children. A better title would be "Keeping young children occupied on TBA."

ShishKabob

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 11:37 am

zaq wrote:

That was my thought too, but it's just a vocabulary issue, chalk it up to be part of the lingo of 2020, doesn't mean 'entertainment' just basically an occupation for Tisha Bav.

Stars

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 11:45 am

That dynamic would worry me a bit too. Do you have a neighbor with really little kids who can use your oldests help for an hour or two? That’ll break up the day and break up any power struggles that might pop up.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 12:55 pm

Stars wrote:

That's a good idea too, thank you.
I love that girl to pieces but she's hard sometimes. Very bright and very immature. Hopefully the weather's nice and she can round up a few two year olds and entertain them outside. Everyone here is tight on space so it's going to be rough if they're stuck inside.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 12:57 pm

ShishKabob wrote:

That was my thought too, but it's just a vocabulary issue, chalk it up to be part of the lingo of 2020, doesn't mean 'entertainment' just basically an occupation for Tisha Bav.

Updated the title, thanks for understanding what I meant!

ImmaBubby

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 4:40 pm

I always found that serving food was the hardest part. I don't know why I didn't think of it while my own kids were younger, but I just suggested to my daughter to prepare all of her kids' meals in advance and keep them in the fridge in either bento boxes or foil pans or tupperware with each child's name on it, complete with snacks, just so she wouldn't have to be bothered with much more than pouring milk on cereal on the actual fast. It would be exciting for the kids to actually be a bit self-sufficient and it would make things easier on the mom.

amother

Cerulean

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 4:58 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

If you and your husband are both fasting then when he is not in shul (which is not a lot on tisha b'av) you should be at least splitting the childcare duties

sky ↓

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 5:12 pm

Genendal krohn has a Tisha b’av book for kids.
I try to read that with my kids on the floor in the morning - at least for myself I should remind myself about the day because that is all I get.

I get a few crafts - wood kits, color on mugs.
A neighbor shows the kids chofetz Chaim video in the afternoon.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jul 27 2020, 8:33 pm

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

If you and your husband are both fasting then when he is not in shul (which is not a lot on tisha b'av) you should be at least splitting the childcare duties

We will, but he needs stuff to do with them as well.