A client of ours was chatting with us as we were cleaning their 65 inch TV screen of all the little finger prints and spots from their two kids, both under the age of 5. They made the comment of: "I really wish I could find other ways to keep the kids occupied without so much screen time."

We totally get it. As a parent, when you've had a crazy day, you need a nap but you still have to cook dinner and get the kids clothes ready for school the next day, sending them into the living room to watch TV and play on their Pads is the easiest choice that saves the day for that moment.

But our client's comment got us to thinking, and we decided to do a little survey with our other customers and asked the question: "what's one activity you have your younger kids to that effectively keeps them occupied without the need for screen time?" We got lots of great responses and shared them with our client - and we'd like to share them with you!

Without delay, let's jump in!

1. Utilize headphones and focus on soothing noise
For my kids, their brain activity seems to need to be stimulated with activity in a way the visual and audio part of TVs and Pads actually helps with.
When we cut off their screen time, it's as if they have a harder time staying focused on something else because that visual and audio stimuli isn't there anymore.

What some of our clients mentioned though was that having their kids wearing noise canceling headphones and listening to something soothing helped bring their "jitters" down several notches. So much so, they were able to help them focus on the other activities in this book.

For soothing noise ideas, one suggestion was using white noise apps like 'Calm' which is a free app that allows you to listen to calming sounds from soft music to nature.

Another ideas was for them to listen to podcasts for kids, because often listening to human conversations allows their thinking to stay articulative and alert without becoming overwhelmed. For podcast ideas, PBS Kids has a list of recommended podcasts that you can visit on their website here.

2. Encourage art time
Art time is an incredible way to allow kids to unwind from and creatively express themselves. Art time can consist of anything from coloring in a color book, drawing freestyle, or molding playdough.

When we say 'encourage' it, we mean helping your kids get excited about it by "painting" a vision of what they can do. Motivating children with the potential of what could be helps inspire them to get involved in their art activities.

For example, instead of me telling my child, "Go spend some time coloring in your notebook", I instead motivate them with vision by saying, "Go spend some time drawing your favorite dinosaur and draw me a picture of his family and where they live."

For kids who struggle with coming up with ideas for art, this can help bring them clarity and stay focused on their activity.

3. Have them play with toys
One client we talked to has three younger kids below the ages of 8, and each of them has a small toy bin that they can carry with them around the house. Each child has their own unique toy: one has Legos, the other mine craft blocks and the third has an entire kingdom of race cars and tracks. When their parents tell them to "Find your spot and play with your toys" their children know to find their pre-assigned room in the house and to play with their toys.

The toy bin idea is a great idea for parents of all kids with unique interests.

4. Get together with another person to talk
Sometimes just chatting with a friend over coffee helps us dump out some of those negative feelings or thoughts that are causing stress in the first place. Having a trusted friend to empathize with us and encourage is goes a long way.

If you're stress is at a concerning level, go see a counselor. It's okay to 'not be okay'. Getting professional help from a licensed therapist when your stress is becoming unmanageable can work wonders. You can easily use an affordable service like BetterHelp.com to schedule a video call so you don't have to drive.

5. Keep your house or workspace tidy and clean
VerywellMind wrote an article on the effects of a clean environment vs a dirty one, saying:
"Keeping your home clean and engaging in the cleaning process is good for you. In fact, research shows that cleaning—or the lack of cleaning—can have a direct impact on mental health." Link to article

And they're right.
Doing simple things like making your bed, keeping your office or bedroom cleaned, and wiping the counters and doing the dishes in your kitchen can calm your stress levels.

So why don't more people keep their house cleaned?
There are lots of obstacles that zap people's motivation for cleaning:

• Energy: Whether from working all day, watching the kids, cooking, you name it - people simply don't have energy to clean.

• Time: By the time people have accomplished their tasks for the day, they look at the clock and realize there aren't any hours in the day left.

• Unenjoyable: The bottom line for most people is there's nothing fun about bending over on your knees scrubbing a dirty toilet.
  

So if keeping the house clean is such an issue, how can anyone enjoy the benefits of a clean home?

They use our company - and you can too
We've been helping people like you reduce stress in their lives by providing the best cleaning services in our community. Whether you need the bathrooms cleaned or a good kitchen cleaning once in a while, we should talk.

We'll help you come up with a check list of the rooms and areas you need cleaned, go over pricing options and schedule a day and time that works best for you.

Contact us today!