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We all feel your pain! Being a busy mama means stretching yourself beyond your capabilities and sometimes you need five minutes to decompress. But when there are children running around asking 1001 questions, sometimes we need to give them something that's the equivalent of a dog chew toy! Keeping our children occupied isn't about placating them but it's about giving them things that will spark their imagination, keep them entertained, but also give you that all-important five minutes (or longer) to breathe! What are the things we can all do?

Yes while we may shudder at the idea of putting our children in front of the TV but  if there is a show that they will sit down and watch for twenty minutes this gives you the opportunity to do so much. Conversely, you don't have to put them in front of the TV for hours. But if you feel that there are times when they need to just stay in one place there is a list of featured add-ons for Kodi as well as numerous streaming services that you can take advantage of to give them a variety of shows to watch, as well as games to play. Again, when we put our children down in front of the TV we can feel guilty but it's about striking that balance. Twenty minutes is okay, but four hours is not!

If your children can't sit in one place for so long it might be because they get bored so easily. Over time set up an activity box that has more items than you can put in there! Look at what your children are into, whether it's Lego or coloring books and just take the opportunity every time you go to the store to get something extra. It doesn't have to be expensive! You can get numerous coloring books and activity sets for cheap if you look hard. The trick is to accrue more items so when you need that all-important break, even if your children get really bored quickly, there are so many things in there they can find something to keep them occupied for five minutes so you can enjoy some time to yourself.

It may be more trouble than it's worth but if you've been banging your head against the wall getting your children to tidy up their room turning it into a habit can help in the long run. It's easier when our children are toddlers and we start to incorporate this as part of their daily routine. At the very least, when your children are tidying up it gives you a sense of accomplishment which can calm you down. At the same time, it gives you the opportunity to focus on important household tasks so everybody can relax later. Yes, there's a lot to be said for the discipline involved in getting your children to do chores but it helps you and it helps them in the long run.