Family Activities for Working Moms

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There are so many pros and cons to being a working momma, but I think we can all agree, the hardest part is simply everything you miss: the time, the activities, the milestones.

Pro-tip for daycare workers: If a parent ever tells you their kid did something for the first time, AGREE! Milestones always happen for Mom and Dad first. Always. No, she has not been rolling over at daycare for weeks {still bitter.}

I see friends taking their little ones to music class or the kid gym… only it’s 9:30 am on a Tuesday. Just about the time I’m grabbing my second {or third, let’s be honest} cup of coffee and hopping on another conference call or catching up on emails. I used to assume these activities only happened during the work day, and that the opportunities in a small town would be even more few and far between.

This really tugged at my momma heartstrings – where are the family activities for working moms? Would my daughter always miss out? How were we going to meet other families?

The project manager in me decided it was time to stop whining about the “problem” and start coming up with a solution. Much to my surprise, I learned it wasn’t actually a problem after all! Yep, I was wrong. Don’t tell my husband, but this is a rare phenomenon that does occasionally occur from time to time.

Turns out there are plenty of opportunities for all sorts of family fun outside of working hours if you just do a little digging. Where there’s a will {or mom,} there’s a way!Family library story time - Corpus Christi Moms Blog

Here are some of my go-tos:

Check out your local library.

Almost every city or county has at least one. We are in Kingsville and have three, that I know of, within a 30 minute drive. Even the smallest libraries seem to have all kinds of {free!} events like story time, arts and crafts, and Lego building. We found an activity to try out at 4:30 pm at the Bishop branch of the Nueces Country Public Libraries, but I’ve seen events starting as late as 6:00 pm, even on Saturdays.

Farmers Markets.

They are pretty popular these days, and they seem to typically take place on the weekends, like this Farmers Market in Kingsville. I find it’s nice just to stroll around and enjoy the outdoors, but this is a great place for families for so many other reasons as well. There’s usually music and sometimes an activity for the kiddos, like building bird feeders. They’ll also enjoy exploring all the different crafts, foods {samples… the lazy mom’s snack time, am I right?} and displays, like bees at the honey booth!

Family fitness class - Corpus Christi Moms Blog
Photo courtesy of @homefield_essentials.

Fitness Classes.

Another idea is to look for evening and weekend family friendly fitness classes in your area. The local Moms in Motion class is one of our favorite new activities for Saturday mornings! You can learn more at the South Texas Moms in Motion Facebook page, or check out Corpus Christi’s Fit4Mom. I’ve found this is a great way to share my love for fitness with my little one, while getting in a good workout for myself and wearing her out for nap time! It’s also been a fun way to meet and get to know other fit mommas in the area. If you’re looking for more information on what to expect, read my review of our first Moms in Motion class.

Parks and Recreation Activities.

From outdoor movie nights to parades and festivals for almost every holiday, the City’s Parks and Recreations departments offer all kinds of fun family activities that you can consider. These are especially appealing to those of us trying to save a buck, as most of them are free! We checked out our local Christmas festival last year which had bounce houses, a petting zoo, piñata making and even a visit from Santa Claus. These activities are almost always scheduled outside of working hours so that the school-aged kiddos can make it.

Universities.

Family sporting event - Corpus Christi Moms BlogMy last suggestion is a place you may have not considered looking – the universities! Luckily we have a couple good-sized schools around the Coastal Bend that provide so many family-friendly opportunities throughout the year, around the clock! Have you been to any sporting events? Watch for promotions and special events from the athletic departments. You may want to check out a Texas A&M University-Kingsville baseball game, I heard they are pretty good this year (shameless plug – Go Hogs!) It seems that almost every other department offers up opportunities as well, like concerts, speaker series, festivals, fundraisers, etc. There really is something for everyone!

I’m so thankful for all the activities I’ve been able to enjoy with my family when I’m not working – and all the people who make it possible!

I hope that others will continue to take advantage of these types of events to support the local vendors, businesses, departments, etc. that give us these opportunities and allow us to grow a strong community of families. 

We are always looking for new things to try when we can find the time!

What activities does your family take part in? Anything, in particular, you’d like to do but can’t seem to find outside your working hours?

Let me know! I’d love to help you try and find a solution (oops, my “project manager” side is showing again!)

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