Parenting Wins in the Waiting Room - The Brain Challenge!

Have you ever had to wait for an absurdly long time in a waiting room?  Hasn’t everyone?  For some mysterious reason, every waiting room I have ever been in has always lived up to its name and has required me to wait in it for an excessively annoying amount of time.  These long waits become particularly bothersome when you have small children with you...  Believe me, I know from personal experience.

Due to the fact that I have found myself caught in a long-waiting episode, in a dull and boring waiting room on so many occasions with my kids, I have been forced to get creative with my methods of entertaining them. The novelty of being in a new place littered with a few shabby toys and books, surrounded by unfamiliar humans wears off pretty quickly. Thus I have often found myself in the middle of a roaring battle between allowing my children to be the crazy, energetic kids they are and the need to prove to all the stink eyes shooting in my direction that I am actually a good parent who has control over my children.

Here is the solution that has emerged from my many waiting room battles…Brain Challenges!!  It has been my experience that every kid loves a challenge and rises to the occasion, so this little game has worked swimmingly as a means to pass the time in the ever-familiar waiting rooms of the world. 

Here’s how we play:

I give each one of my children, in turn, an age appropriate math, science or English question to answer and we keep score…it’s that simple!

My kids love the challenge and have a grand time watching me try to stump them over and over again.  Meanwhile, the waiting room minutes are ticking away while my kids remain subdued and engaged in learning.  And the stink eyes of the room are all wafting in the direction of the lady in the opposite corner having an obnoxiously loud phone conversation and safely away from us!  For heaven sakes if that isn’t a win, I don’t know what is!!

I hope this little tip saves you from all the stink eyes in your next waiting room…enjoy!!