As the calendar inches toward the end of March, parents everywhere are terrified to be stuck at home with their children. Or is that just me? Here are a few survival tips to ensure your sanity remains intact until summer, when you’re really in for trouble.

Start a Spring Writing Project
Add some structure and (shh, don’t say it out loud – education!) to spring break with a writing project. If nothing else, it’s ten minutes a day of complete silence. All you need is a snazzy notebook and a colorful pen. Click the link for more details on fun and easy writing projects for kids.

Quash Sibling Squabbling with a Tattle Tub
If you’ve got more than one child, you know that time at home comes with an equal portion of sizzling fights over markers, Cheetos, and turns on Nintendo Wii. As long as there’s no blood, the arguing is bearable. Set up a tattle jar and make kids deposit a pre-agreed upon toy for every tattle. If you can get them to stop tattling, you may be ready to learn how to teach kids to listen.

Practice Saying No
I’ll never understand how time off can somehow become more scheduled than the school year. Yet, in my panic to keep kids busy, I often end up saying yes one too many times. Say no, say it often, say it now! Click here for more advice on keeping your family’s schedule in check.

Eat cold cereal for dinner!
Okay – maybe you do this already, but those perfectionist among us need a little reminder that we don’t have to do everything just right every day. I promise the kids will love you for it. Who doesn’t appreciate the occasional pass on healthy, food-group eating?

Shop With Your Kids
What? Has she gone insane? Let me re-phrase – if you must shop with your kids, make it bearable by making it fun for them. If they’re old enough, have them cross items off the list or push the cart. Even very little kids can do a scavenger hunt. Have them look for apples, crackers, ice cream – whatever they’re into. It just may keep them from begging at the store.

Remember How You Got Those Kids!
It’s easy to get burnt out during spring break. Take some time alone with your mate. Summer sizzles when you save room for date night. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive. It doesn’t even have to take too long. But it may just save your sanity.

Image Credit: DavidDennisPhotos, Flickr