What to Do with Mismatch Socks (Something FUN!) with Quick Tips for Happy Families in Friday’s Fast Five 22nd Edition

Building a stronger, happier family is at the top of most parents’ list. However, we are busy! These weekly Fast Five ideas and tips are a quick way to brainstorm, check-in, and create the family relationships you really want. This week’s Fast Five includes what to do with mismatch socks that’s fun, how to teach kids to memorize, a service idea, and more. Happy Friday!

* These ideas are NOT meant to be a checklist or guilt trip of things we “should do.” Rather, they are intended to inspire you to find what works for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together. Remember to stick to the Simple Side of Parenting.

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What is Friday’s Fast Five?

Each Friday, we share five quick and simple ideas for families under the following categories:

• Something fun
• A Little Lesson
• A Service Idea
• Something Random
• A Quick Tip

As I try to simplify my own parenting journey and help others do the same, these help us think about what I feel is a simple version of good parenting…learn, laugh, love.

Subscribers also receive exclusive tips and downloads to simplify parenting life.

With that, here is the twenty-second edition of Friday’s Fast Five. (You can find other editions HERE.)

1. Something Fun: What to Do with Mismatch Socks

Wonder no longer what to do with mismatch socks…put on a puppet show!

Get out those mismatched socks that have been lying around for far too long. Using miscellaneous craft supplies, create sock puppets. You can use googly eyes, bits of fabric, yarn, buttons, or fabric markers to design your puppets. Many materials will attach well with hot glue.

Using your puppets, put on a show! Follow a familiar story line, or create an original one inspired by the unique puppets.

What to Do with Mismatch Socks…Other Ideas

If you’re wondering what to do with mismatch socks, here are a few more fun ideas.

• Create sock baby dolls.
  • Cut a sock or use an ankle length sock. Stuff it, and sew it shut. The toe becomes the head, and the sewn end is the bottom of the baby bunting. Add a hat, face, blanket, etc. as desired.
• Make rice hand or foot warmers.
  • Fill the sock with rice and tie or sew it shut. Voila! Simplest project ever! It can be heated briefly in the microwave and used as a cozy hand or foot warmer. (Caution: The rice warmer may be hot. Please start on low power for a short time and attend kids using microwaves.)
• Make a bean bag toss.
  • Make several bean bags by filling a sock toe with beans, cutting the excess sock, and sewing it shut. Build a toss by decorating a cardboard box a cutting holes in it or by placing buckets at various distances.
• Wait for a match.
  • Keep all the mismatched socks in one small container. Eventually those mismatched socks often find each other!

Related: Organize Your Clothes

2. A Little Lesson: Memorization

Helping our kids memorize an uplifting passage is a great way to bring goodness into their lives. It allows those words to be with them at all times.

Choose an inspiring quote, scripture, or song lyrics you want to memorize as a family.

Write out the words on a chalkboard or dry erase board. You can make your own simple dry erase board by putting paper inside a plastic page protector.

Say the words together, and then have one person erase one word. Repeat this until all the words are erased and memorized!

Wondering how to fit Little Lessons into your busy family schedule?

The two main ways to fit important lessons into your busy family schedule are to find spontaneous teaching moments throughout the day and to schedule family learning time each week. These two posts go into detail about these two ways and tips for making it happen with your family.

How Busy Parents Can Teach Important Life Lessons

6 Tips for Family Time that Teaches Life’s Most Important Lessons

3. A Service Idea: Fire or Police Station

Our first responders provide an important service to our communities, and they often do so at great personal risk.

Find a simple way to show appreciation such as dropping off homemade cards, cookies, or another treat at your local fire or police station.

Service is a great way to build a stronger, happier family. If you want more service ideas, request Raising Compassionate Children in a Conceited World, which includes 101 Service Ideas for Families.

4. Something Random: Clean-up Time

More true for some kids than others…

Help kids learn to clean with The 5 E’s of Teaching Kids to Work. You also might like this Checklist for Bathroom Cleaning to help kids learn that essential cleaning task.

5. A Quick Tip: Little Things

My husband brought me a sub sandwich the other day. I unwrapped it, and the pickles were overflowing. The extra pickles flopped out…and I felt loved.

My hubby knows I like extra pickles on my sandwich and “No mayo please” on my chicken burger. He fills up my water bottle when it’s empty and picks up my favorite ice cream at the store for me. These little acts, these are true love.

Whether we’re talking about our significant other or our children, we can do small acts of true love like this every day.

Pay attention. What does your child like? What makes them smile? If your son is the only one that doesn’t like pepper on his eggs, make a plate just for him. If your daughter loves when you checkout the next book in the series right before she needs it, make a little visit to the library.

We can really get to know our people and find little ways to show them our true love.

And that is Friday’s Fast Five!

You can also see Friday’s Fast Five on Instagram or other editions HERE.

Building a Stronger, Happier Family

It takes time and intention to build a stronger, happier family. I hope Friday’s Fast Five helps you find the ways that work for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together.

We will never regret the time we devote to our families and relationships with our kids.

Have a great weekend with your family, know that you’re loved, and keep on lovin’!

Do you have a great idea for a future Friday’s Fast Five? Have a question or parenting struggle you want help with? Share in the comments, shoot me an Email, or schedule a call.

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