My list of "distractions" includes:
- Starfall.com
- drawing/coloring
- reading his favorite books
- toys
- letter/number magnets
- eating a snack
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Master of Distractions
I'm sure you're all VERY aware that part of being a mom is coming up with distractions for your children. Creative moms can even make it seem like their kids came up with the alternate activity, therefore making it all the more appealing to them. I haven't quite reached that status yet, but I'm learning how to keep a stash of alternate activities (even just a mental list) because I work from home and have to care for my 2 year old at the same time.
My list of "distractions" includes:
My list of "distractions" includes:
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5 comments:
Oh, my, gosh, sometimes I feel like this is all I'm doing.
When we're our and about and B starts getting antsy, I ask him to find things for me: "can you find a circle? square? rectangle? something blue? yellow? red? Can you see a dog? cow? something small? something big?" You can get the idea. With C, I sing songs with her, and have her point out different body parts, see if she can find different objects she's familiar with, or I have her and B talk to each other. It's funny to see what B brings up with her.
since my kids are older, this one is a bit easier for me....
Having them make up and tell you a story. That can take up some time and they get so into it.
My girls love coloring, or even playing a kid friendly game on my phone.
lately...I've had them go practice tying thier shoe's. Its amazing how long that distracts them when they are so determined to get it.
I have read that kids do well when you just turn them loose with a pile of toys, but they do so much better (learning and processing) when they are given structure and direction by an adult.
I like bubbles. Turn on music, blow bubbles and dance. S enjoys (aka laughs at) me dancing more than he likes the bubbles. And hey, it's good exercise for me!
We also love walks. Even if I can't take S for a walk I like to take him outside. He loves to sit on my lap and just watch the leaves in the wind or look at the grass and flowers. This is easy during the summer, but I'm even planning on doing it in the winter. A little cold air is good for his lungs, right?! :D
The library is a great distraction. Free entertainment...hello!
And lastly, S loves books. I sit in down with a pile of (baby friendly) books and he is content for a good 20 minutes - which is forever in baby time.
And hey, I'm not ashamed to say I emply the occasional Little Einstiens video while I'm in the shower.
My little ones loved the music thing because, like Deborah, the were more amused at my antics than anything else, but loved the music too.
Another thing I did was tell stories from my childhood. They would get a huge kick out of this one.
With 3 boys, it's a bit easier (sometimes!) to distract them by playing with each other. I started a while back when we were in line somewhere playing games like I spy or Simon says to make the wait go faster. We also do pass it on stories in the car where one person starts a story, passes it on and so forth so everyone gets a turn. We've had to institute a "no vomit-blood-or violence" rule for that one though! :0)
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