One of the issues I often hear moms ask about is this:
What do I do with my little ones, so I can focus on teaching my older ones?
Usually, we don’t want to just plop them in front of a television or other video box, but we can sometimes be frustrated by their need to be underfoot and disruptive.
Here is one idea that has helped our family.
I made Jacob (almost three years old) a ‘school’ book of his own. It is a three ring binder, with plastic page protectors. I insert coloring pages, mazes, activity sheets, photographs, etc. into the page protectors. He is given a few different colored dry erase markers. He uses these to do his ‘school’ book. As he grows, I will replace the pages as his interests and abilities change.
The trick here is that this is a special ‘school’ book, and I do not let him just play with it. It is only used when I need him to do his school work so that others can do theirs.
By the way, I am not totally opposed to television, and since we hardly ever watch it, I did think at one time that I could try a video for our toddler. I bought and turned on Elmo’s Potty Time. I thought this is a great way to encourage bathroom use, and get him interested in something besides me for a bit.
Gradually, every child in the house gravitated towards the musical video box. That is every child except the toddler. He watched and danced for about two minutes, then left to see what else there was to do.
Overall, my experience has been that toddlers want to do whatever mom or dad is doing.
If I want to read a book, I bring one for him to read also.
If I need to do laundry, I give him something to fold and carry.
If I am weeding the garden, I assign him a plot to care for.
Whatever I am working at, I try to give him a task, even if it is a menial task, he is learning to help.
I try mostly to remember with all of my children that there will come a day, when they will be too big to pick up and carry, when they will not need my hugs and kisses to get over their bumps and bruises, when they will not come to me with every woe, when I will no longer be the center of their lives…
Take time to enjoy being so important!
