My kids are always busy.
If they can’t find something to do, I will find that something for them
or die trying. Bored kids pound each
other, I’ve discovered. If you’re like
me and can’t afford the constant ER trips, you’ll love this list! (Calm down.
They don’t REALLY hospitalize each other. Yeesh.)
Exercise-My number one recommendation is to get some
exercise in that kid! Kids need to run
around. They have a lot of energy to
burn and sitting still is boring. Make
it a family affair and everybody wins.
Take a walk, throw a Frisbee, or build a snowman together. My family hikes at a local park three days a
week. We all get exercise, and the
outdoors really recharges us. The kids
sleep great at night too! My kids also
enjoy yoga and dancing to The Wiggles.
(So do I! shh!)
Get messy-Most* kids love to get messy. Play in the dirt, mud, sand, or snow. Get to finger painting. Use clay, glitter, markers, chalk. Anything dirty, dusty, messy, or wet is fair
game. Wash the car afterwards or play in
the sprinkler to make clean up easier.
(*Cheerio Champ does not like to get messy. Princess Cheerio loves to get messy. She then thinks it is funny to try to get
Cheerio Champ messy.)
Give them a job-Kids love to help. Cheerio Champ is patient at the store when he
gets to help his daddy with the shopping list.
Princess Cheerio is super proud of herself when she puts a book back on
the shelf when told to do so.
How old?-Age should be taken into consideration when trying
to find a way to keep your child busy.
Princess Cheerio, for instance, is 16 months old. She loves to put and take. Give her a small box and a few old Christmas
cards and she is set for twenty minutes.
Cheerio Champ (5 years), however, would much rather put together a 100
piece puzzle or play with his LeapPad 2.
And I’m guessing when she’s a teenager, my friend’s 15 month old
daughter won’t be as easily amused by a partially filled water bottle as she
was on the car ride the other evening.
You get the picture.
Read-Read to your kids as much as you can. It helps encourage a love of reading, and it
builds vocabulary. Cuddling is also a
bonus.
Tell them a story, teach them something, or both-Kids are
intellectual sponges, and they think you are awesome. Use that to your advantage. Tell them a story about when you were a
kid. Teach them about ants (hopefully
not the magnifying glass part, creep).
Make up a story to teach them an important moral about a situation they
are having an issue with (There once was a girl named Susie. She refused to clean up her room…).
Try an experiment-Kids are so curious. They always want to know why something
happens. Blow bubbles in the winter and
watch them shatter, or make your own bubble solution! Add colored vinegar to baking soda with a medicine
dropper (total win with Cheerio Champ).
TV or video games-This is an obvious one, but keep in mind
that they can still learn something!
There are amazing programs and movies out there geared towards kids of
all ages, and video games have come a long way.
They can get active, learn something, or do both things at once. And you can finally wash those dishes.
If all else fails, consult pinterest. They have boatloads of ideas. Good luck with the little monsters! See ya next week! XD
***Note: This post
has centered around keeping kids busy so they don’t drive you insane, but I
want to take a minute to point out that there is a benefit to down time
too. You don’t want to over-schedule
your kid with school, sports, play dates, piano lessons, etc. They will get burnt out and emotional. Think about how you feel if you don’t have a
moment to kick up your feet. Kids need
the down time to let their imaginations run free and sit quietly for a
while. I strongly believe that as soon
as a kid outgrows his or her nap, it should be replaced with a quiet time. Cheerio Champ has a quiet time that lines up
with Princess Cheerio’s nap time. That
works great for her. It’s quiet while
she naps. It works great for him,
because he’s not missing out on anything.
And it works out for me, because I get to recharge, exercise, get chores
done, and shower. (Yes. I do squeeze all of that in most days. Don’t you?)
You can encourage your wee one to do a puzzle, draw, or read books
during the quiet period. I like to keep
Cheerio Champ in his room. Other than
while he sleeps, it’s the only time he bothers to use it.***
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