by Donna | Apr 26, 2010
“Before I knew it, it was time to set the table for lunch. Josiah and I raced to see who could get done with our jobs first. I slowed down at the end so Josiah could catch up—then I let him win! Mommy took me into her room alone and gave me a million hugs. She said she was so happy that I was learning to see how others feel—and that I make Josiah feel important. I think she’ll probably tell Daddy, and he’ll say, “Jonathan, Mommy told me a good report about you!” I love it when he says that—he always has a big smile on his face and tears in his eyes when he does.”*
TODDLER YEARS (AGE 2+)
Prior to the preschool years, you can set the stage for diligence and enjoyment in helping by allowing your toddler to do some of the following tasks:
*“Help”**
1. Dust–with sock on his hand!
2. Pick up toys after play time
3. Put laundry in hamper
3. Set the table
4. Feed the pets—depending on pet type, etc.
5. Make bed—fold blanket in his crib; put books or crib toys in basket
6. Clear table
*Become his own chores:
1. Books in book basket
2. Toys in toy basket
3. Play pen time toys in tub
4. Put napkins or silverware on table at each meal
5. Bath toys in basket after bath
6. Towel in hamper after bath
PRESCHOOL YEARS (AGES 3-4)
*”Help”**:
1. All tasks listed in Toddler Years
2. Water plants
3. Work in yard—child-sized tools are so darling!
4. Straighten his room
5. Straighten the toy room
6. Cook—pint-sized tasks: they love them!
7. Carry in groceries
8. Put some canned or boxed groceries away
9. Wash car
To become his own chores:
1. Unload dishes—we gave this job one rack at a time***
2. Set table
3. Clear table after meal—with an older “partner”
4. Put clothes in hamper each day
5. Put PJ’s in drawer, pj bag, or pillow case each morning
6. Make bed—we taught our little to lie in the bed and pull everything up over his head and roll out of the bed while lifting a corner of the covers, then flatten it out
7. Pick up all trash in a vehicle and put in small plastic bag
8. Pick up trash or sticks in yard
9. Pick up after play
10. Fold and put away dish towels, hand towels, dish cloths, and wash cloths (graduating to full towels by fourth year)
11. Load rinsed dishes into dishwasher
12. Pick up baby toys for sibling
13. Shelf low books
14. Make peanut butter sandwich, bowl of cereal, cheese and crackers, cold meat sandwich
15. Empty bathroom trash cans
16. Personal grooming: teeth and face
17. Match up socks
18. Vacuum—with much instruction and supervision
19. Sweep—again, littles’ tools are irresistible!
20. Clear table after simple meal, such as breakfast or lunch (with a partner at first, then on his own at end of year four)
**If you have been reading PP 365 long, you probably remember that we focused on giving our children entire chores/areas rather than just having them “help” forever….this builds self-esteem, responsibility, and skills; however, in the toddler years, “helping” is what he will primarily do. Anything you can “give” your toddler (i.e. put his books in the basket in the corner of his crib when he wakes up) will help him towards more and more responsibility.
***We used plastic dishes for years and years—and we put the cups, plates, etc. for daily use down in a lower cupboard (where they still are). This made it possible for our littles to learn to unload the dishwasher/dish drainer much earlier. If something went in a higher cupboard, the preschooler just placed it on the counter beneath the cupboard that it went in, and someone else placed it in the cupboard. (This was very few dishes; however, since our daily dishes and our pans were in lower cupboards.)
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
by Donna | Apr 25, 2010
This post will encompass both weekend days since it will likely get lengthy! Next week, we will do age appropriate chores—one age group per day. Then we will be done with chores for a while! And go back to more preschool information via Jonathan’s Journal. I want to finish preschool in plenty of time in May to discuss summer activities, helping your students during the summer (whether your children go to school or school at home), and much more! (I always have big plans….just not always enough time to do them all!)
Are you ready for a complete, annotated list of sources about this topic? Okay…..bear with me:
1. Choreganizer cards—I talked about these in morning routine posts. (See https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-eighteen-develop-morning-routines.html and https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-nineteen-develop-morning-routines.html
Besides using these for morning routines, after school routines, or bedtime routines, they are also outstanding for chore charts (which is probably what they were intended for).
2. Accountable kids. This website offers a complete program for teaching children chores and responsibility, including immediate and delayed rewards and much more. I developed our own systems, but if I was just starting out all over again, I would definitely consider this program: https://www.accountablekids.com/
3. Book: “401 Ways to Get Your Kids to Work at Home” (McCullough and Monson). This was one of the first “teaching responsibility and chores” books that I had—twenty-six years ago! It contains many, many tips for teaching children to work at home and also gives dozens (or hundreds?) of organization/storage tips. Available at https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Your-Kids-Work-Home/dp/0312301472
4. Book: “Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise” (Pam Young and Peggy Jones). This was another early book I used to organize our home. It introduces a detailed index card system for household tasks, from daily jobs to seasonal and year ones; from laundry systems or spice organization. I found it especially helpful when I was having trouble prioritizing. I always worked diligently, but I got easily “sidetracked” by projects—had a lot of trouble with faithfulness to daily tasks. This book helped with that, too, with its priority card system, etc. It’s a pretty fun read also. Available at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Sidetracked+Home+Executives
5. Book: “A Housekeeper Is Cheaper Than a Divorce: Why You Can Afford Household Help and How to Get It” (Kathy Fitzgerald Sherman). While the title of this book is obnoxious, its ideas for delegating and dividing work are not. While most of us cannot afford a housekeeper (and the author gives less credit to families working together than I believe is accurate, in many cases), this book puts housework and relationships in their proper order—and gives many good ideas for delegating and dividing work. Available at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Housekeeper+Is+Cheaper+Than+a+Divorce
6. Book/System: “Managers of Their Home” (Teri Maxwell). This book is not for the faint of heart. If you have a large family, homeschool, and are having trouble “getting it all done,” this book is for you. It includes a detailed system of organizing all of the work in a large family home. It is a system that takes a lot of time to implement—but the time saved once it is implemented is amazing and worthwhile. (If you are easily overwhelmed by elaborate systems, this approach and the “Sidetracked” one above are likely not for you.) Available at https://rainbowresource.com/product/Managers+of+Their+Homes/003890/1266103605-336372
7. Cleaning Products and Books: The Cleaning Center (Don Aslett). This site is where I get the majority of our cleaning products—as well as lots of help and tips. Don Aslett’s books are amazing—and I have even used a couple of them for read alouds for our children to help the learn to do things more efficiently and effectively around the house. This company’s cleaning products and tools are affordable and effective. Our favorites include Showers and Such (remarkable shower cleaner without the strong fumes or dangerous chemicals), Foaming Bowl Cleaner (like the showers one, it truly removes rust and water stains), and the Window and All Purpose cleaners (65 cents a bottle as a little packet that you add water to!). Available here https://www.cleanreport.com/
8. Book: “Clean in a Minute” (Don Aslett). This little book has taught my children and me how to clean quicker and more efficiently. I highly recommend it for learning how to clean fast and thoroughly. (Available at https://www.cleanreport.com/ )
9. Child sized tools. I always loved getting my littles their own sized broom or rake. The site that follows has pint-sized tools and utensils to get your little ones working alongside you: https://www.forsmallhands.com/store/index.php?main_page=collection&collection=CLN1
10. Book: “Make-a-Mix Cookery.” I will review this book later in the year, but this is where I started with my mega cooking. It is not specifically mega cooking, but it has many “mixes” (i.e. Italian meat, hamburger mixes, white sauce balls, homemade “Bisquick,” and much more) that I have used over and over through the years. I am on my third copy (due to excessive use!), and I highly recommend this for home cooks who are serious about cooking from scratch. Available here https://www.amazon.com/Make-Mix-Cookery-Make-Mixes/dp/0895860074
11. Mega cooking site: Thirty Day Gourmet. This is the site I use for mega cooking help nowadays. Their basic freezer cooking manual looks wonderful (“Thirty Day Gourmet’s Big Book of Freezer Cooking”), but I use the software (item #12). This site will help you immensely if you desire to do freezer cooking of any kind: https://www.30daygourmet.com/
12. Software: Thirty Day Gourmet Edition of Advantage Cook Software. This is the software that I use now for all of my recipes. It is a long process getting them all switched over from WORD (and some from EXCEL) to this, but it is so worth it since this software lets you adjust the servings at the push of a button. After many years of adjusting recipe amounts on napkins, in my head, and on scrap paper, I so appreciate that aspect of it. In addition to being able to plug your own recipes into it, this software comes fully loaded with the Thirty Day Gourmet’s Freezer Cooking recipes (again, fully adjustable). I love this program. Available at https://www.30daygourmet.com/Products/Freezer-Cooking-Advantage-Software.aspx
That should get you surfing—and give you some resources to help you in your family’s chore schedules and household management. Thanks for joining us. It is a pleasure sharing life with you.
by Donna | Apr 12, 2010
“Soon it was time for Jakie to play in his play pen, so Josiah and I got to play together. Next thing I knew, we were in trouble! Mommy came into the room and said that it looked like a tornado went through. We did it again! We got too many things out at one time. We had stuff all over the living room: Legos, cars and trucks, Duplo people, books, and stuffed animals. It took us FOREVER to clean it up—even with Kara’s help. Josiah and I had to each do an extra fifteen minute chore with Mommy because we forgot the rule about getting out too many things at one time. “*
Many of the activities listed for toddlers yesterday would work well for preschoolers. Additionally, we added more “preparation for school” type of things (remember, we tried to not teach anything formally that we could teach informally) as was appropriate.
Another thing we did with activities, per se, was to add things into their room time that we had used with them already. For example, after we did a Laurie puzzle with the child and he could do it alone well, we moved it to his room time for him to play with it by himself. (We also did this with reading—a mastered “oral reader” became the child’s “silent reader”—more on this in helping your children in school later!)
Again, I recommend that you take two dozen or so items that you want to save for room time—that the preschooler cannot just go get out of the toy box or off the toy shelf—and get these out one or two at a time for his room time. Obviously, we had Legoes, dress up, Playmobile, etc. out all the time for the little ones to play with—so these things may or may not work for room time (it depends on how much they love playing with them!). The key is to have activities that are not always available that would interest your little ones during a concentrated independent time.
1. Duplos continue to be good choices for preschoolers, following a transition into Legoes whenever the child is ready. We carefully kept our Duplos and Legoes separated, especially when the toddlers and preschoolers shared in room time.
2. The felt books and felt playsets continue to be good for this age group: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-thirty-one-start-young-with-bible.html
3. Wedgits: https://www.timberdoodle.com/Wedgits_Starter_Set_p/845-845.htm
4. Laurie puzzles and sets: https://www.timberdoodle.com/Lauri_Kids_p/360-168.htm
5. Imaginets (we never had these, but had various types of magnets for our kids at different ages): https://www.timberdoodle.com/Imaginets_p/785-805.htm
6. Silly putty, play dough, clay—they love all of them. We made our own play dough for years and years—store bought play dough does not begin to compare to home made. The stove top version is softer and longer lasting. We loved it. However, preschoolers usually don’t care! As far as “silly putty” is concerned, Timberdoodle has some amazing stuff: https://www.timberdoodle.com/Metallic_Colors_Thinking_Putty_p/284-metallic.htm or colorful/glow in the dark: https://www.timberdoodle.com/Glow_in_the_Dark_Thinking_Putty_p/284-glow.htm
7. ABC puzzles—Timberdoodle carries the Laurie ones we used, but there are many nice ones out there (we loved giant floor puzzles, especially with this age): https://www.timberdoodle.com/Lauri_A_To_Z_Puzzles_p/360-alphabet.htm
8. World and USA puzzles and colorforms—Timberdoodle has some great ones for preschoolers: https://www.timberdoodle.com/Geopuzzles_p/120.htm
9. Brio trains—there’s a reason your preschoolers are always drawn to the trains in the waiting room of the doctor’s office! Take a look at them here https://www.briotrains.info/
10. Measuring/weighing activities—we got ours from a teaching supply store, but Discovery Toys has one right now that looks great: https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=2077
11. Pattern blocks—this is the set we had for all of our children, though it had a different name then; I will list it here, but it is really more of an activity you do with your child: https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=2930
12. For children who are not Lego fans—or when your preschoolers like more make believe play than the chubby Duplo or Fisher Price people but are not ready for small Legoes, consider Playmobile. It doesn’t have the building aspects to it (except for the headache of building everything before children play with it—I’ve actually heard of parents hiring teens to assemble these things before Christmas!)—but the make believe and play value of nearly anything Playmobile is incredible (and the play value extends to unsaturated-with-television ten year olds as well!): https://store.playmobilusa.com/
13. Magnifiers! We used the department store cheapoes, but these look fantastic: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CDD658~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
14. Colorful, sorting items (bears, in this case)–What needs to be said about anything this darling and colorful—these were not the ones we had, but this set makes me want to “do it all over again!” https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CLL774~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
15. Shape sorters—these are ideal to do with your preschooler, but once we played with our little ones with these, they also enjoyed using them alone: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CJJ434~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
16. Sand and water tables are pricey—you can do similar activities with tiny swimming pools on the porch or even flat tubs filled with water and/or sand—our little ones would occasionally have “room time” in the bath tub in their swim suits (usually two at a time!) with an older child stationed in there reading and keeping an eye on the littles. Here is one to give you an idea of the type of play I’m describing: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CJJ514~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp OR here is another one that has four tubs in frames: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7C2534374302101783~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
17. Stencils with markers, crayons, etc. We used plastic ones rather than card stock ones. Here are some ABC ones https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CFF254~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
18. Traffic signs and other things to go with cars and trucks and car and truck mats recommended yesterday in the toddler list: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CRJ10~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
19. Lego tables and lego plates to build on keep something intact. We used inexpensive ones picked up at garage sales and wholesale clubs, but I still drool over the elaborate ones. Here is a modest one: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CRR326~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
20. Magnetic mazes—these are ideal even for road trips since there are no loose pieces; unfortunately, we only had these for our boys as they were not available when I was a young parent! https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CGG454~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp or https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CGG454~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
21. Lacing beads—again, this is one you will want to do with the child first https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CFD117~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
22. Lacing activities: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CTD341~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
23. Cash register! This is the one we used: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CDA623~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
24. Puppets—Okay, I admit it—I collected puppets as a hobby when my kids were growing up! These are readily available at yard sales and second hand stores: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7C2534374302101604~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
25. Animals! And yes, I had ours divided by zoo, wild, farm….I loved the preschool days! https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CBT183~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
26. Magnetics—we liked the shape ones, but there are all kinds available: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CDD507~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp
27. Floor puzzles: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/34yrpreschool/viewall.jsp?bmForm=botLinks&bmFormID=1271031507255&bmUID=1271031507255&bmIsForm=true&bmPrevTemplate=%2Fseo%2Ff%7C%2FAssortments%2FLakeshore%2FShopByAgeOrGrade%2F34yrpreschool%2Fviewall.jsp&bmHidden=pdp&pdp=97&bmHidden=itemNarrow&itemNarrow=&bmHidden=itemSubCatNarrow&itemSubCatNarrow=&bmHidden=itemAgeNarrow&itemAgeNarrow=&bmHidden=itemCategoryNarrow&itemCategoryNarrow=&bmHidden=itemPriceNarrow&itemPriceNarrow=&bmHidden=FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302101872&bmHidden=ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113
Okay…this is getting OC, as my kids say (out of control!), so I will stop for today. Tomorrow—and all this week—we turn to chores!!! (My second favorite subject next to preschoolers!).
One final note about preschool room time activities: Be sure you get true “independent” activities. Avoid electronics, difficult to assemble toys, or other activities that require too much help in order for the preschooler to play with.
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
**Benefits of room time for preschoolers and toddlers: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-ninety-seven-benefits-of-playpen.html
by Donna | Apr 11, 2010
“Soon it was time for Jakie to play in his play pen, so Josiah and I got to play together. Next thing I knew, we were in trouble! Mommy came into the room and said that it looked like a tornado went through. We did it again! We got too many things out at one time. We had stuff all over the living room: Legos, cars and trucks, Duplo people, books, and stuffed animals. It took us FOREVER to clean it up—even with Kara’s help. Josiah and I had to each do an extra fifteen minute chore with Mommy because we forgot the rule about getting out too many things at one time. “*
Today I am going to put some links and create a small list of items we enjoyed having for toddlers—for room time or anytime. Tomorrow I will do the same for pre-schoolers. And next week—honestly—it’s on to chores for Positive Parenting 3*6*5!
1. Duploes—these chubby, safe-for-toddlers *Legoes* are perfect as first blocks for toddlers. Many of the sets have people, animals, and vehicles with them,; those make them even better for this age.
2. Felt books and felt activities—older toddlers/preschoolers may enjoy these. I reviewed the earlier on this blog. You can find information about them at https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-thirty-one-start-young-with-bible.html
3. We loved the Hugg a Planet for ALL ages—even my high schoolers would toss it around and study it: https://www.timberdoodle.com/Hugg_A_Planet_s_World_Globe_p/179-229.htm
4. Measuring cups, pans, etc.– https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=1674
5. One of my favorite Discovery Toys of all—the measure up cups! https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=1971
6. Cars and trucks—I especially loved any cars and trucks offered from Discovery Toys since they were always so colorful—and always rolled correctly with no fear of wheels falling off, etc.: https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=2010; another good set (which are also sturdy and colorful): https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CDC177~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
7. My next-to-the-favorite Discovery Toy for this age was the giant pegboard (I still have mine!). Now it has an additional pack for stringing, ect.: https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=1562
8. Okay-Place and Trace may have been my next-to-the-favorite Discovery Toy for his age! https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=1759
9. We loved our Marble Works for older kids (with regular marbles), so I can’t help but recommend the large one for toddlers, though this might be a better activity for Mom with the toddler than the toddler alone since he might become frustrated trying to run it alone: https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=1756
10. Hammering and pounding toys, such as the one offered by Discovery Toys: https://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/control/product?PURCHASE_STATE=STANDARD&product_id=1433
11. Beanbags: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CHH378~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
12. Sensory blocks: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CJJ937~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
13. Activity centers: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CZZ149~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
14. Rhythm instruments: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/p%7CRA476~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
15. Chubby animal and people (Fisher Price has nice chubby animal and people for this age group too—I especially love the ones the come in littl houses that children can carry around by a handle on the top of the house or barn): https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CCF639~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp; Fisher Price noisy animals: https://www.toddler-toys.us/1-165795011-sr-5-Fisher_Price_Toddler_Toys.html
16. Anything kitchen!!! We loved plastic food and dishes especially: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CAA323~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
17. Car and truck mats (oh, I loved these!): https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/p%7C2534374302100910~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
18. Bead mazes—these are available at Walmart, Kmart, and most other department stores: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7CGB742~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
19. Dress up (don’t get me started—have I mentioned that every year for five years our teen daughters sewed dress up clothes for the boys for Christmas—knights, Minutemen, wise men, cowboys—okay, I’m crying now: https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca%7CproductSubCat~~p%7C2534374302101294~~f%7C/Assortments/Lakeshore/ShopByAgeOrGrade/18mo3yrtoddler/viewall.jsp
20. Activity items: https://www.toddler-toys.us/1-165795011-B000L53D4O-Fisher_Price_Brilliant_Basics_Activity_Walker.html
Hopefully, this list and the links will give you some ideas to get you started in creating your room time tub or basket. Look for items at garage sales, thrift stores, etc.
One final note about toddler room time activities: Be sure you get true “independent” activities. Avoid electronics, difficult to assemble toys, or other activities that require too much help in order for the toddler to play with.
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
**Benefits of room time for preschoolers and toddlers: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-ninety-seven-benefits-of-playpen.html
by Donna | Apr 9, 2010
“Soon it was time for Jakie to play in his play pen, so Josiah and I got to play together. Next thing I knew, we were in trouble! Mommy came into the room and said that it looked like a tornado went through. We did it again! We got too many things out at one time. We had stuff all over the living room: Legos, cars and trucks, Duplo people, books, and stuffed animals. It took us FOREVER to clean it up—even with Kara’s help. Josiah and I had to each do an extra fifteen minute chore with Mommy because we forgot the rule about getting out too many things at one time. “*
A couple of days ago, I described the benefits of room time for preschoolers.** Room time for the preschooler is not that different from play pen time for toddlers except that (1) it is generally a longer time period; (2) it is not contained (like in a playpen or crib but is in a room that you trust the child to play in); and (3) more choices and activities are provided for the child.
If you began playpen time with your child when he was younger, room time will likely become a logical, easy transition. When you can trust your preschooler (or older toddler) to play in a room alone (or with a sibling) without getting other things out, etc., he can probably move from playing in the playpen or crib to playing in his bedroom or other room that is near where you will be during that time.
If you have a scattered preschooler who does not play well alone or does not focus well, you might want to follow the steps below for implementing room time:
1. Create a “busy basket,” closet, or cupboard in which you will store his room-time-only activities and toys. (This weekend I will review some sites and activities to consider putting in your room time area.)
2. Build your preschooler’s curiosity and appetite for this special time by making a big deal out of your preparations. Let him have a “sneak peek” of things you pick up at yard sales, thrift stores, etc. As you are preparing to begin implementing room time, explain to your preschooler that you are gathering activities that he might enjoy doing by himself uninterrupted that will help him get ready for kindergarten—and be lots of fun. Be sure you do not act as though you are preparing punishment for him (i.e. “room time”)—especially if he is used to getting sent to his room for punishment.***
3. Tell him a couple of days before you begin that “on Monday, we’re going o start your room time,” so you do not just spring it on him suddenly and expect him to be okay playing alone (if he is not used to doing things by himself).
4. Choose the second-most-intensive time of your day in terms of time needed to get things done, and get him all set up with one or two activities and tell him that you will be back to check on him in ten minutes or so. (We used audios for our children at all ages, and usually had a story tape playing for the child too, unless he was playing alone while he listened to our read aloud time.)
5. Have him play for however long he can be content—without pushing it. Then help him clean up his activities and put the basket away. (Keep the “room time” activities out of reach except for during room time.)
6. Praise him for his focusing skills and independence.
Note about room-time activities: When our kids were little, I had a set of activities and toys that they used for room time (i.e. “busy basket”) that they could do alone. I also had another basket or tub filled with things that the older kids could do with them. The latter was filled with things that were either two-people activities or that the younger child could not necessarily do alone but would enjoy doing with someone.
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
**Benefits of room time for preschoolers and toddlers: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-ninety-seven-benefits-of-playpen.html
***Note: If you use “time out” in your child’s bedroom for punishment, you may or may not want to use his bedroom for room time. We rarely used time out (except for rare occasions in which we were trying to fit the consequence of isolation with anti-social behavior, such as fighting, not sharing, etc.—if you do not treat others kindly, you will not have any friends). We felt the benefits of time out were extremely limited—and continue to see this as parents tell us “When I send him to his room, he says, ‘Fine. I like to be alone anyway.’” If using his bedroom is a potential problem, use a den or your bedroom.
by Donna | Apr 8, 2010
“Soon it was time for Jakie to play in his play pen, so Josiah and I got to play together. Next thing I knew, we were in trouble! Mommy came into the room and said that it looked like a tornado went through. We did it again! We got too many things out at one time. We had stuff all over the living room: Legos, cars and trucks, Duplo people, books, and stuffed animals. It took us FOREVER to clean it up—even with Kara’s help. Josiah and I had to each do an extra fifteen minute chore with Mommy because we forgot the rule about getting out too many things at one time. “*
Yesterday I described the benefits of room time and/or play pen time for toddlers and preschoolers (for children AND mom!). Today I will explain how we went about having a daily play pen time for toddlers. (And tomorrow, we will give tips on having the daily room time for preschoolers.)
When our babies started playing more and doing more “toddler” types of activities, we provided many enrichment toys and opportunities for them. I mentioned in earlier posts** about you, the parent, deciding when the baby goes to bed and gets up, when he takes naps, etc. I also described how we helped our little ones love learning and books early on. One way that we did this was to sneak into his room in the morning before he awoke and put a toddler-safe basket of “baby books” in his bed for him to look at when he first awoke (until we were ready to get him up). Another thing we did was teach our toddlers to play quietly and contentedly in their play pen or crib—thus, “play pen time” (or “crib time” if you prefer not to use a play pen).
Tips for Play Pen Time:
1. Create a “busy basket” of items that the toddler only uses during his play pen time. (I will be reviewing some products for this busy basket this weekend, so stay tuned!) You might want to alternate the items in this tub or just get out one or two per day, however your space and budget limits dictate. (I was an avid garage saler—and I also spent more money on books, toys, and educational pursuits for my children than I did clothing, home décor, and personal items (like jewelry, make up, etc.) combined! I can buy those things later; my kids were only little for a short time.)
2. When you need the second-most-uninterrupted time of the day (I used naptimes for the most interrupted-free times), place the toddler in the play pen or crib with the busy basket or one or two activities from the busy basket. (We personally used play pen time for toddlers and room time for preschoolers during our morning read aloud time since that was the time that nobody was available to run and get the little one out of whatever he or she might get into—and the time that we wanted to be the most free of distractions.)
3. Set the timer for ten minutes (or fewer if he or she is not used to playing alone). I recommend that if this is all new, you help your toddler start playing with the activity, getting him or her interested in it, etc. Then tell him to play for a few minutes until you get back.
4. At the end of the time, go in and help your toddler learn to put the activity back in the basket/tub, working with him as needed and take him out of the bed/playpen. Praise him if he played well, etc.
5. Note: If he cries, you might want to go in and check on him and tell him to play with the blocks for a few minutes, then go back out.
6. Increase the time by a few minutes each day until your toddler can play well all by himself for thirty to sixty minutes.
7. Note about using the bed for play time: We never had a problem using the crib for the toddler’s playpen time since it was a completely different atmosphere than bedtime. He knew when we got the busy basket out that it was play time—and when he laid him down with blankets; no toys; and his lullaby tape, praise music, or story audio, it was sleep time. It probably depends on when you begin it.
The older kids and I have fond memories of Josiah and Jonathan’s room time and play pen times especially—mostly because they were so incredibly cooperative! We used to have Jonathan have his room time in the same room we were reading in—but on a blanket in the corner. He had to keep all of his activities on that blanket and play quietly, then he could remain in and listen to our morning reading. At the same time, Josiah was a toddler and had his room time in a porta-crib (pack and play?) in the room we read in. It was actually quite comical, but if he screamed or fussed, we would pull his porta crib into the other room and shut the door. When he got quiet again, someone would pull him back in with us. And this continued—he eventually quieted down and played nicely because he didn’t want to be in the other room all alone.
I’m smiling as I type this as I have this picture of one of the girls zooming Josiah’s play pen through the doorway, telling him that “when you’re ready to be quiet, you can come back in with us.” Wowsie…those were sweet, wonderful days.
*For the complete story of “Jonathan’s Journal, follow this link: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-seventy-eight-introducing-jonathans.html
**Links to only baby and toddler posts: https://positiveparenting3-6-5.blogspot.com/search/label/babies%20and%20toddlers
