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| madhyamam |
Have you ever let your child watch a little (A LOT) to much TV? I'm Guilty. It is so easy to get in the habit of setting your child in front of the TV when you have something to do. Many of us feel guilty about it later when we realize how much of those "things I need to get done" add up for our child and their TV time. I am not going to preach to you about how to much TV is horrible for your child, there are already plenty of people much more qualified than I already doing that. What I am going to talk about are a few different tools you can use to break the habit.
1. Fun Shelf: I don't know about your kid, but mine is obsessed with learning. She loves to trace things, color, search and find, and look at picture books. So we have a book shelf full of things just for that. Every morning I would put her on a show while she ate so I could get something done. I realized that I was making a bad habit for her so now we sit at the table for breakfast and do a sticker book together or color. I am still able to get things done between my turn or I get up for a few minutes and then come back. Always make sure that you come back so that they learn to trust that you will and wont bother you to come back all the time, you will get a lot more done in the long run trust me.
2. Basket of Exploration: Cooking can be one of the hardest things to do with a child up your butt. I let Chloe help as much as she can but there are a lot of things that she just cant do fast enough or at all yet. So I prep ahead of time with a basket of fun. All you need to do is go threw some old toys that your little hasn't played with in a while and present them in a new way. For example: put a bunch of legos in a basket (if you already keep them in a basket put them in something else), add a few other things in there that could possibly enhance the play like toys to play on the Legos, and leave it somewhere that they will see it or make a big deal about it when you bring it out. You will be surprised how much more use you can get out of a discarded toy. This also works in a pinch. When I was filling this basket for a picture Chloe jumped right on it!
3. Table Top Design: This one can be really fun for many different occasions. Get a bunch of paper, tape it to the top of your table, put some markers out, and watch the master piece come together. When your child starts to bother you and you need some space, ask them to go add something to the table for what ever reason pops into your head at the time. If you have older kids or adults who want to join in the fun encourage them to write things on it as well. This can be a quote, poem, made up story, funny words, anything really.
4. Theme Box: This one takes a little bit of prep work, but the fun also lasts much longer. Pay attention to what your child is expressing interest in, although I am sure you are already doing this, and create them a box with that theme. For example a doctor themed box could have doctor tools, lab coat, patients that need mending, books about doctory things. If your child is older then it could be a bunch of old broken toys and the materials they would need to fix them. Your child is interested in space? Pull out those star stickers! Pinterest is a great resources for this one.
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| giftofcuriosity |
5. Shadow Tracing: So you really want that space? Shut your kid in the closet, or a room without windows, well unless its dark... and give them some paper, a flash light, and things to trace with. Show them how to put a object in front of the light and trace it on the wall (don't forget to put paper there!). Teach about shadows as much or as little as you like and let them have at it. For extra time encourage them to color in the shadow and not just tracing it. (This ones picture just never turned out right)
There are so many things we can do with our kids that will allow them to grow more than a TV will allow. We just have to get creative and break our own habit. What do you remember from childhood, was it the things you did or the shows you watched?
What do you do to keep your kiddo busy when you need some time?
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