Excited about her new toy!
Today turned out far better than I thought it would have and I just had to share the story!! The cutie-pie in the photo above has lots to do with the success of the day!
As I mentioned in the original post for this week, I planned to bake banana bread with the kids today instead of going through the regular curriculum. Baby #4 got a little fussy just as I was ready to begin mixing the batter. I thought about putting her in the sling but it was so close to afternoon nap time, I didn’t want her to fall asleep and then not nap when the other two did.
So, I strapped her in to the booster seat at the kitchen table and put a pan of flour in front of her. She had a blast for the entire time we were mixing and teaching and cleaning up! It worked out beautifully! I was able to teach the kids about fractions and how many parts make up a whole in a fun non-stressed manner. My oldest son really hates math and it hinders his ability to get his school work done as quickly as I know he is able. I want to teach the younger ones that math is fun right away in the hope that once they get to math in third and fourth grade, they won’t have such an emotional obstacle to overcome.
Baby #4 is just a few days into 9 months old and she was really interested in this flour! Of course, some of
What used to be a purple shirt and blue jeans!
it went into her mouth and lots of it went all over the floor and her clothes, but it was worth every white pile. Just her smiles and the laughs from the kids made it worth the extra cleaning. I used to have my now-preschoolers play with trucks and cars in the flour one at a time while I did letters and numbers and other school lessons with the other child. I hadn’t used the idea in a long time and I was very glad I remembered.
Everyday, we have a time the kids call “Quiet Play Time”. They each go in a room by themselves with a few chosen toys to play for about 30 minutes. I have found that they play so much better together when they have had some time apart. My middle two children are 16 months apart and play so very well together. I love to watch them! But, sometimes, they really get one each other’s nerves. This time alone doesn’t completely wipe that out, but it certainly lessens the times they get at each other.
Not only does their time alone help them, it helps me stay on top of things. I concentrate on the dishes and laundry during those 30 minutes and am so much better able to manage those two never-ending always-mounting chores. Today, I also cleaned up the flour mess during this time. I am able to keep things clean and manage extra messes while not feeling guilty that I should be doing something fun with my kids. They have lots of fun in their room and I feel ready for the next task!
Hopefully, the extremely simple yet successful ideas that made my day will help you in the near future! If you would like to read about other ideas to entertain a small child while home schooling other children, read this article.
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Ohhhh…my chairs! lol j/k such a cutie pie ~ looks just like her grandma…in Germany!
Yes, the chairs sure have seen some interesting things! We are awful glad to have them!
I think maybe you are a bit biased on the cuteness! And I agree wholeheartedly!
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