Comments on: Buying time. http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:21:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: kristie http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/#comment-346 kristie Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:18:43 +0000 http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/#comment-346 Our dollar store often has fairy tales and other stories on cd. My almost 5 yo loves those. We also get small crafts. One of her favorite things to do is to paint with watercolors. I give her a huge stack of paper and let her go. In the summer, moon sand has been a big hit. I put her out on our covered patio with the moon sand, and I work at the kitchen table so I can see out the french doors. She also loves jobs (as long as it doesn't involve cleaning her own room). She loves to "make beds" and scrub the kitchen counters with soapy water. Our dollar store often has fairy tales and other stories on cd. My almost 5 yo loves those. We also get small crafts. One of her favorite things to do is to paint with watercolors. I give her a huge stack of paper and let her go. In the summer, moon sand has been a big hit. I put her out on our covered patio with the moon sand, and I work at the kitchen table so I can see out the french doors.

She also loves jobs (as long as it doesn’t involve cleaning her own room). She loves to “make beds” and scrub the kitchen counters with soapy water.

]]> By: Ellen http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/#comment-340 Ellen Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:48:40 +0000 http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/#comment-340 The books on tape are GREAT. You can also make your own by buying a stack of used kids books for cheap and then taping you reading then to him (remember to say when to turn the page!). Kids love this because they hear your voice and sometimes theirs, when they comment during that first reading. And you get a chance to make something personalized while spending quality time with him. You can do SO MANY MORE books this way than by just buying the individual ones and they don't need to change tapes as often. The books on tape are GREAT. You can also make your own by buying a stack of used kids books for cheap and then taping you reading then to him (remember to say when to turn the page!). Kids love this because they hear your voice and sometimes theirs, when they comment during that first reading. And you get a chance to make something personalized while spending quality time with him. You can do SO MANY MORE books this way than by just buying the individual ones and they don’t need to change tapes as often.

]]> By: Jan http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/#comment-339 Jan Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:01:19 +0000 http://workitmom.com/bloggers/thismouseforhire/2007/12/03/buying-time/#comment-339 My kids (3 1/2 and 2) love to play with bubbles in the kitchen sink. I use a little dish soap and fill it about halfway. I give them some tupperware and a scrubber with a handle, take off their shirts, push a chair up and let them 'wash dishes'. If I'm doing something not on the computer, my 3 1/2 year old likes to type letters. I set Word up with a huge font and landscape page orientation. She knows which is the newline key and which is backspace. Books on tape are a great idea. I do this in the car for commute time, too. Our library has a system where you can download books and even burn them to CD (some) so I keep up a rotation. My older kid responds very well to being given a job, so sometimes I set her up with an empty laundry basket and ask her to empty everyone's hampers into it, which takes her some time. "Your baby looks hungry; would you make her some lunch?" followed by "Your baby looks tired, maybe you should read her a story and put her to bed" gives me about 20 minutes with the older girl. "Dude, where is your truck? Do you want to put it down the slide?" [we have a toddler slide in our family room] gets me about 20 minutes with the younger boy. "The kitchen is open for riding bikes!!" We have an island and laminate flooring - the kids love making it into a racetrack. Also, I let my older one take pictures with the digital camera. If I have both, I can usually send them upstairs to play and they'll keep each other occupied for awhile. My rule (for now) is that I don't want to hear any screaming or complaining or they can't play together and it works pretty darn well. My kids (3 1/2 and 2) love to play with bubbles in the kitchen sink. I use a little dish soap and fill it about halfway. I give them some tupperware and a scrubber with a handle, take off their shirts, push a chair up and let them ‘wash dishes’.

If I’m doing something not on the computer, my 3 1/2 year old likes to type letters. I set Word up with a huge font and landscape page orientation. She knows which is the newline key and which is backspace.

Books on tape are a great idea. I do this in the car for commute time, too. Our library has a system where you can download books and even burn them to CD (some) so I keep up a rotation.

My older kid responds very well to being given a job, so sometimes I set her up with an empty laundry basket and ask her to empty everyone’s hampers into it, which takes her some time.

“Your baby looks hungry; would you make her some lunch?” followed by “Your baby looks tired, maybe you should read her a story and put her to bed” gives me about 20 minutes with the older girl.

“Dude, where is your truck? Do you want to put it down the slide?” [we have a toddler slide in our family room] gets me about 20 minutes with the younger boy.

“The kitchen is open for riding bikes!!” We have an island and laminate flooring - the kids love making it into a racetrack.

Also, I let my older one take pictures with the digital camera.

If I have both, I can usually send them upstairs to play and they’ll keep each other occupied for awhile. My rule (for now) is that I don’t want to hear any screaming or complaining or they can’t play together and it works pretty darn well.

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