Thousands of parents around the world are asking the same two questions every single day:
- What should I cook today?
- How can I keep my child(ren) busy and entertained today?
It’s not any different for me. I am not a spontaneously entertaining mom at home. My son is used to having us entertain him, so he is not very skilled at keeping himself busy.
When I hope that both kids keep each other busy, it takes only a short wile until they start bothering each other. A parent, whose patience is being tested to its limits, is not the most creative and problem solving parent, to be honest.
I am not a professional educator or entertainer. I do a lot of preparation and planning help keep my sanity. I created a customized daily routine chart to avoid I made the chart in pictures. Activities and time periods are in fact flexible, except for meal times and rest time. Kids don’t really keep track of the time anyway. The most important thing is the sequence.
I created this simple chart in Word using cliparts. I printed it out on a card stock and laminated it. It’s taped to the wall to be used when kids ask for snacks (junk food) so I can show them the chart where lunch is fast approaching and it is not snack time. Or when they seem to be lost or bored, therefore are becoming a nuisance, we find the general activity category for that time period (e.g. arts) and pick from few basic options (e.g. watercolor, colored pencil, crayon) .
I prepared this list during last year’s blizzard. Schools were closed for 3 days and I had to work from home with them. It worked magic, at least, for 30 min intervals. Now, our nanny is using this chart as well. It makes her work easier. Since they are used to this routine, they don’t resist transitions too much. They are rather reasonable when we tell them it is rest time. (We don’t use the word “nap” anymore. It is “Rest” time)
You can check out my other posts related to keeping kids busy such as Toys, games and activities Rolodex for kids, picture lists for children and time management and planning tools for parents.
Do you use any visuals to help your child with the transition between daily activities and keep them busy?
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