This morning I spent an hour and a half putting together "busy bags". Other people have cuter names for these contraption - but it's all the same. We homeschool moms are working to keep our "littles" busy while we school our "bigs". So we pull out ziploc bags, or shoeboxes and fill them with activities to keep our preschoolers occupied. Play-dough. Lacing Beads. Puzzles. Audio Books. And the trick, the imperative, is that these things do not come out unless mom hands them out. They are not for everyday use. They are special, and must remain novel in order to work.
Of course, these "busy bags" only work when your child is NOT hell-bent on creating havoc. But they do, generally, buy some time to bust out a little algebra. I know good homeschool moms are supposed to like to put together things like these. I don't. Seriously folks, I nearly flunked home economics. But somethings we do out of necessity. And my survival instinct is strong.
The other day an acquaintance from church came over and was uber impressed with my white board, chunked up into neat little boxed for each child outlining the work that needs to get done. She said, "Are you a really organized person?" Yea -NO! I am a person residing in a home with 9 individuals and three very young canines. 6 kids. 3 puppies. 2 dealing with recent trauma. 1 in therapy for her "quirky" little brain. And I homeschool. That white board and any semblance of organization you see is about me makin' it work. And it does work - at least most days.
But least you think I have it all together I must 'fess up. I don't have a solution for this one: a particular 3 year old is completely obsessed with dog food. She love to play with it. She loves to throw it, and eat it. She loves to gag puppies with it. I think its a weird sensory thing combined with ZERO impulse control, and just a smattering of "I'm pissed at the puppy for stealing the show." Looking for a solution here.
Things that don't work:
-Moving the food.
-Screaming and yelling.
-Requiring the offender to pick-up the mess.
-Gentle reminders
1 comment:
Might be time to bust out the baby gates, and I don't mean the small ones. Place said gate a few inches above the floor in a doorway where 3 year old doesn't need to get in (office?) Puppy can squeeze under, kid can't. We have to do this with kittens sometimes.
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