Working from home with small kids
I am in the process of starting a part-time job, and I get to work from home. I am tickled with this opportunity because I will be able to bring in a good part-time income and still be at home with my kids. However, the downside is I'm working from home while juggling my kids :)
I will be working in the afternoons. My youngest (16 months) naps from 2:30ish - 5:00ish, so this is going to be my alloted work time during the day. Meanwhile I have a very chatty 4 year old. He does not nap, but he does get sleepy/cranky in the afternoons, so we usually schedule 45 min-1 hour of cartoon/computer time in the afternoon anyway. He really needs that time to veg out and unwind anyway, so that works out well for me. Obviously I don't want to park him in front of the tv for 2.5 - 3 hours every afternoon, plus he tends to get bored and antsy after an hour of tv and computer anyway.
SO, I'm looking for some new, fresh and FUN ideas of things to keep him busy! My job isn't so demanding that I need to be left totally alone, however I wouldn't be able to focus on work with him at my hip asking his usual 10 million questions either. :) So I'm looking for things for him to do that I can get semi-involved in if needed, but not stuff that requires my undivided help/attention. My goal is to keep him busy enough with fun stuff that he doesn't "notice" that mom is working and I don't feel like I'm ignoring him because he is actually enjoying what he is busy doing.
Any fun ideas? Thanks!!
Great topic . . . I love it!!!
As a mom of three young boys (3,5,6)who works from home and homeschools, I have to find LOTS of ways to keep one boy or another occupied while I teach/work. We do some computer & TV time as you do, but here are some ideas that work for me. I can't wait to hear other's ideas because I am needing some new things to interest my kids as well!!!
(1) I have "special" toys (knex, knight/castle set, puzzles, etc) that only come out during certain times of the day and they can only play with them one at a time.
(2) Since my problem during work time is 3 boys getting wild or fighting, I often have a quiet book time or I also give them independent play time. This means that each boy has to play by themselves and I spread them out to different rooms for about an hour.
(3) Books on tape . . . I love these! They keep their interest but I feel like they are MUCH more educational than TV!!!! ;)
(4) Playdough . . . although this is messy, it sometimes gives me 1/2 hour of quiet work time . . . yahoo!!!
Hmmmmm . . . my husband needs help bathing the kids. I'd better run. I'll post more ideas later and I'm anxious to hear other's thoughts on this as well!
Monica
Mom to Brian, Wesley, and Curtis
Wife to Lavon
www.MonicasBooks.com
Definitly rotate the toys or
Definitly rotate the toys or have one 'garage' for thursday afternoon so he gets in the habit of this limited opportunity to hog this experience. Get a blowup jumper or tiny tramp and a kids DVD for a little expercise. Avory uses dora's dance along, look for gijoe or something they love in an interactive dvd. We also use paint and glitter glue. they feel this is taboo so when it comes out 2-3 times a week they love it and go crazy for almost an hour. They also have 12-15 pieces of paper. Lynn
Work from home
Where have you found jobs that are work from home based? I've checked around and am leery about them. Could someone let me know where they have had success?
Thanks!
who you know
I'm very fortunate that my husband's friend has his own company. The work he needs done is stuff that is simply over the internet, so it can be done from anywhere. In my case, it was simply who we knew.
Jessica
~ Mommy to Luke and Shawn
Activities Ideas
I use to work with preschoolers and these are some activities that I have used with my own children at home.
1. Indoor Sandbox - Take a shallow under-the-bed rubbermaid container w/lid and fill the bottom with white play sand. I would lay a shower curtain liner on the floor in my kitchen, place the container of sand, and add different toys to play with. Favorites were construction trunks/matchbox cars, plastic animals, plastic army men, etc... My boys would play for hours. You can also add some larger rocks, aquarium gravel for trucks to haul, and other objects.
2. Indoor sensory play - Get another empty container similar to above. You can fill it with all kinds of different things. Still lay a shower curtain liner for easy clean up. I would fill it with snow, shaving cream, goop (cornstarch mixed with water), water (can add food coloring for different effect), rice, and different kinds of beans. You can change what you add to this material too. Ideas: plastic people, boats, dishes, animals... The dollar store has some great inexpensive accessories. Be creative. You can even use plastic gems for a gem hunt.
3. Make your own books on tape. Record yourself reading your children's favorite stories for them to listen to when you can't sit down with them. They still have mommy's voice without distrubing you.
4. Have a building challenge. Give them blocks/legos and give them a set time to make a creation. They work on their creation and when they are finished take a picture of their it. You can send these pictures to greandparents or share with Dad when he gets home. I would sometimes give them a theme and challenge them to see what they could make. (like create a spaceship, a zoo, a house, boat, can they make the letters in their names?) Nothing to hard, but something to spark their imagination.
That's some for now. I'll think of more and post them later if I have time. I loved this age!
brave
Indoor sandbox? You have to be the coolest mom ever (and the bravest)!!! :)
Actually I watched something on Rachael Ray once about a lady who created a cleaner version of an indoor sandbox. She used dried beans and such. That may be fun for him to drive his Matchbox cars through!
Kids always love a sandbox, so this is a great idea, thanks!
Jessica
~ Mommy to Luke and Shawn
Brave? No
I wasn't brave. We use to do this in a classroom of 24 children, so one child was easy. Also, the shower curtain liner contained any little spills and a four year old can usually grasp the concept of keeping the sand in the box or they were finished with it. I would work where you can glance over to make sure all was well. When we were finished we just put the lid on it and put it in a closet for another time. My boys would play for hours creating roads with their cars/trucks or creating zoos with the animals.
What about rolled up socks and an empty laudry basket to shoot baskets in? There is a book called "Unpluged Play" that has lots of great ideas for activities to do with ordinary household items.
Love it!!!
I am loving this thread and all the GREAT ideas!!!! Keep it coming, ladies!!!!
Also, for "rdeloof" who was wondering about jobs from home . . . what kind of things do YOU like to do? What are you good at?
Monica
Mom to Brian, Wesley, and Curtis
Wife to Lavon
www.MonicasBooks.com
ideas
Fantastic ideas ladies...
Here's some more!!!
#1 What about letting him get all the cushions and pillows off the furniture. Put on some music and let him jump/dance/slide away. This is special treat in our house that my kids love.
#2 For more of a quiet activity, again let him use the cushions, but have him build a fort. Give him some old sheets, pillows, blankets,etc.. After he builds his fort over and over, let him relax and read/listen to the books/music on tape, etc... A fresh scenery may hold his interest for a longer period of time.
#3 If it's not too overwhelming for you, maybe let him invite a buddy over to play. Maybe just one day a week. That could be his Special Playdate Day. He may enjoy having a friend to help build, jump, and create with.
#4 Give him a big cardboard box and have him make a car, truck, a house, a castle, etc... with doors he can open and close. You could help him with the cutting of the doors,etc...then give him some markers and stickers to decorate. Only bring this out on days for Special Quiet Tme play like "reading", coloring, or pretend play with stuffed animals.
#5 Give him some old magazines and have him either cut or rip pictures out for collages, cards, homemade books, etc... Make up some stapled books out of construction paper ahead of time and then give hima glue stick and let him go wild. He could make a book of his favorite things, a truck collage, a Holiday collage. Maybe have him make something for baby brother that he could then "read" to him. Have him make a card or picture for Miss Judy...she loves that stuff:) He can "play school" as you "play work".
#6 Collect a bunch of different boxes, cardboard tubes, plastic containers/bottles, or anything out of your recycling bin. See what he can build or make with the items that he has. He could then use his cars and trucks for play or add them to his forts,etc...
#7 Bowling...carboard tubes or empty plastic bottles...give him a ball and let him bowl!
I think what will help most is definitely creating/choosing activities that only come out when "Mommy is Working" and rotating those activites/toys/books on a regular basis.
Good luck!
Great ideas!
Thank you ladies for all these great ideas!!! I'm feeling a bit more at ease of taking on this job :) All the day to day stuff sometimes starts to feel so blah, I feel it and so do the kids, so we were ready for a refresh anyway!!
Like everyone mentioned, I think the key will be special stuff that he only gets to do while I'm working! We do have a huge Little Tikes inflatable bouncer, but it doesn't keep his interest very long unless someone is in there with him.
Keep the ideas coming!! :) Thanks!!
Jessica
~ Mommy to Luke and Shawn