How to control your child’s interruptions while you are working

Trying to finish work at home but interruptions from little ones continue to get in the way?  Try creating a treasure box for those times when you need uninterrupted time (30 minutes or less for young children). Fill this special box or basket with fun activities that your child can do by himself. Coloring books, crayons and special toys he doesn’t get to play with at any other time will make the treasure box special. Your child will love “plundering” as if he is shopping in a dollar store for new treasures.  Make it clear that the treasure box is for special times and can’t be played with by mom or dad.  It isn’t a time for your child to “show” you his new things.  You must practice using the treasure box a few times and be sure to praise his ability to play independently with the box.  Over time he will begin to associate his treasure box with “helping” mom or dad.

A word of caution – The treasure box only works if it seen as very special, so don’t overuse it or it will stop working.  Now that you have a few tricks up your sleeve, I hope you’re able to meet that deadline.

Why are my kids so bored?

Were we bored during childhood? Without knowing for sure, I would say probably sometimes. But complaining brought only my mom’s hands on the hips and a lifted eyebrow. Then, yet another chore since we were so bored. So what happened in my family? We learned to entertain ourselves, in the yard, in the toy chest and even by building forts with the den furniture. We scouted for lizards and other insects, listened for the sounds of crickets, frogs and birds. We were lucky in one sense because we grew up in the “country” where stranger safety isn’t as prevalent because everybody knows everyone else. I am also fortunate enough to raise my own son in the “country” where you don’t have to worry as much about him roaming in the yard since our yard goes on for miles it seems.

Many parents today can be heard rambling on about their child’s constant whining – “I’m bored! There is nothing to do around here.” What does the parent say, “how can you be bored with all of these toys?” The toys are the exact reason for the boredom. The children have not learned, due probably to toys, how to investigate, explore and create through their imagination. Children will need some guidance and modeling on the part of the parent to engage at an independent level of play for an extended period of time.

Are city children more bored than country children? It would be an interesting investigation to conduct. Or, should moms and dads begin dishing out more chores like we had during our childhood to keep the kids busy?

One thing is for certain, the happiest parents are those who have invested the time early to teach their children how to engage in deep imaginary play. These parents didn’t load the child’s room up with expensive toys but taught the child how to turn everyday objects into exciting tools for play. These are the parents that no longer have to beg their children to play alone for a little while. Early Education is the Key!

Why toys are toxic to the environment and children’s development

Plastic toys are toxic to the environment and they are unnecessary for the fulfillment of childhood play. Until the mid-20th Century, inexpensive plastic toys were virtually non-existent, yet brilliant children developed into fine citizens and our world flourished. What seems to have been lost by Western society over in the past fifty years is the wonderful experience of kids playing with each other and inventing their own games and toys.Market-driven plastic toy products are replacing self-directed and creative play. Play has become a multi-level branding opportunity for manufacturers and entertainment giants. Huge effort is devoted to gaining the support of consumers-in-training, a.k.a. kids.

What can be done in a world where plastic toys are not going away? We must acknowledge the high costs to our planet and the costs to our children’s skill development in the 21^st century. We must contribute less to the manufacturer of plastic toys, which will in turn decrease the burden on our air and water quality, energy and waste management systems and climate.

The development of creativity from exploration ultimately contributes to a child’s problem-solving capabilities but these skills are being nurtured by plastic toys that work for the child. The child must engage the imagination and use objects in a variety of ways. In schools today we can already see the loss of innovation that our kids will deliver as adults when it is their turn to run the planet. These so-called “awesome new toys” are developing children with low-level skills and cluttering our environment.

1. Playmates should be more important than play things.

2. Teach your children that their imaginations are more fun than most toys. They will explore more and think at a deeper level as natural problem-solvers.

3. Teach your children to recycle – a valuable lesson for their future

4. Limit plug time – replace television, computer time and video games with board games, outdoor activities, books and conversation

5. Discover the adventures waiting for you in different types of nature. Kids love surprises and they will love scavenging for new things.

6. Reuse your stuff by creating an “imagination box” for your child to play pretend with a variety of used clothes, shoes, steering wheels, paper towel tubes, tissue boxes, spoons, etc…

7. Spend at least a half-hour with your children playing actively with simple toys like balls and ropes.

8. Read a story.

No Child Left Inside Act and environmental education

The “No Child Left Behind Act,” has most schools so focused on new testing and curriculum requirements (in language and math) that environmental education is being pushed out of our schools. Hands-on, experience-based environmental education can reconnect kids to the natural world. It will help prepare our children for jobs in environmental fields of the future. We must demand that our children receive a well-rounded curriculum that includes real life experiences.

As a result, the U.S. Congress is working to pass the “No Child Left Inside Act” to get our young people learning outside and reconnected with nature through environmental education. Senator Jack Reed from Rhode Island and Congressman John Sarbanes from Maryland are the lead sponsors of the No Child Left Inside legislation.

The No Child Left Inside coalition also recently released a compelling video where you can see firsthand how environmental education is connecting children with the natural world. Go ahead and join the coalition today! Tell your congressmen and women how you feel about narrow focus of “No Child Left Behind.”

Nature… the premiere learning class for young children

Today, parents are scared to let their kids go outside on their own, so that means they keep them inside. They watch TV, they play on the computer, and they go to organized sports or other activities. The optimal word here is “organized.” In order for children to become creative thinkers and learners we must allow them time and space to play freely, especially in nature. Work for young children is play and not the kind of play where parents act as directors instead of bystanders. We shouldn’t dictate how a child should play and interact with others one-hundred percent of the time. Early learning is the key… and it begins in the home and yard, not within a stressful schedule that has baby riding all over town for one class after another. You can do everything those classes do – and spend far less money and time.

As a parent, let your child touch nature, smell the scents in nature, taste fruits and vegetables from nature (that you know are safe and clean) and exercise leadership in how he interacts with nature. Not too long ago, we roamed the neighborhood without our parents. We picked berries, caught crayfish, climbed trees, played in mud or dirt, built forts, caught frogs and generally had a great time while being part of nature. We didn’t need gym classes, music classes, cooking classes and art classes to teach us how to do all of these things. I guess you could have called us “explorers.” Let’s bring “exploration” back to our children through the great outdoors and let the learning begin from their perspective once again. Your child will rejoice in a “stress-free lifestyle,” while you enjoy stress-free parenting (well as close to stress-free as you will ever get).