[kmomteach]

I am a teacher. I have an almost 2 yr old boy and 3 1/2 yr old girl. I am home with my children during the summer, spring break, weekends, and holidays. My questions is, "Do you occupy your children the entire time that you are home?" I am having trouble finding activities that my children will do independently. They will paint, draw. color, and play the computer briefly. When they play, they want me in the room with them at all times. I realize that they do not ahve me home during the day often and that the time is special to them. It is special to me too. However, I do have chores that have to be completed. I try breaking my housework into short segments and give the children attention. I am in need of unique activities that your children enjoy. I would also like ideas of activities we do together. Spring break is coming up and I don't want the children to get bored.

[Alejandros Mommy]

I have moved this to a more appropriate area for you..hopfully you'll get more answers this way

BTW feel free to look at the other threads in this area...they may just answer you bloggin questions

[froggles_fi]

cooking, playdoh, encourage self play as well though or you will go mad.
treasure hunts eg find 2 leaves, a small rock a feather etc
start threading pasta with them then sneak off

well its a strat anyway

[angelic_ky]

don't know if this will work, but try having them do an activity that is in the same room that you have a chore to do... eg have them draw up at the kitchen bench while you do the dishes... that way you are still in the room with them

[pattiewrites]

My four year old loves to help me around the house. I give her a rag and spray some windex on the glass doors. She wipes while I clean the kitchen. She "helps" fold the laundry and do other little jobs. She feels like a "big girl" and we enjoy time together while I'm getting things done. She also does play independently, but likes to be in the same room. Yours are still a bit young, but will gradually play for longer periods.

Have you tried the "play and walk away" technique? You start and activity and play with them for a few minutes, then move on to what you need to do. Every few minutes check back in with them and talk for a minute and then walk away again. This idea came from "Supernanny". I usually HATE that show, but this was a good idea.

[MamaWrites]

Playdates can be nice. If you know other moms in the area, you can invite the moms and kids over. The kids will usually play together, and you can have some grownup conversation.

[AudreyOka]

My kids are older now, but when they were young, we did a ton of playdates. My kids are 7 years apart, so when my younger one was 2, her sister was o f course in school full time. My 2 year old so wanted to go to school, so I put her in preschool. It was a morning program. She went from 9am until 11:30 a.m.

What's funny is that some days I got so involved talking with other woman, I never even made it back home. But we met so many other kids, that even at age 2 we did some play dates.

I also used to rotate toys. We had a few baskets of toys and each basket would only come out say one week per month, or we'd have a Monday basket, a Tuesday basket etc. This kept the toys fresh as they only used them sometimes.

My older daughter loved the workbooks. We used to buy them and then make copies of the pages. She would do the same pages over and over again.

[LeanyBean]

Have them help you do what you are doing or even an activity that puts you in the same room. I have quite teh opposite problem half the time my kids don't want me to interfere with their activities and will go to anotehr room away from me to do them.