How to Entertain Children Daily as a Stay at Home Parent

First and foremost,it is ESSENTIAL to create and maintain a routine. Children thrive on routine. If a parent is always surprising their child with variations on their daily activities then the child is constantly having to adjust to new things,at a time when they are already haveing to adjust to their changing bodies and minds.I'm not saying by any means not to expose children to new, exciting, and most importantly, educational things.Children need to be challenged to aid in mental, physical AND emotional development. However,the challenge should not extend to guessing when their fundamental needs will be met. Save surprises for birthdays and Christmas. They should usually know what to expect.



Secondly, make sure you allot time for learning even if it is only for a few minutes, several times a day. I typically make sure to use educational time before nap and bedtime. STUDIES It seems like post sleep from education allows what your child has learned to absorb.

Third, NAP. Nap is a sore subject in many households. I'm sure that many of you have experienced tantrums, arguments, etc. when it comes to naptime as have I. Just remember that this should be the most routine thing each day next to meals and bedtime. There should never be a compromise unless you are away from home. Sometimes this is inevitable. You may experience crankiness during this time afterwhile if you are out of routine for a day or even a few hours during the nap period but it is truly a small price to pay next to your daily routine running smoothly. Naps should NEVER be up for negotiation.

Now that these staples are in place, lets start a list of things that you can do to occupy much of your child's time throughout the day.

In no particular order...

• Swimming lessons - Your child and even you can never have to many swimming lessons. Swimming


• Dancing - Find some fun music that both you and your child can enjoy and dance with them. This time with your child is priceless for many reasons such as excercise and bonding. (A great oppuritunity to be silly.)



• Get Down - Get down on your child's level as much as possible. Play cars, army, barbie or whatever keeps your child's interests thriving. Afterall, children are not born with the knowledge of how each toy works. Teach them to play.





• Alone Time - Each child could benefit from some alone time. This is a time for child and parent to reflect.



• Reading - Age appropriate books are made to satisfy intersts of children. Rotate a few age appropriate books. Weed out books that do not interest your child and share books often that do. Even at a younger then average reading age, children have the capacity to recognize words that are regularly shown to them. STUDIES



• Creative Time - Even if you have less than poor ability to draw or color, it is important to do activities like this with your youngen. STUDIES

These are only a few ideas to allowing you to plan out an exciting day with your children. As you continue to progress in different activities, you will open new arenas for you and your child to explore. Be consistant, and always find time to laugh."
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