SAHMs- what are you doing during the day?

I feel like I'm not stimulating the boys enough. Most of our days (when we're not eating or napping) is spent with them playing and me watching/playing with them. I feel like I need to be teaching them more, but I really don't know what or how! I don't generally let them watch tv, but I do let them watch a Signing Times video, and they seem to like it, and might even be picking up a few things. Other than that... it's just them playing with toys, fighting with each other, we do read books, but they don't often let me finish one!

So-- what do you do?

 

You don't have to educate 24-7 imo. We do reading, sometimes flash cards and board games and a memory game. My kids are a bit older though. Twins are 2 and ds is four. For that age you are dealing with, I would keep it simple and just have them explore various toys like blocks, board books, etc.

 

As much as I would like to and have tried my boys would never let me educate them all day I can't even get through a book. I did take out their easel/chalkboard they got as a present for Chirstmas and I write a letter on the board and ask them what it is, I usually can get through the entire alphabet and some numbers. I also have foam letters that are for the tub that they like to throw all over the room so instead of telling them to clean them up I ask them to go find me a letter until they have put all of them back into the bag. They are really into colors now and will tell me what color things are during the day but that is probably the extent for now. They do watch TV and I try and make sure they watch a few PBS shows like Super Why which is a show they have to find letters and make words, they love Blues Clues and I have the box set that teaches letters, shapes and colors but really that's about all I can get out of them at the moment.

 

We go to storytimes at the library, playgroups, playdates, and the park. I usually have them going to a class once a week, and we've done a tumbling class, a music class, and now we're doing a sports class. I occasionally take them to a baby gym which they absolutely love. I like to stay out of the house as much as possible in the mornings because they get bored at home. Then the afternoon (after nap) goes more smoothly because they play more independently. Home activies we do - sidewalk chalk, bubbles, stacking cups, playdoh ... sometimes I take out my set of metal mixing bowls and they have a blast stacking them, putting things in them and carrying them around. They also really like magetic boards and felt boards. We do magnetic letters and they have a felt board from PBK with little animals (but you could also make your own). They like sticking the letters and animals on the board and learning what they are called.

 

pp has good point about going out in the am and letting them get tired...so they will nap well we have done gymboree classes, storytimes at the library, the playground, playdates, etc. when we are home, i will play w/ them, do puzzles together, read. i also bring out some "educational" things every once in a while...flashcards w/ animals on them, a big alphabet book w/ all sorts of pictures that begin w/ each letter. there are times the kids will "play" together too. we do watch tv...but it is educational programs...and i have seen them repeat things from it, so i believe they are learning things from it. my dd now likes to play with her 'baby'...putting it down for naps and feeding it. too cute!

good luck! don't be too hard on yourself...i'm sure you are doing just fine.

 

I never really "educated" my children per se. It just kind of happened through normal interaction and play. My girls did watch a lot of Eienstein dvds and Brainy Baby which are very educational imo. But, I also just seemed to gravitate towards toys that were educational. Almost all toys are educational and teach lessons and vocabulary to some extent but if you are referring to learing letters, colors, numbers and shapes, my girls learned most of them from the dvds and from puzzles (the Melissa and Doug ones) and many of the various Leap Frog toys that are avaliable to them. As for books, we have a TON of them and my girls loved to read them. I started out with very simple label type board books (you know, one word, one picture). We have many different types of alphabet ones, colors, shapes, foods, numbers etc. They could usually hold their attention since it was just one word and one picture. When they first started coloring (right around a year), I introduced them to markers. I had them in a cup with the cap up so they could see the colors and put it a little out of their reach. They would point to the marker they wanted and I would say "You want the ORANGE marker?" and they would repeat "orange" (or some form of that ) and within a few days, they knew all the colors and would ask for the color they wanted. With counting, every morning when I would bring them downstairs, I would count each step as I walked. Eventually, they started to count with me (we have 13 steps). There are opportunities in everyday life for teaching all kinds of educational stuff. You are probably teaching more than you even realize so DON'T stress out about it. You will be amazed at what they are retaining and in no time they will be verbalizing all they know.

 

your kids are just a bit older then mine.

i too feel like i am not doing much with them. i read a book to them and they just look at the pages quickly. so what i do is i point out stuff to them and say what it is right now. then i get a ball and roll it to them get them to throw a ball or roll it. i bounce it too. i bought one of those big balls at the a&p for like 2.00 and bounce it and they love it. i play patty cake and itsy spider..sing to them a..b..c..d.. 1..2..3..4..5..and show fingers up for the numbers. i crawl around and they catch me i lay on the floor and they crawl all over me. they touch my face and whatever they touch i say eyes nose mouth hair lips.....


not all in one day but i do that alot and thats just throughout the day. dance with them play with them point to things outside and say what it is. make a tent it's fun we make a tent out of a sheet on the couch and crawl in and out of it all day. i roll balls to the other side and they crawl to them. when its nice outside get a baby pool for them take them to a park. show them grass...LOL my DS hated it the first time i put him on it and he won't go on it again LOL DD just smacks the grass lol

 

That was a tricky age for us. Mine weren't walking, so that left out alot of outside activities where other kids could step on them.

It is also kind of a transitional time for toys. They are too old for "baby" toys, but not old enough for toys that require more imagination, KWIM?

Mine had tons of fun with the FP Learning Home and Learning Kitchen, the Leap Frog table and the FP Musical Chair at that age. Balls were good. Books are awesome, but I know how you can get cross-eyed after 30 minutes of book reading every single day. Stacking and sorting toys are good even if they don't get it in order.

We started using the Peek a Blocks around then, too.

What else.......I wish I would have gotten some instrument toys. Like cymbals, tambourines, etc. Gymboree has those and my kids go nuts for them!

 

Thanks ladies- I often get worried that since we're always hearing how important "this age" is that they're so impressionable, etc... that if I don't teach them what they need, they'll be behind and it'll be all my fault! :blush: Thanks for the ideas- the tent idea sounds really good! I wonder if they'd actually get it, or just pull the sheet down!?!?