One-on-one time w/more than one child
Mark and Rheta Wallingford
Any good ideas on how to spend one-on-one time when you have 2 kids ages
2 and 5? I spend lots of one-on-one time playing games, talking, etc.
with the 5 yo but when I want to spend some one-on-one with my 2 yo the
5yo wants to play with us. This would be fine except the 5 yo ends up
taking over whatever we are doing and shutting out the 2 yo who wanders
off. I want to be able to balance this better. Any ideas?
Rheta
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
2 and 5? I spend lots of one-on-one time playing games, talking, etc.
with the 5 yo but when I want to spend some one-on-one with my 2 yo the
5yo wants to play with us. This would be fine except the 5 yo ends up
taking over whatever we are doing and shutting out the 2 yo who wanders
off. I want to be able to balance this better. Any ideas?
Rheta
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 3/8/04 2:44:17 PM, wallingford@... writes:
<< Any good ideas on how to spend one-on-one time when you have 2 kids ages
2 and 5? >>
I had that situation twice, with a baby and another child 2.5-3 years older.
I carried the littler one a lot in a backpack, and I used to RUSH to do
something with the toddler when the baby fell asleep. I would also ask my husband
to take a kid for a drive/walk/play/trip to the store when he got home, if
one kid was feeling left out or needy for more time.
We also did things that seemed like one on one but weren't. Going to a
playground. Several combos of two and three.
Also, I borrowed other kids a lot. <g>
Adding one other child to the Kirby/Marty combo gave them a whole new angle
on the same old activities, and then I could spend time with the youngest.
(That still works.)
Sandra
<< Any good ideas on how to spend one-on-one time when you have 2 kids ages
2 and 5? >>
I had that situation twice, with a baby and another child 2.5-3 years older.
I carried the littler one a lot in a backpack, and I used to RUSH to do
something with the toddler when the baby fell asleep. I would also ask my husband
to take a kid for a drive/walk/play/trip to the store when he got home, if
one kid was feeling left out or needy for more time.
We also did things that seemed like one on one but weren't. Going to a
playground. Several combos of two and three.
Also, I borrowed other kids a lot. <g>
Adding one other child to the Kirby/Marty combo gave them a whole new angle
on the same old activities, and then I could spend time with the youngest.
(That still works.)
Sandra
J. Stauffer
How about a playdate for the 5yo? Or dh taking the 5yo to run errands,
etc.? It won't be long until it is difficult to get one-on-one time with
the 5yo either.
Julie S.
etc.? It won't be long until it is difficult to get one-on-one time with
the 5yo either.
Julie S.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark and Rheta Wallingford" <wallingford@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 3:09 PM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] One-on-one time w/more than one child
> Any good ideas on how to spend one-on-one time when you have 2 kids ages
> 2 and 5? I spend lots of one-on-one time playing games, talking, etc.
> with the 5 yo but when I want to spend some one-on-one with my 2 yo the
> 5yo wants to play with us. This would be fine except the 5 yo ends up
> taking over whatever we are doing and shutting out the 2 yo who wanders
> off. I want to be able to balance this better. Any ideas?
>
> Rheta
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
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>
pam sorooshian
It also helps to remember that, although the older sibling tends to get
more one-on-one time with the parents, the younger sibling gets the
addition of interaction with an older sibling. That's a plus for them
that balances out some of the minus of less parent-time.
-pam
more one-on-one time with the parents, the younger sibling gets the
addition of interaction with an older sibling. That's a plus for them
that balances out some of the minus of less parent-time.
-pam
On Mar 8, 2004, at 2:54 PM, J. Stauffer wrote:
> How about a playdate for the 5yo? Or dh taking the 5yo to run errands,
> etc.? It won't be long until it is difficult to get one-on-one time
> with
> the 5yo either.
>
> Julie S.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark and Rheta Wallingford" <wallingford@...>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 3:09 PM
> Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] One-on-one time w/more than one child
>
>
>> Any good ideas on how to spend one-on-one time when you have 2 kids
>> ages
>> 2 and 5? I spend lots of one-on-one time playing games, talking, etc.
>> with the 5 yo but when I want to spend some one-on-one with my 2 yo
>> the
>> 5yo wants to play with us. This would be fine except the 5 yo ends up
>> taking over whatever we are doing and shutting out the 2 yo who
>> wanders
>> off. I want to be able to balance this better. Any ideas?
>>
>> Rheta
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>>
>> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
> http://www.unschooling.com
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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>
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B & S Nowicke
I have a 9yo ds & dd triplets (6) - and in terms of 1:1 it is challenging when they are young. When they were little & dh was home, or help was available - I made a point of taking one of the 4 with me on errands, shopping, etc. They all understood the game plan - (though they didn't always like it) and just being alone with mom - even if it was just to run errands was a chance for us to talk, play & enjoy. At home my son cld easily be absorbed in an activity, and 2 of the girls (at 2 yo) cld be drawn into their own activities in the same room (play doh & gadgets to press into it work great!) - Thus allowing me to spend time with 1 of them reading, playing - cooking in the kitchen, etc. My ds got 1:1 time when the girls napped, or in the evening when the girls were already asleep. There were other opportunities when I cld take ds to an event & have a friend watch the girls. One of my favorite times for 1:1 was bed time - 3 wld play downstairs with dad while I rocked, read & chatted w/ 1 - then I wld take that 1 and tuck them in; repeating the process through the girls (they shared a room - so the rocker was in the den). Ds ended up w/ 1:1 w/ dad and me! He knew once the girls were in bed - I was his, we'd snuggle in bed, read stories, talk, play a quiet game, whatever until he was ready to sleep.
Now - 3 will be on computers while I have 1:1 time with the 4th, and we rotate through - not necessarily all in one day but I still manage to get in the 1:1 fairly regular. Cub Scouts is a 1:1 time w/ ds too. If it's any help, it does get easier as they get older. I try very hard to make the 1:1 time happen - but allot of the time I find that can happen when we're all out somewhere and 1 will walk w/ me, sit next to me, etc. and naturally get some focused attention. We're a large family (8 in all- 6 at home) and we enjoy being together - reading, playing, watching a show/cartoon, cooking, brushing the dogs, cleaning the little critter cages, and lately even housework! 1:1 comes in snippets of time and blocks of time. Sometimes it's just taking a moment to really listen to or look at what 1 child is bringing to you.
Susan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Now - 3 will be on computers while I have 1:1 time with the 4th, and we rotate through - not necessarily all in one day but I still manage to get in the 1:1 fairly regular. Cub Scouts is a 1:1 time w/ ds too. If it's any help, it does get easier as they get older. I try very hard to make the 1:1 time happen - but allot of the time I find that can happen when we're all out somewhere and 1 will walk w/ me, sit next to me, etc. and naturally get some focused attention. We're a large family (8 in all- 6 at home) and we enjoy being together - reading, playing, watching a show/cartoon, cooking, brushing the dogs, cleaning the little critter cages, and lately even housework! 1:1 comes in snippets of time and blocks of time. Sometimes it's just taking a moment to really listen to or look at what 1 child is bringing to you.
Susan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]