GETTING WORK DONE WHILE LOOKING AFTER A CHILD



All parents face the question of how to keep their child occupied while they are doing house chores or working from home. Here are some tips for you to get your work done while you are alone with your child.

Many times parents need to get their things done while also looking after their children. This can sometimes be a daunting task specially for parents of toddlers. Children like to have attention of their parents. It is very common for children to start seeking attention specially when parents look very involved or concentrated in something else. It could be daily chores, it could be studying or even things like reading, surfing on phone or watching television. It is very natural for children to interrupt  their parents when they are not giving them attention.


Some parents deal with this situation by showing videos / cartoons to their kids. This is not a healthy habit. If you would like to know of other ways to keep your child occupied and finish your work at the same time, here are some tips for you.

IN THE KITCHEN

While you are preparing meal, you can let your child play with the vegetables. You can ask him to sort the vegetables or fruits and keep in a basket. You can also give him spoons, bowls etc. to play with or to make music. You can give a piece of dough made by flour and ask him to make different shapes or objects.

You can also encourage him into role play by giving him toy kitchen and ask him to imitate you. If you don't have toy kitchen, you can also give him some of your utensils. Make sure the utensils are not hazardous for him.

LAUNDRY

Your child can help you with the laundry. Let him put the clothes inside the washing machine. Similarly, you can ask him to hand you one by one, the clothes to dry. While doing this, you can also ask him about the color and type of the clothes he is handling.

LIVING ROOM

Ask your child to keep his toys properly at their place. Let him help you rearrange the couch or chairs. You can also give him a small handkerchief to imitate dusting.

IN THE GARDEN


In this area, children can perform hands-on activities. You can ask them to water the plants, count the flowers or pluck and arrange them in a vase. You can also just let them play in soil or mud. Kids can spend a lot of time in garden without even realizing it.

GAME ZONE FOR BABIES


For babies who cannot yet walk, you can make an area in your living room or kitchen as game zone. Create this game zone at a place from where your baby can easily see you and vice versa. Include different games in the game zone and do not forget to replace them if your kid is getting bored of playing same games. If you want to work for about an hour, then plan at least 6 to 7  games in the game zone. Do not forget to interact with your baby every few minutes. This will give them a feeling that they have your attention.

WHILE SHOPPING


Children can get overexcited or cranky during shopping. They see so many colorful and attractive things in the shops but as parents we cannot let them touch or grab everything they want. In such cases, you can ask your child to hold / push your shopping cart / bag if possible. Handover the things you want to buy and ask him to put them in the cart. A lot of children love to push the carts.

During shopping, kids will definitely ask you to buy something that they like. This is a tricky situation. You cannot say "no" to everything they ask and you cannot say "yes"to everything either. You have to find a balance where your kid does not start crying loudly and you do not end up buying something out of your budget or harmful to his health.

GENERAL TIPS

Getting work done while looking after a child is an art and all parents need to master this art. Keeping cool head and being in control of the situation is very important. A general rule you can keep in mind is as follows - "Keep your child involved in activities that he finds interesting, while making him feel that he has your attention."


Enjoy parenthood!





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