SAHM What Do You Do with Your Toddler All Day?

Boardgames, Candyland, Shoots and Ladders, High Ho Cherry O. There are probably 30 or 40 games you can find at resale shops, yard sales or on Craigslist that are a lot of fun. My son loves to roll dice so I make up games using dice (counting) and sometimes he just wants to roll them. I am teaching him how to play War with cards and he thinks that is great. I also let him use safety scissors to cut up my magazines and catalogs at the table and we paste them to paper and make up stores. A new thing we have just started since it has been colder in the evening is I let him use sidewalk chalk to write on the kitchen table (Daddy came unglued when he first saw him doing it but it comes off the table a whole lot easier than markers and paint). We also just discovered the wipeoff books that you can buy at Target, you can get ones that are mazes, teaches them how to draw insects, spelling, and all kinds of stuff he loves to do. I stay at the table with him and sew or read a book unless he wants me to do them with him but it keeps him happy for 45 minutes or longer. I also let him use a flashlight to search for things or just to flash on the walls and ceiling or have the dogs and cats chase the light around the house and he loves to help with laundry. I play WII with him and he gets an hour of educational computer play for math. I also have all of the leapfrog refrig magnets that teach the alphabet, spelling and anything that is educational I generally buy and we spend time with that and he also must spend time playing by himself with his cars and blocks or other toys so he can learn to keep himself busy if I cannot play with him due to working on the laundry or cooking.

We love to do picnics either at a local park or in our own yard. I love to look up parks and hiking trails in my area and go for walks in different places and try new parks. We usually go after breakfast and are home before lunch or else I take some PBJ with us to eat at the park to avoid temptation to buy food out. We also do lots of art projects (which usually ends up with the kids painting themselves head to toe). We go play in the water at the beach a lot. Look for a MOPS group or a Community Bible Study group. They have programs for kids and you get some grown up time (usually quite inexpensive too). You can look up what kind of city classes your area has to offer. There is usually art, music and athletic ventures offered for kids of all ages for a small fee. Also just Google "toddler activities Birmingham Alabama" and you will come up with dozens of low cost options. We love to do an outing or two a month: petting zoo, aquarium, farmer's market, orchards to pick fruit, gardens, museum.

our you giving yourself breaks to prevent yourself from being bored. it is very important at this age the kids reliese other people have needs to. my 14 mnth old plays with himself for about 1/2 an hour at a time while I read or watch tv or do what I want. if he comes in complaining to be entertained I tell him "not now mommy is reading her book, its fun for mommy like playing with your toys is fun for you, we will play in a bit."

These are things we do:
Schedule morning playdates one or two times a week with other moms who have kids the same age.
Take a bike ride (where he rides in the baby seat)
Our local library has Music and Movement time for toddlers (free)
Our community also has a family center with free toddler art/craft time and free mommy/toddler yoga
YMCAs have toddler classes like dance or gymnastics
Hike/walk once a week
Park twice a week
Do a field trip once a month. Fire stations will give a group of toddlers a "tour" where they get to sit in the trucks etc. Go to a zoo or aquarium or whatever is near you. Ride the city bus. Go to a farmers market. Try to get some other moms and kids to come with you.
Maybe if you join a MOMs group you will meet some other people? Or your local storytime might be a good place to meet people and try to set up outings/playdates.
My toddler loves playing in a water table (you can make your own)
or in the sand box
or finger painting (what a mess!)
Good luck!

Since you want to keep your toddler happy and stimulated like you said, I strongly suggest sending him to a little bit of preschool. I know you and your husband are not ready for that, but even just a little bit of preschool would be wonderful for him. I send my 2 year old to preschool twice a week (Tue. and Thurs.) from 10:00-12:15 at a local rec center, so the cost is low (we pay $108 every 3 1/2 weeks). What is even cheaper than that (if money is an issue, as it is with most people) is to send him to a mom's day out church preschool (I hear costs $75 a month from 9:00-2:00 twice a week)!!! Amazing!! When my son is not at preschool, I take him to his weekly playgroup, which I highly recommend. Join your local mom's club if you already haven't and ask to join a playgroup. Or don't join a mom's club, but find/create a playgroup on your own. Another option - my friend teamed up w/ a few other moms and they drop off their kids to each person's house once a week for a few hours so they can have some time to themselves. Plus, their kids get to play with other kids their age. The moms also serve them lunch. Good luck.

You have received lots of good ideas. I would certainly look into a mothers day out program once a week if it is affordable. It would be good for you to have a break and him too, playing with other kids. We are members of the YMCA, so I can work out and my boys can play. We take swimming lessons and soccer....lots of options there. We bought a zoo membership, worth every penny. We go once a week (or more) especially right now with the great weather. It works out because we can only handle it for a couple of hours and then you don't have to feel guilty because you know you can go back at any time. We love art work...play do and painting. I buy those foam kits from Michaels when they are on sale. We bake a lot, they learn how to measure and mix. A routine is good, but breaks are also needed.

I am not sure what you consider traveling or what's available in your area. But do a few google searches and I bet you'll find a lot of things you didn't know were near you. I would try looking for indoor playgrounds, free kid entertainment or cheap things to do with kids in your town.

My kids get destructive if we stay inside too much and I hate to spend a lot on entertainment, so we think out of the box a bit. Cabelas, a sporting goods store, has huge aquariums, sometimes we go watch the fish. Central market is a wonderful grocery store. WHen you go in the kids can get a balloon, they have tons of samples to try...we walk around and practice counting and colors. We go to the local library for story time. There are several malls near by that have free indoor play areas. There are also many churches that offer free or cheap ($1 per kid) play times. The local rec centers have open gym time to play.

I had to limit tv. It's too easy for me to just turn on the boob tube - I was getting into a rut when my son was about 2. So they get two cartoons a day. There are exceptions for family movie nights or rainy days, but we try to stick to it as much as possible. For things around the house we paint, color. Sidewalk chalk and bubbles are big time entertainment. If you buy a cheapy salad spinner, you can make spin art with it...my 23 month old daughter LOVES that! We do our own play dough too. One day we make it. ANd the next day we play with it. Making it is always a mess, but I have learned to put down newspaper and not worry so much. Magnets are much loved around here too. ANd a mom on this site once suggested to me to use a cookie sheet, so they can be portable entertainment. I made a felt board and the kids enjoy sticking things to that...they practice colors, numbers, shapes and sometimes act out stories. PVC pipe and hotwheels can be hours of fun.

I also involve my kids in chores. My daughter and son (who is almost 5) both help cook dinner. Obviously there are several limits on the help my daughter can offer, but you would be amazed at how long a two year old can stir flour and water and think she is cooking. When I do laundry, they help me separate colors. ANd my daughter especially loves to help load the washer. We went to the dollar store and bought two brooms. My husband cut the handles down, so both kids have a "real" broom just their size. Admittedly I usually have to resweep when they "help", but it keeps them busy for a while. When I am scrubbing with cleaning wipes, I let my daughter help with a baby wipe (my son is on to this gag, and just opts to stay out of this chore). I have a huge plastic bowl bowl and I fill it up halfway, so my daughter can wash dishes..this can get very messy.

And my favorite "go to" activity when they need entertainment...is a bath. My kids love to play in the tub. So it's not unusual for my kiddos to take a bath at 3 in the afternoon. Sometimes we do what we gotta do.

Don't get me wrong...we aren't go go go all day long. I don't have something planned for every waking minute. But these are some activities we have on standby when they need something to do. Sometimes they are happy just sitting looking at a book or playing. I am not going to interfere with that! We are all doing the best we can. I imagine you are doing a great job, don't be so hard on yourself mama!

I stayed home with my son for 22 months. Honestly, the best thing I ever did for both of us was to send him to pre-school! Even if you only send him to a half-day Toddler Group or (if you really can't stand to be parted from him) find a Moms & Tots group you can attend together. The longer you keep him isolated "just with Mommy" the harder it will be for him to let go of you and learn to socialise! I KNOW it's tough - the first 2 weeks I cried every time I dropped him off - but HE flourished and got Potty Trained to boot! Good luck with your decision.

If you could find friends for him at church or in your area it would be more fun .
Keep reading and try some type of kraft project.D.K.

My son is now 7.5 but I remember those looooong toddler days! A kid with a 10 minute attention span and a crazy mom (me) thinking I had to keep him stimulated, learning & busy every waking minute of the day. Tough assignment.

You probably have a schedule like breakfast, play, nap, lunch, play, nap, play, dinner, play, bedtime.....During each play do a little activity (drag out the finger paints, pudding on the table for drawing in, get out the wooden spoons and pots & pans for drums, sit him in a pile of books, let him watch a short movie, roll a ball back & forth, push little cars down the hall, look at flashcards/ABC's, take a walk, play doh, FIND a better park with kids, color, use an easel, etc.
BUT know this: You can't entertain him every minute of the day! He'll learn just as much figuring out/looking at stuff on his own and I'm sure you have stuff you need to do during the day. That shouldn't make you "feel bad" at all!

Going to a pet store Just to Look is fun and free! Some malls have free indoor play areas for rainy days. I loved going to a parent child class- once they turn three the classes are for children only so enjoy it while you can! Is there a MOMs cllub you can join? I agree he should play by himself while you enjoy a book or Mamapedia for 20 minutes! Maybe you can find a park on the other side of town where other SAHM and kiddies are playing, maybe you can find another library not as close as yours that has more than just story time. consider joining a zoo so you can go for short visits frequently. As for Arts and crafts Color Wonder and Rose Art sell all kinds of cool no mess paints and markers etc.

Im right there with you! I joined a mommy and me group, it helps with meeting other moms in your situation from your area. And where I live you can join the PTA before your kids are schoolaged, and they organize alot of activities. Good luck, I struggle with this dilemma myself :)