I think it's about time that I mention a wonderful almost-daily part of our routine.
It's a beautiful phrase known as: Independent Playtime (or Roomtime, in Isaiah's case). What is this phenomenon? It is a time set aside for each child to play in a safe, confined area, where they can learn to play happily by themselves, problem solve, and take a break from the wild hustle and bustle that everyday life can often be.
It is also a time for Mommy to have a break! Yes, yes, I must admit I do a little happy dance inside each day when it's time for IP.
Ezra has been exceptionally clingy the last 24 hours. The kind of clingy that makes me want to pull my hair out. Between his neediness, and Isaiah being unwilling to let Ezra play with ANY toys in a 8 foot circumference around himself, I needed IP today probably more than the boys did. So off they went: Isaiah to his room, Ezra to his pack n' play. The timers were set, the toys distributed, and I made my way to the couch to do my Bible Study homework. The house was quiet. There was no fighting, no whiny clingy baby on my leg, no questions being asked of me. Only the happy quiet sounds of content boys: Ezra, playing his little xylophone piano; Isaiah, listening to a book his Papa and Nana recorded for him.
BLISS. A truly delightful experience.
I actually do find it very beneficial for the boys as well. Since we are together almost the entire day, it gives each person some space. It lets the boys play on their own and enjoy their toys without wanting what the other one has, or getting a newly created tower of blocks destroyed before the desired time. For Isaiah, I usually notice a significant improvement in attitude and contentment after his Roomtime.
If you are intrigued by this idea of Independent Playtime, as I was when I first heard about it, here are a few how-to tips if you want to implement this into your own routine.
- Start small. Isaiah has done IP since he was about 6 months old. He started in his crib, twice a day, for about 5 minutes each. We gradually built up from there, until he was happily doing 45 minutes a day in IP.
- Set them up for success. Don't do IP when you know they are tired and/or hungry. I generally did it after Isaiah's morning nap, and then later afternoon. Now, with both boys, I do it after E is up from his AM nap and after they've had a snack, but before lunch.
- Remember that less is more. If your child (around 18 months and under) is in a crib or PnP, a few toys are adequate. Don't crowd them too much! I offer 1 or 2 age-appropriate books, a muscial toy, some kind of problem-solving toy (like stacking cups/block, or rings, etc), and maybe a favorite toy. Be sure that nothing is dangerous for the child to use on his own! Part of the idea of IP is to help them learn how to focus and be creative with what they have...too many toys can be overwhelming. Oh, and I usually let them have a sippy cup of water with them too.
-Use a timer. Starting IP is not always fun. As in, there will be probably be crying. I have been very lax in doing it with Ezra--he was about 11 months the first time he did it! We started with 3 (yes, 3) minutes. He screamed bloody murder the whole time. And the next day when we did 4 minutes. But not the next day, when we did 5 minutes! Since then he has generally been content with it. They quickly build an associated with the timer...".when it beeps, Mom comes to get me! So I might as well play until it beeps...."
-If desired, play your child's favorite music! Some kids will love this.
For an older child: After a while, a crib can be a bit boring. When Isaiah was 18/20 months, we switched to room-time. I really wanted him to be comfortable in this before Ezra came along. Basically it's the same, except I just removed anything that was a safety hazard for him, and let him play in his room with a variety of toys. It's also important to rotate toys every few days. He is not allowed to come out of his room during room-time. I will often give him a little snack (like raisins, or dry cereal) now that he is older. He does it for about 30 minutes at a time, though I know parents whose children happily do room-time for 1 hr each day!
This part of our routine was a tremendous help when I had Ezra. In 30 minutes, I could nurse him in peace, put him down for a nap, give him a bath, etc, etc...all while Isaiah was safe and occupied. As they are quite close in age, Isaiah was still pretty dependent on me when Ezra was born, so it really gave a needed break in the day.
It is not always easy. There have been days where Isaiah has cried or whined most of his IP time. There were days when he threw all of his toys out of his crib in the first 2 minutes. (And no, I didn't give them back! It would be an unending cycle!) But, he learned, we stuck with it, and I am actually super thankful that IP is a part of our day. It's the opportunity for a break if I need it or really need to get something done. It's the 'safe zone' of separation for us all. And it's a place where they can learn to be content with what they have, focus for a time, and learn to wait patiently.
Win, win, win. It is so worth it!
And now, just because, a few shots of the beautiful children that fill my days!
I actually do find it very beneficial for the boys as well. Since we are together almost the entire day, it gives each person some space. It lets the boys play on their own and enjoy their toys without wanting what the other one has, or getting a newly created tower of blocks destroyed before the desired time. For Isaiah, I usually notice a significant improvement in attitude and contentment after his Roomtime.
If you are intrigued by this idea of Independent Playtime, as I was when I first heard about it, here are a few how-to tips if you want to implement this into your own routine.
- Start small. Isaiah has done IP since he was about 6 months old. He started in his crib, twice a day, for about 5 minutes each. We gradually built up from there, until he was happily doing 45 minutes a day in IP.
- Set them up for success. Don't do IP when you know they are tired and/or hungry. I generally did it after Isaiah's morning nap, and then later afternoon. Now, with both boys, I do it after E is up from his AM nap and after they've had a snack, but before lunch.
- Remember that less is more. If your child (around 18 months and under) is in a crib or PnP, a few toys are adequate. Don't crowd them too much! I offer 1 or 2 age-appropriate books, a muscial toy, some kind of problem-solving toy (like stacking cups/block, or rings, etc), and maybe a favorite toy. Be sure that nothing is dangerous for the child to use on his own! Part of the idea of IP is to help them learn how to focus and be creative with what they have...too many toys can be overwhelming. Oh, and I usually let them have a sippy cup of water with them too.
-Use a timer. Starting IP is not always fun. As in, there will be probably be crying. I have been very lax in doing it with Ezra--he was about 11 months the first time he did it! We started with 3 (yes, 3) minutes. He screamed bloody murder the whole time. And the next day when we did 4 minutes. But not the next day, when we did 5 minutes! Since then he has generally been content with it. They quickly build an associated with the timer...".when it beeps, Mom comes to get me! So I might as well play until it beeps...."
-If desired, play your child's favorite music! Some kids will love this.
For an older child: After a while, a crib can be a bit boring. When Isaiah was 18/20 months, we switched to room-time. I really wanted him to be comfortable in this before Ezra came along. Basically it's the same, except I just removed anything that was a safety hazard for him, and let him play in his room with a variety of toys. It's also important to rotate toys every few days. He is not allowed to come out of his room during room-time. I will often give him a little snack (like raisins, or dry cereal) now that he is older. He does it for about 30 minutes at a time, though I know parents whose children happily do room-time for 1 hr each day!
This part of our routine was a tremendous help when I had Ezra. In 30 minutes, I could nurse him in peace, put him down for a nap, give him a bath, etc, etc...all while Isaiah was safe and occupied. As they are quite close in age, Isaiah was still pretty dependent on me when Ezra was born, so it really gave a needed break in the day.
It is not always easy. There have been days where Isaiah has cried or whined most of his IP time. There were days when he threw all of his toys out of his crib in the first 2 minutes. (And no, I didn't give them back! It would be an unending cycle!) But, he learned, we stuck with it, and I am actually super thankful that IP is a part of our day. It's the opportunity for a break if I need it or really need to get something done. It's the 'safe zone' of separation for us all. And it's a place where they can learn to be content with what they have, focus for a time, and learn to wait patiently.
Win, win, win. It is so worth it!
And now, just because, a few shots of the beautiful children that fill my days!
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| Making Cinnamon-Applesauce pancakes with Dad for Ezra's 1st birthday! |
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| Ezra's first time coloring with a crayon |
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| Fun at a park! |
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| Isaiah and I hiking at Mt Tremblant in Quebec. |
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| Enjoying a free Greek Yogurt sample at Mt Tremblant |
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| Yum! |
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| Hi-ya! |
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| Our family as the Ninja Turtles for SuperHero night. |
Oh yeah, our little boy turned 1 in the month of October. He will get a whole post of his own, coming soon!
