Structured Room Time

I finally did it!!! I finally organized all my kids toys into bins and buckets so when its room time, I can pull out a bin/bucket and say, "here play with this" and walk out. If any of you have been to our house, you know that we LOVE Ikea furniture. Over Christmas break we headed over to Chicago and picked up these very cute shelves for Anna's room. They are great since the bins are low enough that she can pull them out herself. And the bins come in different sizes to accommodate all your different sized toys. Also, she loves having the top area to play on -- it's at her perfect height.

If you recall in a previous post I mentioned how I was having a hard time with Anna staying in her room for room time...she was thinking it was punishment and would say "all done crying...". Having specific toys for her to play with has really helped her out. She actually ends up staying in her room after the timer goes off. Here are some other things I've found regarding room time to be helpful:

* use a timer (if I haven't already mentioned this...)
* be consistent and have room time everyday so it just becomes another activity you do during the day -- we even do it on the weekends!
* I've found myself at times when frustrated with the kids to tell them to go to their rooms to play. I want to be careful that I choose my words wisely and perhaps tell them to go to just go into their rooms. I don't want them confusing room time with punishment or that I tell them room time when I'm frustrated with their behavior (hope that made sense!)
* if not having structured play time, have your kids toys in places that are easy for them to reach so they aren't calling for you every 5 minutes to get a new toy for them to play with.
* set ground rules and expectations around room time.

Anyway, I can't tell you how nice and peaceful room time is in our home! Both kids go into their rooms and play for 45 minutes. Today I started to run out of things that needed to be done on the main floor of the house! ;-)

How has room time been beneficial in your home?

Be Consistent!

It has been said that it takes around 28 days to form a new habit so why do we expect our kids on our first try of doing something new that they will get it and do it?

For example, the first couple times my daughter had room time, she thought she was being sent to her room for time out and it took a bit of time for her to know that room time is different than being sent to her room to sit on her bed for time out. But if I would have given up after the first, second or even third time of her protesting of not wanting to be in her room then we wouldn't be enjoying room time today. Same thing with eating vegetables, new foods or anything new - some kids do take longer than others to adapt to changes. But as moms (and dads) it's important to allow your kids time to adapt. Be consistent with your new tools and routines and give it at least a week or two to evaluate how things are going before changing things.

Another aspect of being consistent not only comes with your training times and routines but also being consistent throughout the day regarding the things you are trying to teach your children regarding moral excellence. If you are training your children in the importance of obedience take opportunities throughout the day to talk about things you see, hear, and do that show or do not show obedience.

One great place to do this is when you have worship time with your kids. We just read the story this morning about Balaam and how he asked God what he should do and God told him not to go with the messengers. But did Balaam obey God right away? NO - he asked God again what he should do and then still took the money and went with the messengers. We talked about the importance of obeying God right away just like they are to obey mommy and daddy right away.

It's also important to make sure the TV/DVD shows you have your kids watch agree with the moral excellence you are training them in. I love hearing Owen talk about a show and saying how good a character was and how they obeyed right away. It really helps all the training and principals sink in.

Be consistent...don't expect your children to change over night. It takes time and practice and well, being consistent!

Room Time

Have you considered implementing room time into your daily schedule for your kids? For younger toddlers/babies you could use their play pen or crib as their room time and for older toddlers/preschoolers you could use their rooms for time for them to play by themselves.

I was having some trouble getting my daughter to stay in her room for room time, until yesterday when I actually pulled out and set up some toys for her to play with. Even after her timer went off she choose to stay in her room to continue playing.

The other thing that has been helpful, which I shared with you yesterday, was putting painters tape on the floor right outside each of the kid's room so they knew they weren't to cross the line while it was room time. My son typically does great playing by himself in his room, but yesterday just hung right by the line for pretty much the entire 30 minutes.

Here are some ideas to make room time fun for you and your kids:
* First, make a big deal about how much fun it will be to play in their rooms until the time goes off. Stay up beat and excited and most likely your excitement will be shared with your children.

* Use a timer and place one in each of the kids room so they can see how much time is left. My son knows that he needs to stay in his room until it gets to zero.

* You can use room time as structured play time where you actually give your child toys to play with or you can just tell them to play in their rooms. I found that for toddlers and younger, it is best to give them some toys to play with and set things up for them ahead of time.

* If you are just starting out room time, start with just 10 minutes and then steadily increase your timer each day. And yes, the more you have room time for your kids, the more they'll expect it and understand that is just part of the day.

* To help you kids understand they are not to come out of their room, put some tape on the floor so they know where they are not able to cross over. For younger toddlers you may have to put up a baby gate to keep them in their room. And babies should be placed in a play pen or crib for their room time.

There are many benefits to room time - mainly it gives your children an opportunity to entertain themselves and not always needing someone to be with them. Also, it gives you a break and are able to do some things around the house. And for me yesterday, when the kids where getting at each other - I just sent them to their rooms for room time...so it gave both kids a chance to unwind.

Let me know some of your ideas and practices for room time in your home!