She is very unpredictable, but through our time together, I have improved my ability to guess what she's likely to do.
Sometimes, I'll admit, Dan and I place a wager on our predictions. Lots of the time, we actually predict the same thing and we're usually right. Other times we disagree and I'm usually right. That's part of the payoff for the quantity of hours we spend together. Of course there are the rare times that Dan is right and I'm not or neither of us could ever have guessed the outcome.
So, for example, we like to predict who she will and will not like. Food she will or will not like. She is highly discriminatory in every way. For sanity's sake I try to run through every possible scenario of how a trip to the mall, the store, the zoo, a friends' house, will actually go. It is highly scientific and variables like the weather, the mood, the hunger level, the sleep quotient, position of the planets must be considered. You moms know. Or maybe you don't and I'm the only weird one.
If I can think of the likely outcomes then I can plan. You know, because if you are prepared you shall not fear, right? I think of each possible situation, and then in turn, each possible solution, remedy, or course of action on my part.
I can never be sure but I just like to know what's coming. Or to pretend I know what's coming.
But here's where things have gotten tricky lately:
Ava blows our predictions out of the water and has no problems, no fits, no meltdowns. And then little bitty Luke, who I have never had to make an emergency preparedness plan for before, goes bananas!
This is not the case 100% of the time. (What's Ava without a little freak-out now and again?) But more and more of the time, I am "dealing" with Luke instead of Ava. I guess it's true- they're growing up!
So having just arrived home from church I am seeking all advice or recommendations for toys, distractions, activities that you've heard of, tried, swear by, etc. for a little boy of 16 months to utilize during church (especially sacrament meeting).
I am a toy-minimalist at heart. Luke has been an easy-going, hang-out kinda guy until recently. I've never brought much to entertain him. But something's gotta change cause the times sure are.
Suggestions, pretty please?
9 comments:
hahaha I ran into Dan a couple of times out in the hall today with Luke! Well my kids aren't the greatest example for being reverent at church. But most of the time what seems to work is coloring. Luke may be too young to be interested. But I'll go to freecoloringpages.com or the disney site and print out a couple of sheets for each child. I've also heard of buying a "just for Sunday toy" so he's only allowed to play with it in Sacrament meeting. Good luck!
I have no idea-can't wait to hear what ideas you get from others. We have been having a toy question about Noah. He is bored and the usual quiet activities are of no interest-coloring being the obvious one. So, bring on the advice!
usually a toy they haven't seen in a while works for my kids. I have a bin i keep under my stairs full of silly toys that the girls don't care at all about, but when they haven't seen them for months, all of a sudden they're amazing!!! start such a bin today--go to your play room and grab 10 little toys that aren't getting played with and won't be missed. come next april, those toys will be GOLDEN!!
also, old cell phones that STILL TURN ON are always a hit. they catch on quickly when nothing lights up at the push of a button, so it has to still have power.
and i know some people discourage bringing food, but i don't. it keeps my little ones quieter than any other single thing--so we always have our cheerios, grapes, apples, etc. my MIL is always trying to find little gospel-related books and toys for sacrament meeting, but they never work. i've since decided that that hour+ is not the time for me to teach my kids the gospel--it's the time to keep them quiet enough that those around us can hear and learn. i'm sure once they get older that'll change, but for now i do everything i can to just keep them quiet--which i usually fail miserably at anyway, so i really don't know why i'm even posting this comment since everyone in my ward would just LAUGH to see that i seem to think i have any advice on this subject :)
hopefully somebody else has some truly brilliant suggestions :)
Hot Wheels. Small enough to tuck in a pocket, and if Luke doesn't need to make car noises, it's practically silent. Cheap too.
Sarah started walking at 10 months and church changed dramatically for us after that. What's worked for her is having things she only gets to play with on Sunday at church. She has several books I know she LOVES that I have moved to the diaper bag for Sundays. I also have to say FOOD. We meet at 11am so sacrament meeting is right around lunch time. Some days she just eats the whole time but she's usually quiet so what can I do. Good luck!
Some times church has gone better for us than others. Many of our kids would rather not sit in the pews for sacrament meeting. I can't tell you which kids we did what with but we usually had to adapt as each kid brought their own idiosyncrasies with them to church. With somebody we had to come early enough that we could sit in the pew even if he cried for a few minutes that was okay cause church hadn't started. Pipe cleaners I think started with Torin. I know that for a while we had a strict rule about not getting up after we went in, even Mom and Dad cause if they got to get up why couldn't the little one. Finger and toes games, Piggies, Here is the church,Creepy Spider or mouse, leading the music or following the words in the book (even for little guys).If they are people watchers I could usually commentate on what I could see and get them watching what I was talking about. Along with all of the things mentioned by others. Lift the Flap books and the big I spy books were some of the favorites. As a last resort Dan could get called to the Bishopric. Some of the best reverent times we had were while Paul was in the bishopric. Divine Intervention I guess. Good Luck. Things will keep changing don't worry.
He's a boy; he's sixteen months old. (Sigh) Life at church is just going to be challenging for a little while.
We tried the no toys thing, but my mom had made Holly a cute jumper that had a pocket on the front and she always managed to stow away a dinosaur or other small toy which we wouldn't discover until she took it out during Sacrament meeting. It was a losing battle.
A friend once observed: if you want your children to enjoy something, make happy memories around it. I try to remember that when one of the kids wants me to play the dot game or tic-tac-toe during Sacrament meeting. It's not what we're there for, but if I indulge them for a few minutes and then give them a squeeze and say I love you, it makes a happy memory and they might let me listen to the next 10 minutes of the meeting.
I don't have any good suggestions, really. I can only say that this challenging time will pass too quickly and he'll be ready to start learning why we're there and giving sweet simple insights to spiritual things.
Thank you all for your help and suggestions. If I can get my act together, I am going to try some of them out. And keep reminding myself that these days will keep passing and the times will keep changing.
I love, love, LOVE this picture of Luke. Seriously, it needs a frame.
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