How to Keep Your Toddler Busy While You Work

This is for all of you work at home Moms and Dads ...

Anyone who has a toddler knows that they are VERY busy and have short attention spans. 

When you work from home that can put some stress on youl – especially if you are trying to get work done. It’s important to set up an environment where you can be your most productive, but also keep an eye on the little ones as well. Although toddlers still need the attention of an adult, they can begin to learn how to play independently for short periods of time. 

There are several ways to help your day go smooth and keep your toddler occupied at the same time:

Toys – Keep a specific space within your home where there's a variety of toys, books, and puzzles that provides a place where your child can stay busy. He or she will begin to think of this as their play area and naturally want to spend time there. You don’t want to leave your child alone for hours doing this, but it’s a short-term fix so you can manage to get some work done, especially if you have to make phone calls. 

You can even sit with your laptop near the toy area so you can keep a close eye on him while you work. Puzzles tend to keep them busy for hours and they can learn the value of independent play while using their imagination and motor skills.

Play Dates – This may seem like a backwards idea but it works. Inviting other children over to play can take the focus off of you temporarily so you can get some work done. And if you have older children, you may be able to get them involved and keep the younger ones busy for a while. 

They can build forts, watch movies, or play dress-up and enjoy themselves for an extended period of time. Outside play is also a great option. You can bring your laptop outdoors and work while they burn some energy and get some fresh air.

Art Work – Although this may sound like the messiest of suggestions, your toddler will love finger painting, coloring with crayons and/or colored pencils, and making you other works of art to hang up on the fridge. Set up a special “art” studio for them, placing a big sheet on the floor (so you can avoid a huge mess) and have crayons, poster board, stickers and other safe art supplies so they can go to town and be an artist for a day. Kids love stickers! 

When my son was small, I bought a roll of butcher paper and taped it to the hallway wall so he could color for hours without me worrying about scrubbing the crayon marks off the wall. Worked like a charm!

Online Educational Games – Kids are getting started with computers earlier than ever, and even toddlers can learn simple online games. There are several wonderful online learning sites where your child can play educational games. They can have fun and learn at the same time - all while keeping them from distracting you because they are bored.

Toddlers are a bundle of energy that keep us going constantly throughout the day. While not all of these suggestions will work for every child or your current situation, with a little imagination, you can develop a plan to keep even the most high energy member of your family busy for an hour or two. Toddlers still have their own schedule and parents, have to work around that. Not every day is going to run smoothly. As long as you go into it with that mindset, it won’t be as frustrating down the road.

Hope these ideas help!