One of my survival tools when I was a single mom with a small, active child was a basket of puzzles. My daughter loved puzzles, but I only let her play with this basket early mornings on weekends -- and even then, only if she played VERY quietly. Because of those puzzles, I got an extra half hour of sleep many Saturdays and Sundays.
[Note: I think lack of sleep was really the hardest thing about being a single mom. Kids don't have snooze buttons; when they wake you up, you can't hit them on the head and go back to sleep for 10 more minutes. If you're ever considering how to help a single parent you know, I'd recommend inviting her kid for a sleep-over, and keeping the kid the next day until noon.]
Since then, I've been a real fan of "special toys". These are toys that my kids just love to play with, and that I get out only for special occasions when I want the kids to play very, very quietly. Hiding the toys away most of the time keeps the kids from getting bored with them.
Here are my sons with their "special toys", travel version. These puppets work great in airports, math meetings, and more.
[Note: I think lack of sleep was really the hardest thing about being a single mom. Kids don't have snooze buttons; when they wake you up, you can't hit them on the head and go back to sleep for 10 more minutes. If you're ever considering how to help a single parent you know, I'd recommend inviting her kid for a sleep-over, and keeping the kid the next day until noon.]
Since then, I've been a real fan of "special toys". These are toys that my kids just love to play with, and that I get out only for special occasions when I want the kids to play very, very quietly. Hiding the toys away most of the time keeps the kids from getting bored with them.
Here are my sons with their "special toys", travel version. These puppets work great in airports, math meetings, and more.
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