Toddler Time

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:

He shall gather the lambs with His arm,

And carry them in His bosom,

And shall gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11

Do you remember that wonderful, old, scripture song?

I love it, for so many of the truths is holds.

The one I want to focus on today

Is the last thought,

'And shall gently lead those that are with young.'

He is faithful.

He is faithful in the BIG things,

And He is faithful in the small.

Our days are full!

Homeschooling three boys

And trying to keep a fourth entertained

Has kept me from having a dull moment.

Yes, I have moments when things feel crazy.

Yes, I'm standing at the end of the day

Thinking, 'I'm not getting everything done that I'd like to.'

But, He is guiding, He is leading.

Finding things for the little ones to do

While I school the older boys

Has always been one of my bigger challenges.

I find that when they have something constructive to do,

The mornings flow smoother than simply sending them off

to 'go play.'

So this post is just a little reminder

To those who may need it,

That the Lord sees, and wants to help you.

As you cry out to Him for direction and ideas,

Watch and be amazed, as I have been,

On how He will help you.

And for some practical ideas,

Here are some 'stations' that have worked well for us.

• With the timer set for fifteen minutes, the boys play with a basket of puzzles with an audio tape playing in the back ground.
• In a different location, they play with cars and trucks for twenty minutes.
• Back in the bedroom, they read/look at books for fifteen minutes.
• For twenty-five to thirty minutes they play with water, cups, and funnels in the sink.
• They have also gathered pillows and cushions from around the house and had fun stacking them and jumping in the pile with the timer set for fifteen to twenty minutes.

As you can tell, I love using a timer.

I have noticed that when my boys know there is a set time,

They are willing to do just about anything.

Even if the activity is not what they would choose to do.

Knowing they only have to do it for a set amount of time,

Helps them to willingly participate.

I hope some of these ideas can help those of you with little ones.

I will try and post new ideas, as He helps me discover them.

Please share your ideas with me, too!

Because of Jesus,

Eunora

Linking up today with:

and on Friday: