There is a time in a child’s life when he is too old to take naps, but still too young to be left without adult supervision. I’m sure all parents out there know what I’m talking about.

This time of growing from toddler to child is a great hurdle in a child’s life and can create something of a problem, because the time that used to be spent napping is now free game for even more possibilities of innocent (or seemingly not-so innocent) mischief. It’s up to the homemaker (that’s you, mom) to save the day and help fill that newly freed time with constructive activities.

The purpose of this piece is to give the modern homemaker some possible solutions and ideas that she can use and modify to meet the needs of her no-longer-napping child. I’ll return to the Mealtime Madness series later and address the issue of super-tasters and getting kids to eat their food. But for now, let’s put our enlightened homemaking minds together and brainstorm on what mothers can do to help their children stay happy and productive through the day.

I’ve come up with four ideas to get us started. They are:

• Checklists
• Bins
• Movies
• Computer Games

Checklists

Get an attractive looking list with corresponding boxes. These boxes should be labeled with duties or chores for your child to do. These duties should include things like saying prayers, eating breakfast, picking up toys, really anything truly good that your child is capable of doing

Have a set time during the day when you and your child go over his checklist and make sure his duties are done. Also use this when you notice that he is getting bored and needs something to do.

Children give pretty big clues when they are bored. They start getting into other siblings' toys, wander around the house, and sometimes they act as if they are purposefully looking for trouble. When you spot your child showing the signs of boredom, whip out the checklist and go over it with him and make sure he’s done all his duties for that day. If he hasn’t, you’ve just found some activities that are going to take up some of that extra free time.

Bins

Try setting aside some toys exclusively for this special, new playtime. Keep them in some bins on a closet shelf or in a cupboard or somewhere where he can’t reach them. This way he won’t be able to play with them all the time and will therefore find them especially fun when he does. These toys can be flash cards and match games, salt clay ― really anything that will be educational and help children with their hand-eye coordination and thinking skills. 

Here are some suggestion for your bins:

1. Educational Movies
   
   
   Yes, movies can be educational!

If you have a TV in your home and your child does sit and watch even fifteen minutes at a time, it’s possible that you might want to invest in some effective educational DVD’s. There is a growing market for quality educational videos, like the Baby Einstein series. And since children enjoy frequent repetition, Bible and scripture stories are great on DVD because your child can learn the stories and characters by watching the show over and over again without wearing out the movie.

2. Educational Computer Games

Companies like JumpStart have released a line of educational computer games that are rich in graphics, characters, and grade school adventures. So, if you have a computer for your kids to use and if they are interested in computer games, this can be an alternative to standard games that only track how many races the player wins or how many kills he makes. These JumpStart programs cover a variety of topics for the different grades starting with preschool.

An important thought to remember is that you have the power to influence your growing child, and technology can be on your side through that transition from toddler to child. Those hours that used to be spent napping are now an open slate. Take advantage and give your child the head start he needs.

Anyone with more ideas about filling in this extra time when a child stops taking naps, please email them to me and I’ll add them to http://enlightenedhomemaker.com/contact.htm I’m looking to build a wealth of ideas — which includes names of actual workbooks, DVDs, and computer games for preschoolers — that will be helpful to homemakers.

Natalie is the editor of the Enlightened Homemaker newsletter. Subscribe to the free newsletter at http://www.enlightenedhomemaker.com