A Quiet Basket… The Perfect Solution to Keep Kids Busy During An Important Call or Task
Okay, so moms I know that I am not the only one who has lived through this scene… You are on an important call, a doctor, a lawyer, a business associate, a member of a committee that you are on… whoever it is, it is a call that you need to hear and they need to be able to hear you.
However, is it just my kids or do all kids seem to pick this moment to bring out their temper tantrums, requests for snacks, and meltdowns? Seriously! It almost never fails, it is like they have a radar to know when the call is important and when it is just your best girlfriend calling to chat… they are always quiet then.
I work from home so this little trend that my children have can be rather problematic… and frustrating. So, I have devised a little solution that works almost every time… I put together a ‘quiet’ basket of toys, books, coloring stuff, and puzzles that I pull out ONLY when I need them to entertain themselves for a few moments so that I can take an important call or complete an important task.
The reason this basket is restricted to only these moments is because I do not want them to get sick of using the stuff that is in it… and I want the basket to be interested enough to keep my kids busy. The other thing that I do is try to change out the toys and activities that are in the basket every week or two so that the kids always have something to look forward to.
This basket has saved me numerous times… just the other day my daughter began screaming the second that a doctor called about some tests that my son is needing to have done. I had to excuse myself for two seconds to pull the basket out and she immediately stopped crying and allowed me to focus on the important information that the doctor needed to share.
Here are a few ideas of things that you could include in your basket:
♦ Play dough and play dough tools
♦ Wooden blocks
♦ Lego’s
♦ Sticker books
♦ Magnetic books
♦ Dolls and action figures
♦ Stencils and paper
So the next time that you have this frustrating situation pop up in your life, try throwing together a basket like this for your children and enjoy a few moments of quiet time where you can get your important phone call done without repeated pleas for string cheese, tied shoes, suckers, starting a movie, or other demands.
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November 15th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I love this! I was just discussing this very issue with a friend.
Thanks for the great tip! ~ Maria
December 7th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Love this idea…going to put it to the test! Also, check out my mommy blog for giggles and feel free to comment!
January 8th, 2009 at 2:35 am
A common sense tip, most busy moms don’t have time to think of. What a great idea. Although playdough doesn’t work well in my home.
January 14th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
What a great idea! I’m going to pass this along to my daughter, who is having this very problem right now with her 20 month old son, and it is driving her crazy. She can adjust the toys to fit his age, and I know he will be curious as to what’s new, especially the idea of changing the contents of the basket. That’s a great way to keep a child’s interest. Thanks for your suggestions!
January 21st, 2009 at 10:25 am
I am so glad to hear that so many of you have enjoyed this idea. It is really a lifesaver at my house, in fact I just refilled mine with some new stuff to keep my kids entertained while I try to get some work done. Best wishes and I hope to hear from you all again soon.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I will put one together tonight, very cool idea. I love how my kids will be playing, but when I am on the phone they follow me around yelling and talking. And if I try to close the door to my room, they start crying.