Parenting Back to Basics II: Table Time

This can be called anything you'd like it to be, really! As long as it involves your child sitting and doing an activity and having a lovely time concentrating and with minimal supervision from you. This concept is NOT new, many of you will know this as "playpen time -GKGW" or room time or whatever from whichever source you are familiar with.

We have since revolved this to table time as I prefer the idea of my kids on the table either playing or doing school work. We do all the other "play" things in the play area, we read in the bedroom and the living room sofa and we sleep in our cots/beds (oh yes, cots are used for "cool off" times too!)

The idea of this table time is twofold with 2 different types, I used them both.
1) When we finished with our morning readings and cuddles in the sofa. I will (try) to set Mathena up on our dining table with some playdough, or sheets of paper and crayons, or some complicated building block-type toy. She's really into "writing" now as she's inspired by her older sister. She basically just trace all the ABCs from a book and then colour all the related pictures. This goes on for 30-45mins. On a BAD day, we struggle with 5mins. The idea is that I choose her activity, I choose the timing, I choose the ending time. I also get to clean up my kitchen, hang up my laundry, read with Letitia, put another load in the machine and get Letitia ready for school etc.

In theory, the content is not as important as the concept/idea. I have been pretty successful with this with Letitia and she now uses this time to achieve her less likable "homework" and tasks done. There's never a whinge, never a blink as we've been doing it since she was 2yo.

Errr, working on Mathena, at the moment!
2) Playtime: For kids it's mostly play. I even find that Letitia appreciates a lot of winding down on her own when she arrives home from Kindy. The Kindy is LOUD, LoUD, LouD!! She just sits and picks up book after book to read and unwind. She has occasionally asked me to quit with the talking and questions. This is her...

Mathena on the other hand needs a bit of a boost with me spending some playtime with her for about 5-10mins. I will allow her to choose her "tool" (more often than not, it's colouring AGAIN!), I will get her started and encourage her bold moves and her wonderful work. Then, with a kiss, I will make my exit. Here I am off to my computer, my vacumn cleaner or my other load of laundry, while I put the kettle on to fix my second glass of ICED tea for the morning.

Errr, she's only managed 10mins where ideally it should also last 45mins. Sigh!

Set my goals and work at it.. did I tell you that my Mathena is a budding artist? She's very good at mixing the colours and still within the boundaries. She concentrates with all the energy her little eyebrows can pull together. She refuses EVERYTHING that gets in the way...except maybe, ice cream!