Blanket time: a saving grace!

Ask anyone with a toddler about their free time, and they'll probably laugh at you.

Once that sweet little pudge of a baby learns how to walk, everything changes. Suddenly they can reach things you don't want them to have. They can use their legs to get where they want to go - fast! And getting them to stay in one place - or even one room - seems next to impossible.

Combine all those things with dinnertime or (if you homeschool) school time or anytime you need both your hands and mind focused on a single task, and you've got a problem.

Fortunately, there is a solution. But I should warn you, it takes work.

Blanket time is something I first read about in The Duggars: 20 and Counting! by Jim-Bob and Michelle Duggar of TLC fame. However, since then, I've read about it in other places and met other moms who employ it as well, so I'm not sure where the idea originally came from. I took the advice given and taught both my boys blanket time.

The idea is as simple as this:

1. Put a blanket on the floor.
2. Put baby on the blanket.
3. Baby stays on the blanket until you tell him/her to get up.

If you have spent any time around a toddler, you probably think this idea is crazy, or impossible, or crazy impossible.

It's not.

Still, I should warn you it is not easy. It takes time and patience and dedication and consistency.

But the payoff is worth it. Trust me, people.

Imagine having a virtual playpen with you in the form of a blanket folded up in your purse. Imagine being able to cook dinner while your toddler plays happily and safely on a blanket nearby (not wandering around the house and getting into mischief or making a mess).

Imagine being able to read, or sew, or do something with your other children while your toddler is safely and quietly playing and staying put in one place.

Here I chose to give Asa his blanket time in my sewing room so I could work on a project. Despite the number of tempting things to get into, Asa understood he was not allowed to get off the blanket until I told him.

Blanket time also teaches the baby self-control. He wants to leave the blanket but learns to overcome those desires and obey Mommy instead.

So here's how you do it.

First, decide on a blanket. I'm all about consistency when it comes to little ones, so choose wisely and stick with it. You want something a decent size, not too big or too small. You want it to be big enough for the child to sit on with toys. I chose a crib-sized quilt I made for Asa just before he was born.

Second, select some special toys the baby can use just during blanket time. Ideally you can use toys he doesn't see very often and is interested in. You want blanket time to be something fun. I normally store these special "blanket time toys" with the quilt so that Asa doesn't see them until the designated time. Here are a few ideas for fun homemade toys.

Now, the first few times you try blanket time, you'll need to plan to be actively watching and training the baby the whole time. He is definitely going to test the rules, and if you aren't there to continually put him back on the blanket, he isn't going to learn to stay on it.

Normally I start out with just 5-10 minutes of blanket time the first couple times. I stay just a few feet away from the blanket at all times so I can catch him every time he starts getting off the blanket.

I say, "Guess what, Asa? We're going to have blanket time now! Here are your toys. Now, you are going to stay on the blanket until Mommy tells you to get up. Do not get off the blanket."

And I put him on the blanket with the toys.

Your toddler will probably get right up because it's a new concept. If she does, simply put her back on the blanket immediately and say, "No. Do not get off the blanket. It's blanket time," and pat the blanket with your hand while you give these directions.

This may happen a couple (thousand) times. It may drive you crazy, but eventually the baby will understand he is not allowed off the blanket. And he'll stay on there.

At first, just have blanket time last a few minutes. Only have blanket time once a day. After your baby seems to be getting the hang of it, you can gradually extend the time on the blanket to as much as 45 minutes to an hour.

Asa is 19 months old, and he is able to stay on his blanket for around half an hour. He rarely, if ever, tries to leave the blanket now. If he does, I correct him, and he usually goes back to playing happily on the blanket.

Here is Asa spotting something interesting on my sewing shelves. He asked, "Up?" and I told him, "No. Stay on the blanket."

So he considered it...

And decided to obey.

Pretty soon you'll be able to have blanket time anywhere you want. You're going to love it.

Blanket time can begin as early as when your baby can sit on his own. Only leave him for a few minutes at a time, but as he gets older, you can extend that time. If you have an older baby or toddler and haven't tried blanket time, it's not too late. You can still train your active child to have blanket time.

Just remember not to get frustrated. Most toddlers don't have very strong self-control, so it may seem like you're not making progress at first. But don't despair - you are making progress every minute he stays on the blanket.

As a word of warning, blanket time is only meant for occasions when you will be in the same room, watching him. If you have to run outside or downstairs, put him somewhere safe like a playpen or crib, or carry him with you.

So, with that, I wish you great success in your own blanket time! And when your two-year old sits quietly in one spot while all his peers are driving their parents crazy, please share the secret!