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.

A few new toys...

Asa is into everything now. The world is so interesting, and his curiosity levels are in overdrive. No coffee cup, dog food bowl or cell phone is safe. In his little toddler mind, everything is his for the exploring - at least until we tell him "no". And I'm happy to report so far he's a pretty good listener.

But watching his intense curiosity and desire to learn how things work, I knew he needed a few new, baby-safe, inexpensive toys to play with, especially during blanket time. So I searched through some of my toddler books for some ideas.

I came up with three new toys: