I'm lucky enough to work from home full-time so I don't have to send my first grader to daycare after school. However, my day doesn't end at 3 when he gets out of school, I still usuall have 1-2 hours of work left. I'm running out of things to keep him occupied while I finish up my work. He's not allowed to watch tv during the week. He comes home, has a snack, does his homework (which is usually all done on Monday), does 1 chore, reads 1 book, then comes in complaining he's bored - all within 20 minutes of getting home. Occasionally he goes to play at a friends house downt the street, but that's not a daily thing nor do I want it to be.
So Mamas - give me some ideas to keep him occupied the last hour or so of my workday.
TIA!
goto hobby lobby and have him pick out a model craft to assemble or a craft kit to make something...
Leapster or didj with educational cartidges....
maybe he's ready for 2 chores and 2 books... can he play a computer game
Can he play in the back yard?
Does he have a hobby that he could do independently? We have 3 kids, 8,5 &3 who are also not allowed to watch TV during the school week-they must entertain themselves without Mommy while I finish up work and cook dinner etc. At first they complain but after the first few minutes they find things to do, well at least my older two do. They love to build forts and hang out in them, crafts are huge in our house(within reason), puzzles(we always have one on a board in the formal dining room), if the weather is nice I MAKE them go outside and play-they find things to do. The thing that I have learned though, this is just me, if it gets a little messy...who cares. In a few years time I will miss that messiness! :) HTH
I have a 5 year old and one of his favorite quite activities is "Bean Town." We went to the dollar store and bought lots and lots of bags of dried beans. I put them into a large under the bed storage box. He LOVES it- he'll play with his dinosaurs in it, construction toys, cooking tools, etc. It keeps him busy for sure. And he does a pretty good job of keeping all the beans in the container too.
Best advice: give him some TV time!! There are so many educational programs on TV these days (cartoons are not what they used to be!). Honestly, there is a misguided belief in society that the TV is this bad, evil thing-- but it can be good if used properly. You can also rent educational videos from the library. I recommend Arthur on PBS or Franklin and Little Bear (either Noggin or Nick Jr). The truth is that he won't want to do crafts without guidance, he's too young to read for that long (especially without guidance), and no child wants to play alone... but the TV-- that is something that can engage him and give you some quiet time.
You can also see if he likes a gaming system... if you want to go educational, you can try VSMILE; however, my kids were quite bored with it after about a day. We are about to move on to Wii, which many first graders have even though it might seem too young for video games... I've heard great things about their interactive games (bowling, tennis, etc.). If he likes sports, this is a good way to keep him active but indoors and under your supervision.
Good luck.
The only time my kids get time to watch tv is after school, while I'm getting dinner ready, etc.! They are outside playing, having dinner, bathing, doing homework and going to bed after that. I don't work at or out of home and my day doesn't end either when the kids are out. I have 5. I'm the first up, and the last to bed. Since you have your own reasons not to allow him to watch a little t.v.-it's your job to keep him occupied. My 6 year old(first grader) prefers to color and make 'books' at the kitchen table while I cook dinner. I also buy the younger kids little paint/ceramic sets at Michaels craft store for $1.00 each that come with 2 ceramic animals, etc. paint and a little brush. There are puzzles. Educational games(video and non)and models they can put together. There are only so many books a kid wants to read in a week, and after 7 hours at school they need time to unwind and relax, not have more studying and jobs to do for others, a little 'kid' time. I allow my 6 year old a cartoon, dvd, or to play his DS during that time. He also has Lincoln Logs and little toy soldiers that entertain him for awhile. They are bored easily, and we can't always entertain them. Give him some suggestions, and ask him what he would enjoy doing.
Does he have spelling words. If so I make my kids write them 5 times each day and they always make a good grade.. When I stopped they started making lower grades. I also have my daughter write a journal entry each day about her day because she needs to work on her handwriting. It doesn't have to be long just something simple and at least 4 sentences. She sometimes draws me picture etc. I like to show them after a couple of weeks. When you started you wrote like this, now see how well you are doing. Also half price books has some great educational computer programs you can purchase they are educational and fun. Hope this helps!
What about play dough? My first grader still loves that. He also loves puzzle books like word searches. What about working out something with his friend's mom and picking one day where he can go play with his friend, and another day the friend comes to your house. They'd be there with you, but they'd keep each other entertained playing outside or playing with a board game or something. My son also likes to play with legos and puzzles. I know you don't him watching TV, but what about a computer game or a video game with a time limit and only if his homework is done.
I love the ideas the others shared for activities. Maybe you could make a list of things, then, cut them into strips of paper that he could pull out of a jar or box. That way, it's kind of a game for him, and who doesn't love games? lol
Maybe it would be easier with a picture of the activity also...or take photos of him doing those things and have him draw those out of the jar/box. :) Have fun!
Can you save that last 1-2 hours of work for after he goes to bed at night? Maybe you can make dinner together (teaching your child to cook is always a good thing and a skill he will need later in life).
