Читать книгу Zero to Five - Tracy Cutchlow - Страница 26

Include baby

Quality time with baby can mean taking out the garbage together.

Including baby in life’s little tasks requires accepting that any task will take much, much longer. But that’s OK. Engaging baby in whatever you’re doing gives you lots to show baby and lots to talk about, along with little moments you’ll cherish.

For part of the day, baby and I have friends to meet, books to read, music to dance to, and walks to go on. But when I need to get stuff done, here are some of the things that work for me:

Showering

• Before baby can sit up: Cradle baby in a portable chair, or surround baby with pillows on the floor within your view.

• Once baby can sit up: Let baby splash, too, on the bathtub floor or in a bucket-style baby bath. I’m very grateful for our Tummy Tub.

Cooking

• Before baby can sit up, put baby in a carrier.

• Prep food at the dining-room table while baby sits in the high chair, or bring the high chair to the kitchen. Talk about all of the ingredients, and pass baby produce to feel or taste.

• Sit baby on the floor with some blocks, pans and utensils, or food samples. Explain the things you’re doing.

• Get a stool or “learning tower” so your child can see. Have her help, by throwing away packaging, pouring ingredients into the pot, or stirring.

• I often make a green smoothie in the blender. Baby likes to nibble the pear, twist the lemon halves on the citrus juicer, strip the stems from the kale, and watch everything whirl. As I turn on the blender, I say, “Loud noise in one, two, three—” and we do a little dance.

Laundry

• Let baby put a couple items in the machine, twist some knobs, and watch the spinning clothes—it’s TV for babies!

• Play peekaboo while folding laundry.

• Ask your toddler to put away items that belong in his room.

• Make the bed with baby in it. Whip the sheet into the air and let it float down over the two of you.

Cleaning

• Hand over part of the job. Around 18 months, my baby liked to get out the dustpan when I was sweeping, and she’d grab the rag to wipe up spills.

• Enlist baby’s help to empty the dishwasher: “Here, put your dish on your shelf. Can you get your stool, and put your spoon in the drawer?”

Fixing stuff

• Your toddler would probably love to help you assemble her new balance bike, remove the old knobs from the dresser drawers, or sit in your suitcase and twist the screwdriver to tighten the handle. Explain as you go.

Errands

• Walk, if you can, or take the bus. People you pass by love to talk with baby, and you see all sorts of interesting things.

• Choose one errand and make a day of it. For example, I once walked to a store five miles away. Baby and I had plenty to look at along the way, we ran into a friend, we stopped for lunch, and we took the bus home. The errand took hours, technically, but it made for a nice day.