Managing Work and Baby’s Playtime Together – Here’s How I Do It

By Dr Rasika - Updated: December 3, 2018

Engaging your baby in play and keeping her busy is a task in itself, that too when you have to manage your daily chores simultaneously. As much as you love engaging and playing with her, it is also important that babies and toddlers engage in self-play. They should be able to self-entertain without the help of TV and mobile phones; that’s how they learn to explore things, think and act accordingly on their own. Also, babies will know and remember the consequences of many actions in self-play. I always provide my 17-month-old baby time to play by herself, I do not interfere in between and just make sure that she is playing and exploring safely.

Here are some most favourite toys and activities of my daughter Swara, which keep her engaged and active for quite a long time.

1. Stacking Cubes

These are multi-shaped colourful plastic toys which are good quality and unbreakable. Building a big tower and making it fall is what she does with the stacking cubes multiple times. It improves her grasping skills, sense of size and shape and helps her understand cause and effect relationship.

2. Eggs and the chicken

This simple game unexpectedly became her favourite one! I just keep a chicken in one of the eggs and let her find out where it is. It improves her concentration, develops her thinking and motor skills in opening and closing the colourful eggs. Also, there are many small toys like cars, bangles, paper pieces which can easily fit in the eggs and I use them as a surprise for her while playing.

3. Board Books

Being a book lover myself, I was amazed to see the vast variety in baby books! Too cute I must say! Pointing at colorful pictures, trying to pronounce words and listening to the stories helps in ímproving her talking skills and imagination. All in one board book, magnet book, sound book and small palm sized storybooks are currently in her little library.

4. Dolls and Teddy Bears

This will improve eventually I guess but she has started her pretend-play with all these toys using her memory and communication skills. It usually reflects our talks and interactions with her.

5. Cleaning the house

This came as a surprise for us, but she loves cleaning, dusting and wiping things! So, without discouraging her, I just gave her a wet towel, (sometimes small water bucket to play) and she will keep herself busy in cleaning her things, tables, chairs and what not! It’s a good exercise for both of us!

6. Kitchen Utensils

These are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and she loves arranging them, imitating kitchen activities like cooking and pouring some water in glasses. She keeps playing with them for hours! Good for her and me too! it’s great for learning coordination.

7. Pen and Paper

Scribbling is loved by most of the kids and needless to say it extends to her hands, legs, walls and tiles of our home after some time. But she enjoys it immensely. It helps in developing the future writing and drawing skills.

So these are some of the extremely simple toys and activities (or you can say daily chores) which are easily learnt by our kids when they see us doing it. It helps in developing many skills and thought processes in them. Of course, this all should also be accompanied by outdoor playtime. As a parent, be open, do interact, avoid unnecessary restrictions and instructions, let your kids enjoy their childhood and make sure you provide something new for their curious little minds every day!

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