Desk Drawers or Parallel Worlds (Ages 3 to 8)
Would you like to be able to do paperwork at your desk—paying bills, writing letters, updating household budgets, and so on—without constant interruptions and distractions from your toddlers? Of course you would, and you can! Pick the most likely solution from the following options and you are on your way.
A. Sedate Them
B. Bind and Gag Them
C. Terrorize Them
D. Give a Drawer to Them
Although all four would probably work, A, B, and C are probably counter-productive and quite possibly illegal. Therefore, why don’t you give D a try?
Clean out the bottom drawer in your desk (oh come on, you have the room; you just need to re-organize a little), and tell your children it will be their very own drawer. Next, go on a scavenger hunt with your children to locate items that will be placed in their drawer. These items should be age-appropriate, favorite possessions, simple, easy to use, non-messy, and require little supervision. Here are some candidates:
Paper • Pencils • Doll • Toy Cars • Eraser • Watch • Calculator • Ruler • Necklace • Crayons • Coloring Book • Scotch Tape • Photographs • Ball • Kazoo • Safety Scissors • Paste • Keys • Toy Soldiers • Flashlight • Candy • Hand Stamps • Stickers • Paper Clips • Hair Clips • Kaleidoscope
Now when you sit down to work, they can sit down “to work” alongside you. You say to them, “You have your work to do, and I have my work to do. You don’t go in my drawers, and I don’t go in your drawers.” Not only will you get your work done, but your children will:
1. Feel grown up getting their work done.
2. Learn to put things away so they can be found next time.
3. Learn respect for your possessions (the other desk drawers items)
4. Take pride in their personal belongings.
Nevertheless, sometimes the best solution to solving a problem can have a downside. In this case I no longer have access to the kaleidoscope in their drawer.
Rex Bowlby is the father of two boys. He is the author of the book/, Why Would I Want the Toy, When I Can Have the Box? (101 Ways to Make the Most of Your Children, With the Least from Your Wallet*) *For parents with children ages 3-8. www.whytoybook.com He lives in Los Angeles, California, USA.