BABY FILES: TODDLER YBJULY & AUGUST 2019 | 71FUN THINGS TO DO
Create a fantasy: Put up a small
tent in the backyard, or put a tea
set out on the tree house. If the
weather is bad, you can sommer
make your own tent in the lounge by
draping a double-bed duvet cover
over the couch and chairs. Allow the
children to bring books and dolls
into the tent.
Children’s art: Give the children a
theme for a picture: a day at the
beach, our garden, or insects. Put
out paper, khoki pens, crayons,
scissors, glue sticks and sticky things,
and stick the pictures up against the
wall afterwards.
Splash, splash: Put all the bath toys,
plastic watering cans and tubs in
a crate and put it outside next to a
shallow plastic pool or big bucket of
water. Remember to ask the friend to
bring a swimming costume.
Baker, baker: Bake cookies together,
and put out small bowls with
different colours of icing sugar and
decorations and get everyone in on
the decorating action. You can also
have a teddy-bear picnic with your
baked goods. HINT: Eat outside!“inside voices”, so that noise levels don’t
go up unnecessarily. “And do remember
not to give them treats packed with
sugar,” she adds.
A child who’s hungry all the time Offer
healthy snacks such as fruit sticks and
cheese cubes, and get the children to
thread them themselves, says Helen
Meyer of Cape Town, mom of Imogen
(5) and Arnold (2).
“The idea with the sticks works well
because it keeps the children busy; they
enjoy showing off what they’ve done,
and there’s less chance that food will
be wasted,” Helen says. “Homemade
popcorn is another winner, and muffins
is a tasty alternative to decorated
cupcakes, as you don’t need icing sugar.”
A mischievous elf Occupy a naughty
child for a while by softly chatting about
the day at school, so you can divert her
attention from what caused the naughty
behaviour, Lerato suggests.
Also ensure the friend knows the
house rules. Ask, “What are the house
rules when friends come over to play?”
and then give some examples, like that
they’re not allowed to jump on furniture,
throw balls in the house or play in the
bathrooms. “Then it’s easier to later
remind the naughty child that ball
throwing is not allowed inside.
“Naughty visitors are treated the
exact same way as my kids when they’re
naughty,” says Lerato. “I warn first,
and then the child is removed from the
others to calm down first.”
CLEVER IDEAS FOR
HUNGRY LITTLE TUMMIES
✓ Children like finger food.
✓ Children eat with their eyes.
Make little watermelon balls,
or use cookie cutters to cut out
bread shapes.
✓ Always dilute fruit juice
with water.
✓ Children seem to enjoy eating
more if they’ve helped to prepare
the food.
✓ Keep a bottle of Nutella in the
cupboard for when you have
a picky eater, or shake some
coloured sprinkles over a slice
of bread.
✓ A hotdog is always a
winner as an alternative to
a normal sandwich.PLAYDATE MANNERS
✓ A successful afternoon has
a definitive beginning and end. Agree
on a time with the parent: usually
4.30pm, but no later than 5pm.
✓ Always pack extra clothes for water
play, or if your child should have an
accident. An apron is always a good idea
if messy play is on the agenda.
✓ Exchange cellphone numbers
beforehand, and ensure you have your
phone handy for when there’s a crisis.
✓ If it’s your child’s first playdate with
a new friend, make the effort to chat to
the mom beforehand. Make sure you
know where they live, what they’ll be
doing (is she going to be taking them to
the beach, or to the movies?), and their
swimming pool, if they have one, is safe.
✓ Don’t be shy to tell the playdate
parents that you insist on a car seat. If
they don’t have one, you can always
offer to send yours along to school.
✓ Make sure the friend knows where the
toilet is.
✓ Tell the parents about all your child’sTIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL
AFTERNOON
✓ Ensure that your child is
prepared that a friend will be playing
with her toys, so that there aren’t
unnecessary tears.
✓ Rotate playdates, so they’re not at
your house every time. It’s important for
your child to learn how to behave herself
at someone else’s place.
✓ Try and avoid watching television.
The whole point of a playdate is for
the children to have social interaction.
If they’re just going to sit in front of
the box, you might as well cancel the
date. Leave the television for when the
weather unexpectedly turns bad.
✓ Does your child have a favourite
toy that she’ll battle sharing with a
mate? Help her to pack it away safely
beforehand. Also ensure that there are
more than enough toys with which more
than one child can play, like Lego blocks
or crayons.
✓ Stay in control of Operation Tidy Up.
The children must help tidy up the room
before getting snacks.
✓ When a friend comes to play, it
doesn’t mean you have the afternoon
off unfortunately. You now have to take
responsibility for two children instead of
one. So, forget about a quiet afternoon
spent reading – until your child goes on
a playdate to a friend’s house.
✓ Let the children know that the date
is coming to an end soon. Remind
them a half an hour before that the
friend’s parent is coming to fetch her
just now and that they have time for
one last game.allergies. Will they know what to do
when a bee stings Dineo?
✓ If it’s the friend’s first time at your
house, feel free to send her parents
an SMS after an hour telling them
everything is going well and what the
kids are doing.
✓ Offer a quick cup of tea when the
friend’s parent comes to pick her up.
One can discover the most wonderful of
friends through our children.
✓ Don’t invite around too many friends.
One or a maximum of two is probably
all you’ll feel up to.
✓ Ensure the children can’t get to
dangerous tools or Dad’s collection of
expensive toy cars. If you have a pool or
a jacuzzi, ensure these are covered and
that the gate is locked.
✓ Make sure your child and her friend
know which rooms in the house are out
of bounds.
✓ Safety is the key: Don’t leave your
children unsupervised near water (not
even a few centimetres in an inflatable
pool). YB