Eva is my intense, high maintenance child. We lovingly call her "Evil" because she gets into trouble regularly! She recently turned 3, but I find myself looking forward to her turning 5 or 6, thinking life has got to be easier with her at that age! But then the Holy Spirit convicts me that I need to be enjoying her at this present age, not merely tolerating her. A few days ago, she was trying my patience again, and my first instinct was to turn on a video for her to get her out of the way while I was preparing dinner. Then I got the idea to let her help me, as the older girls usually do. I pulled up a stool and she began peeling carrots! It was so sweet... she was actually doing a great job. Of course I had to go back and "fix" most of them, but the triumph in her face was so precious. After I cut the veggies, she carefully placed them in the soup pot for me. She also placed all of the scraps in a bucket for the chickens. I was reminded again that a little time invested pays off in the long run. Instead of impatiently pushing her out of the way, I enjoyed making soup with my little "helper."
Other ways I have found to keep little ones occupied is letting them play with a small bin of water and a few little dolls or animals. I place a large towel on the floor close by or they go play on the back porch. I'm also a big fan of homemade play-dough. It is super easy to make and my kids spend hours making things with it. This is especially helpful during school time when they need to stay occupied. I also have found rotating toys to be a good distraction. Taking out a bin of toys they haven't played with in a while sparks new creativity and keeps them busy.
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