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Angel
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Joined: April 22 2006
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| Posted: April 29 2008 at 11:50am | IP Logged
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I'm wondering if y'all have any tips aboutimproving attention span in little ones (and big ones, too, I guess), so they're not trying to do something new every 5 minutes?
Let me explain the situation.
This morning I put some choices up on the board for my big kids. My 11 yo chose to read some of the books I'd set out. My 9 yo dd has been after me to learn to read music, and so last night I dug up a manipulative kit I'd had for a while, but I hadn't had the chance to make up any activities to go with it yet. My dd wanted to do that for choice time. Ok. I told her she would have to choose something else until I could make an activity for her to do. Instead of choosing something else, she and my 5 yo got out a sleeve of saltine crackers, which they doled out to the 2 yos as well, minus plates. Crackers everywhere. Now the crackers must be cleaned up. She got out a broom to clean up, but did half the job, and then my 5 yo got out more crackers.
I made up a worksheet for her so that she could spell words with notes and play them on her xylophone, showed her how to do it, then started cleaning up crackers. (The baby was on my back.) Meanwhile, my 5 yo is turning down all the options I am giving him for things to do, then grabs a container of air dry clay I didn't know we had.
"I want to do this," he says. So I say (deep breath) - "Ok. We need to get some water for that."
The twins start asking to do playdough. I help them get set up with playdough. My 5 yo still needs water. He can't reach the kitchen sink. As soon as the water comes out, one of the twins starts yelling he wants water, too. My dd has decided in the space of 5 minutes that she's done with the music and wants to bead. She doesn't put the music away and goes to get her beads. The same twin who wanted water now starts screaming that he wants to bead. We go get the beads. His brother abandons the playdough for beads, but Pop doesn't want to share. we work on sharing. Then they both decide they want water and clay, too. I get them water. They dunk the clay in the water. Pip smears wet clay all over the table.
My 5 yo has been doing well, but now he's done. I tell him he needs to clean up and I will help him get a rag. On the way there, the backpack snags a couple of pots of cactus seeds and knocks them to the floor. Dirt everywhere. My 11 yo nobly deals with his frustration -- they were his pots -- attempts to salvage what he can for me and gets the spray bottle to water our seedlings. I provide water, soap and rags for the little boys to clean up, which my 5 yo and one of the twins do well with, but Pip just squeezes his rag all over the place.
Then my husband calls to tell me the feed store isn't taking any more orders for chickens, and the baby proceeds to rip my hair out in his pursuit of the phone.
Help??? 
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Maryan
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| Posted: April 29 2008 at 12:03pm | IP Logged
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No help -- it sounds like us! Except it was sugar and water all over my floor this morning. The under three set were "cooking" while we were narrating. They're as neat as their mom when it comes to cooking. 
I guess that's why math waits until naptime here... so we don't have attention span in issues (mine, his, theirs, ours...)
I'm just grateful for our one hour of absolute quiet time that happens at least three days out of the week. The olders seem to stick with one book or activity the entire time. 
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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montessori_lori
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| Posted: April 29 2008 at 4:05pm | IP Logged
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Wow, it sounds like you've had "one of those days!" They are tough.
I would suggest a few things. First of all, a little planning goes a long way. If you can somehow have activities/work/materials ready for everyone before you start working, that will help a lot.
I always sit down later and try to think through what happened - you can't solve all the problems in the moment, but later with a clearer head you can. What could be done differently? Could a fun craft be planned for all the young ones while the older ones work, then one of the older ones works with the young ones while you work with the other older one? (I hope this makes sense).
Actual worktime with the older ones might need to wait until naptime, as Maryan said.
Whatever you decide, I do recommend trying things differently rather than just doing the same thing over and over. And making sure they're all "snacked up" and have a sippy cup or bottle of water handy nearby helps my kids a lot before we start working.
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hopalenik
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Location: Connecticut
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| Posted: May 08 2008 at 4:00pm | IP Logged
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I am so glad that it is not just me who seems to have those kind of things going on all the time....I was beginning to get paranoid...
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Holly
Mom to dd 10, twins dd and ds (transplant as baby that failed 05/09, permanent dialysis patient) 8 , dd 5 and dd 3 1/2 and dd in Feb 2009. 2 I hope to meet in heaven.
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Attention span
