Parenting: An ongoing process of adjustments....
As kids grow up, many adjustments have to be made in all areas of life! It is often a process of trial and error, but hopefully it also includes getting it right some of the time :) Lately I have been feeling that Benson has been a watching a little too much TV (well, his kids movies that is. He doesn't really watch TV ever). He likes to pick one movie, and watch that ALL week long, once or twice a day (which drives mama a bit bananas sometime! Try watching Monsters Inc. 10 times in a week.... phew). For a while there I was real happy when he finally showed interest in watching TV/Movies/Educational kid shows, because he didn't like to read books and I didn't feel like he was getting much exposure to language (he has a speech delay). So a lot of the shows he started watching at first were shows that taught him the alphabet, numbers etc. But now that he is very used to watching, it gets a little out of control and sometimes that is all he wants to do. And of course, it is easy for me as a mom to do just put on a movie so I can do other things, that are seemingly more important... don't get me wrong, I think TV can be a great tool to entertain, educate and also, yes, occupy your child, but as with everything, it needs to be used in moderation. Benson does have some pretty funny 'lounging' positions when he watches :)

So, this week I decided to make some changes, in part thanks to some of my friends who have inspired me with their experiences and examples (isn't that what mothering is all about?). I decided that all those toys we have bought were just sitting in his bedroom, hardly played with. So in stead of just limiting TV, I decided to give Benson another good alternative: his toys (I know, what a revelation right :) He does play with them occasionally, but I don't think he realized just how much fun they can be. So I went shopping around me house, found an old piece of furniture in our garage that one of my friends gave me, that I was waiting to put to good use. It technically is an entertainment center, but I turned it into a toy box organizer:

When the kids were first born i had bought these cute baskets for the kids nursery. I used them for daipers, hair ribbons, baby socks etc. But now that Ella is 1, I don't use them for that as much anymore. So I did some moving around, and moved these lovely baskets downstairs and turned them into toy baskets. I am quite pleased with the result. You can buy ready made toy organizers with bins, but I just couldn't afford to buy one right now. Then, I moved downstairs a little piece of furniture that was sitting in Ella's room that really wasn't being used for much, and that became a perfect shelf to hold toys, puzzels etc.:

All I had to do was move the couch over a bit, and I had room to fit it in and it still is pretty hidden from the view of the rest of the house (I was trying not make our family room too much of the kid/toy room). I managed to get it all in that corner under the table and it all fits rather well! These wicker baskets were at the house as well, they were previously being used as laundry baskets, but they are the perfect size to hold all of Benson's books and stuffed animals. Add one of his toy car rugs, and viola, a kid play corner! It has only been a day since the big switch, but the kids love it already. For now I have limited the kids to one movie per day, which surprisingly has worked out without any major tantrums :) I feel that this is a really positive move for our family, and like I said at the beginning, parenting is an ever changing process, so I am sure this system will work for a time, and then it will be time to change again. But the point is, that we as parents have the power and responsibility to do what we think is best for our children and their development. I love being a mom, and I am ever learning how to be better at helping these little angels be happy, confident and strong little people.