Lately I have been struggling with my two toddler boys misbehaving and acting wild and too rambunctious. Maybe it’s the fact that we’ve been cooped up all winter or that we have a new baby in the family or maybe this is just normal behavior for two and three year old boys. Whatever the reason, I was getting very frustrated every day as it seemed that all I did was referee the kids’ playtime and break up arguments and discipline them. So, I decided to try something to help out this situation and what do you know? It helped tremendously!

Here’s what I did: I searched online for preschool activity ideas, thinking that I could enhance my boy’s education with some fun activities that would also keep them occupied. I found a couple of good websites–www.dltk-kids.com; www.teachersandfamilies.com; www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com. There are many more websites out there that have tons of fun ideas and activities that help to keep kids entertained and learning important skills at the same time.

Now every day after breakfast is over and the baby is down for her nap the boys and I sing silly songs, march around like different animals, color, cut, glue and paint and have a snack. The boys play more nicely with each other after this preschool time and are better behaved all day.

The only downside I’ve seen so far is that the breakfast dishes stay undone a little longer and the laundry sits unfolded for the morning. But, I feel so much better when there aren’t fits, arguments and tantrums constantly so when the boys take their nap in the afternoon I have the energy to do the housework that I neglected in the morning. Plus it is so much fun to have good quality playtime with the kids and watch them discover their world.

If you are having discipline troubles with your toddlers or even older children I suggest trying something like I did– activities that are both educational and fun that don’t take a lot of preparation time but can be so effective in teaching life skills and good discipline. Try it out and let me know what you find out in a comment.