At-home Activities with 3-Year-old Son

We're in completely the same boat.....except, I'm the late one returning home after my husband has already picked-up the kids, gotten them a snack, etc.

We do turn on the TV when we get home so we can change out of our work clothes and get dinner started. Our 3 year-old has recently fallen in love with Word World on PBS. I can't say I mind him watching educational shows.

A lot of times, they're playing with other things while having the TV on - we got them Crayola Color Wonder Coloring Books for Valentine's Day, so that's been a favorite. Or, we'll get the legos/blocks out to build things.

Last night, it was puzzles and books before bed. Sometimes, it's in the basement with both kids (3.5 year old boy and 22 month old girl) fighting over Barbie or riding their scooters around the basement.

Our son LOVES letters right now. We went to an educational store and got a few posters so he can work on drawing his letters (we put chalkboard paint on a wall next to our kitchen - haven't decided if that was a great idea or not).

He also LOVES playing Memory, Chutes and Ladders, and Candy Land.
When they are self-entertaining I tend to feel guilty because I get so little time with them during the day, but I'm glad they're independent and can entertain themselves.

You're not alone.
Hubby picks up our 3yro son from babysitter at 5 & comes home & waits for me to arrive at 6. I usually find them lounging in the living room doing "nothing", watching tv, Kam may be playing with trucks on the floor.

I immediatley start dinner. Kam usually takes part in this - tonight he cut up hotdogs (I know, sooo gourmet... don't be jealous) and he stirred and tasted the fruit salad. He is "responsible" for calling daddy to the table and picking a cup for everyone (somehow we always wind up with baby sized cups, but oh-well). We eat & he clears his own plate (why can't he clear the mess from the floor?)

He goes back in the living room with dad or directly to the bathtub (every other night) while I do dishes & clean the kitchen & start laundry, etc. They take a super long bath. If it's not bath night he usually plays trains upstairs - GeoTrax (this generally gets left up to ME, after the dishes are done) the track always needs reconfiguring as mysteriously it always comes apart from SOMEONE stomping on it. (DARN THOSE MONSTERS)

We always have a Dora Tivo'd so we wrap it all up with Boots & Dora and maybe Curious George. Then lots of crazed bouncing off the walls as the "I'm too tired but I'm NOT going to bed insanity" starts to kick in. And finally we drag him to bed, for 3 books, 5 kisses, and some good old fashioned Zzz's.

Nothing exciting, no planned activities - just life being life.
We did just discover the Disney online games so we've been learning how to tip the tractors on the Cars site & mess around with a few others.

Don't feel too bad, once it gets warmer I'm sure you'll be outside ALL of the time just like we will.
- C.

We're not due until May but I can only imagine how easy the rut/routine will be to fall into. Can he maybe help with dinner prep? Get the light/easily identifiable ingredients from the fridge or pantry, mix the bowl, help set the table? Then perhaps watch the TV. After dinner, maybe he can help clear the table, throw the napkins away and then play a board, puzzle or card game with both you and Dad. The little things might push the usual bath start time back a hair, but it should also cut down on TV time and increase family togetherness time, then after bath read a book or have him tell you a story about his day and still get to bed around 8:00.

if he's not really watching the tv anyway, i would just turn it off. I try to only put the tv on when my girls are getting really rammy and need a break, especially because I know that when I'm not home, my husband or my in-laws put the tv on alot! it drives me insane!!!

I know a few people who do all their cooking on sundays, and then freeze a few of the meals for the week, so that they don't have to spend all that time cooking each night. or you could try some crock pot recipes... something that would cut down on the cooking at night after work. that would give you some time to play... and as some others have said... do baths every other night, and play games the non-bath nights. hope this helps!!!!

First off I am sort of a stay at home mom, with a 3 year old daughter and at around 5pm when I start making dinner that TV gets turned on because hubby is not home till 6ish and sometimes I just can not take having my daughter "help" me make dinner.

As you said your son does other things while the TV is on, he just does not sit and veg out in front of it... my daughter does the same thing... so I do not find having the TV durning making dinner an issue, I guess if all she did was had eyes glued to the TV I would start rethinking that and try to get her to do something.

Depending on how much time is left from after bath to bedtime try no TV. We usually do no TV after dinner, my daughter only gets a bath every other day and we play a game (candy land, uno, or the many kids games we have). The rules of the games are not always followed but we have some great family time without the TV being on. If there is a hockey, baseball or other sporting event on that we really want to see we will watch it together as a family (of course with a 3 year old that means also playing something while watching).

Not every night we do games but we always try to do an activity for 30mins as a family besides dinner, sometimes I pull out the playdoh, watercolors, build with legos (which is always a huge hit with daughter and daddy!) or puzzles (simple wood ones or 25 piece ones). When it is nicer out we play outside, kicking the ball around, sidewalk chalk, learning to ride a bike, or really nice out we play with water.

Hope you find something to make you feel more connceted... don't be too hard on yourself. Most moms try to get their kids to be self-entertainers because that is harder for them at this age.

I feel the same way working full time. I am due with our second in 4 weeks and my son is 2 1/2. Here is what we do. We get home around 5. We feed the dog and let him out then he puts in a movie while i get dinner going. (My hubby works second shift so its just us at nite.) He plays with his toys and watches his movie. We eat around 6 and he watches dora. Then i clean up while hes finishing eating and then tues, thurs, and sunday are bath nites. Those nites we do the batch from 6:30 to 7 and then get jammies on and read books or go on sesame street. org till 7:30 or so and then he goes to bed as he is up by 5:40 for daycare. The nites he dont have baths we usually play with something of his choice till 7 when we read books, etc. I let him pick the activie of toys, coloring, stickers, playdough, painting, etc. Something different each nite for a variety. After he goes to bed is when i finish any laundry, cleaning and sit down to relax for a while before i go to bed. Im not sure how this routine will work when the new baby arrives but i always try to do something special with him each nite for a little while anyways. When it gets nicer out we will be outside most nites playing and walking. (I live in MN so its to cold right now). Good luck and i hope you find a good routine that works for you!