How I did it: Read books and kept an eye and ear out for ideas from other moms, blogs, tv shows ect. Also having a very creative grandma who has willingly opened her home to us has been a huge part of creating a kid friendly living space full of fun things to do.

We kept safety as a top priority and kept many kid friendly alternatives available at his eye level, such as locking up the door under the sink and keeping pots, pans and tupperware within reach. We've also spent a lot of time allowing him to try things with supervision (even scissors) as a way to quell some of the curiosity and teach appropriate ways to use things. My mom even went the extra step to allow me to put butcher paper on the walls and put up cubby shelves filled with books and activites in all the rooms SB frequents. We accumulated lots of hats to wear, instruments for noise making, sensory activites and art supplies. We kept some of his toys accessible to him and others put away to keep them special and often made our own toys out of things around the house with stuff like plastic spoons and paper streamers or empty paper towel rolls.

Lessons & tips: To a toddler anything and everything can be a possible toy or learning experience. Sometimes putting down the laundry to dance around like an idiot seems like a nuisance but giving ten minutes of your full attention can work magic for a kid and yourself. It's important to maintain adult time as well and kids really are able to learn how to adapt to this type of situation if they are given the opportunity to be a part of it (think restaurants, sporting events, ect. . .) Being creative with your kid is a great way to bond but in my case it has also helped to let things that really aren't all that important go sometimes since I have to prioritize a bit differently. That said try not to overwhelm yourself with needing to "create" the perfect environment, if you're open any environment will organically present itself to a curious child with the challenges and experiences required to grow.

Resources: Please Touch by Susan Striker, blogs like this one: http://artfulparent.wordpress.com/ other fellow moms and relatives. Online toy stores like www.atoygarden.com or www.threesisterstoys.com An open mind and an ability to act ridiculous (which is often harder than I wish it were)

Mar 22, 2009, 08:57AM PDT | 0 comments | 4 cheers