How to entertain a kid home alone

FranticFrummie

Tue, Jun 18 2019, 5:16 am

It's so hard when you don't have a yard!

An old crib mattress on the floor makes a great trampoline. DD would bounce for hours.

Put a small play table and chair in the kitchen, so he can keep you company while you cook. Set up his activities there, and he won't feel alone. You can talk to him while you chop vegetables.

At 4, I would not punish for not coming in. I would have something waiting for him that he loved, like fresh cookies or a half hour of video time. Praise him for coming when you call, and tell him how much you love it when you trust him. When tatty comes home, make sure DS hears you tell DH how good a boy he was today, coming inside when he was called. Get DH to praise him too, for being such a good boy for mommy.

The natural consequence for running away, is that all the other siblings get cookies for snack, or no video time. BE CONSISTENT! When he realizes that the games are not worth it, he'll want to win your approval.