{"id":814,"date":"2007-05-18T13:30:57","date_gmt":"2007-05-18T21:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.homewiththekids.com\/blog\/2007\/05\/18\/babysitter\/"},"modified":"2007-05-18T13:30:57","modified_gmt":"2007-05-18T21:30:57","slug":"babysitter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homewiththekids.com\/blog\/babysitter\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Non-Human Babysitter"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Parents always joke about the electronic babysitter, that is, the television. But I’ve come to realize recently that I have a different favorite, non-human babysitter.<\/p>\n

The backyard.<\/p>\n

I have a very clingy 2 year old. If he’s watching television, he’s bored in minutes and wants me to get him a snack, play with him, hold him on my lap… you get the idea.<\/p>\n

Put him outside and I can get an hour or more of peace and quiet to work, keeping only a light eye on him (my office window looks over the back yard, and the door out is in it too), but almost entirely uninterrupted for long periods of time.<\/p>\n

It works even better if his older sister is home and playing with him.<\/p>\n

The difference is not as marked with her. She will sit and watch television quietly more or less as long as I let her. But she will also play outside for long periods if I tell her to get outside.<\/p>\n

So I’m curious. What are your favorite ways to keep the kids busy?<\/p>\n

[tags]keeping the kids busy,playing,outdoor play,children,kids,family[\/tags]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Parents always joke about the electronic babysitter, that is, the television. But I’ve come to realize recently that I have a different favorite, non-human babysitter. The backyard. I have a very clingy 2 year old. 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