Preschool Pointers - 7: If You've Got Help, Use It

Problem: Your kids are taking a long, long, long, long, long time doing, well, anything. I know that my kids can make eating take two hours (and not in that enjoyable dinner party way). They can take 15 minutes to settle themselves in the car. Getting dressed or undressed takes another thirty minutes, and if it's time for bed, forget it. With the "last times" of playing alllllll the games, the sudden bursts of energy that have them running around, the gleeful hiding and giggling, not to mention the actual stuff that needs to get done, like going to the bathroom, washing up and brushing of teeth, bedtime can take more than an hour around here. It's frustrating, especially when it's 10 p.m. or later. (We go to bed late in this house.)

Solution: If you've got someone around who can help, use them! We've noticed that when my husband comes downstairs for the bedroom routine to distract the twin that isn't doing the bathroom stuff, things move along a lot more quickly and a lot more nicely. He plays with one child while I help the other one finish up, and the one doing the actual work wants to go play with daddy, so she makes it quick (read, not 45 minutes, arguing with me over whether or not she brushed her teeth...when I was standing right there. Oh, kids.) Then when they're both done, they play one quick game with him and I can say, "Hey, if you want one more game, get dressed for bed quickly." and they do. And he helps by making it a race.

Sometimes even when you have a partner, you get used to doing certain things on your own and it leads to some very slow transition time. Try double-teaming those things! Especially if you have twins.