Today we had a quick visit to the pediatrician to find out what’s been bugging 22 month DS. Well, it was quick in the sense of we planned it this morning, but not in the waiting time (though it was much quicker than normal).

I’m not sure, but this just might’ve been the first time I’ve ventured out with all 4 children by myself – where we’ve actually gone in somewhere! It wasn’t near as bad as I imagined that it would be. Thankfully, they were on their best behaviour, so everyone was commenting how well behaved they were (if they only knew our ‘moments’ – LOL).

To keep minds busy while waiting for the doctor, I had to come up with some quick ideas – and thankfully they lasted until the doc came in.

1) We started by singing “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”. This song is a great way to introduce counting to toddlers. It teaches not only numbers 1 through 10, but makes it easier to remember the number order. We added sign language in for the counting, then motions for the rest of the words. This lasted several rounds – bringing lots of excitement and smiles.

2) Counting 1 to 10 is great for my 22 month old and 3 year old, but I knew my nearly 5 year old was up for a bigger challenge. (He’s loved to count to 100 by himself for over 6 months) So, our next game was to count and see how long it took for our doc to come in.

Since DD (3) isn’t as used to higher numbers, we counted very slowly, so she could hear how each number built upon itself. Even if she’s not sure how to spell or count with us, she tries by saying what we say with just a slight delay.

We made it to 50 before DS1 asked if he could stop. Sure – we could’ve counted into the hundreds if we’d kept it up!

3) We played the ABC game. This game is really getting fun for DD, since she recognizes the ABC’s very well now. It was fun for DS1 since we were in a new place and he had to really look for each letter. Even DS2 (22 months) can find and say a few of the letters!

The only letter we skipped was Q, and then once we finished I realized there was a keyboard at a computer in the room, so I showed them they could find a Q on it. This game was really fun, as they ran back and forth, trying to find each letter.

We only had 2 or 3 minutes of time where I was trying to keep DS2 occupied before the doc came in. This was a very fun, pleasant wait – we laughed, sang songs, and learned at the same time! As for DS2, he has an ear infection – praying he’ll feel better soon!

Mrs. Candace