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I have given up on movie rentals. I don’t think in my case they really qualify as movie rentals. I think that instead of movie rentals, I should call them movie purchases, because every time that I pick up a few movie rentals, I end up keeping them out so long that I pay more in rental fees than I would have paid to buy the movie. I don’t know what the problem is when it comes to returning movie rentals. I have no problem returning movies I have borrowed from friends. I manage to pay my bills on time. I have never forgotten a birthday or an anniversary. Yet, somehow, movie rentals manage to gather dust on top of my entertainment center.

I guess it is because when I bring home movie rentals I have the best intentions of watching them. I want to honor those intentions, so I keep putting off returning those late movie rentals. With a house full of kids, it is next to impossible to find a minute to myself, let alone the hour and a half it takes to watch a movie. My friend told me that I needed to take some time to myself. She said that if I didn’t find a moment or two each day to refresh, I would go insane. I thought that a few movie rentals might do the trick. I could escape my crumbs on the floor, sticky fingered kids, crying babies and live life for a little while by enjoying a movie. Unfortunately, it is hard to enjoy a movie when you are being interrupted every ten seconds. So alas, the movie rentals sat on a shelf accruing late fees along with my every intention to eventually watch them.

She told me I should watch a movie after the kids went to bed at night. I tried this last night. After numerous bathroom trips, glasses of water and monster in the closet checks, I managed to plop down on the couch with my husband at around 10:30. We shuffled through the three movie rentals on the coffee table and finally agreed on which one to watch. We popped it in and the music started. The next thing I knew, credits were rolling across the screen and I had a stiff neck from sleeping on the couch. I have decided to give up on movie rentals, in exchange for a library card. If I turn the books in late there, it only costs me ten cents a day. At least this way I may still be able to afford college for my kids.

Parents who have been down the toddler road before us claim that when a child is two-years-old that they are little terrors. My children are both teenagers now but I have to say the terror stage can last anywhere from a year to two or three years. Little people need to be kept busy so they can stay out of trouble, so finding an activity for toddlers that they really enjoy is always viewed as a bonus.

In my house music was always part of our daily life. From having the radio on in the morning to watching children’s programs filled with educational lessons in the form of a song. A great and interesting activity for toddlers is teaching them to sing. Obviously the material you choose to teach your preschooler can’t be too complex. You need to pick simple songs with just a few words that the child can pick up quickly. A fun one to start with is singing the alphabet. This activity for toddlers is not only fun for them but it’s educational as well.

After they’ve learned how to carry a simple tune you can add more songs to their repertoire. There are several software programs that parents can use with their children that teach them to sing-a-long by use of colorful graphics. Some of the old standards are being introduced to children this way and they pick up on not only the song, but also a few rudimentary computer skills as well. If you’d like to keep you child away from the home computer for a few more years, consider purchasing a DVD that includes songs for preschoolers. You’ll find this type of activity for toddlers DVDs in many toy departments of discount stores. Kids love watching television so why not make it something educational as well as appealing to them?

Some children are just born with a sense of natural rhythm. You can usually spot these children as they are the ones moving in tune when dancing to a song on the radio. A fun activity for toddlers with the rhythmically gifted child is to buy them a simple instrument to play. Perhaps small bongo drums, a harmonica or a percussion triangle. Although all the noise it provides may make mom and dad cringe, it’s a fun way for the child to express their blossoming musical talents.

Music is a perfect pastime for small children. They are uninhibited enough to dance at whim and they love singing out loud once they know the words to a song. Introduce music to your child early so it becomes a natural part of their life. It’s an ideal and welcomed activity for toddlers and children of all ages.