During the busy spring season, hanging out in the house with kiddos isn’t an option. Having a 3-month-old and 20-month-old means a lot of creativity when it comes to getting chores done, spending hours out in the field, and somehow keeping up with basic house and yard work. Here are a few things we’ve found helpful to make it possible to bring our toddler along with us. We also rely a lot on baby wearing for our newborn and much-appreciated flexible help from their grandparents when tagging along doesn’t work as well. Here are five easy tips for managing a toddler during chores and field work:
1) Snacks. You can stop a tantrum; shift focus or just keep them occupied for a bit by keeping a few snacks handy (and don’t forget to always keep a water bottle or cup with you). The less messy, easy options we utilize are Cheerios, animal crackers, Goldfish, dried fruit, applesauce pouches, bananas, string cheese, and Go-GURT. For older kids, other whole fruits and meat sticks would also be great options!
2) If you’re spending a lot of time in a cabbed tractor, don’t discount having a supply of dry-erase markers. Writing and coloring on the windows is big fun and easy cleanup. You might also make use of the many no-mess small coloring and sticker books available.
3) Singing and learning. Forgot snacks or toys? Fill some time practicing counting something in your surroundings, point out colors (or try ‘I spy’ if they’re old enough for that). Don’t forget about the “ABCs,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and other easy songs and nursery rhymes.
4) Rocks. Need I say more? Whether you’re literally out picking field rocks and enlist their help finding rock treasures or just letting them fill a bucket with gravel near where you’re working, rocks are readily available and super fun for kids of a lot of ages.
5) Water. Filling a pail of water so they can help wash calf bottles or even bringing a legitimate water table into your milking area can fill hours with a fun, sensory activity. You could even grab some corn, sand, or rocks to add interest. My favorite addition is to pick dandelions to let float in the water! A bonus is that water will help keep them cool as summer heats up!
None of these ideas are difficult or require a lot of time to pull together. I know they’re nothing fancy, but that’s the point. It’s my reminder to all parents trying to get by during this busy farming season that entertaining your kids doesn’t require expensive technology or a lot of preparation. Tagging along with you in the tractor or doing cattle chores is fun and will be a core memory for them of growing up on the farm, even if it requires added patience on your part. Being creative and resourceful by enlisting a few easy tools and methods, like I mentioned earlier, will help hold their interest while you accomplish what you need to.
The author dairy farms with her parents and brother near Hawkeye, Iowa. The family milks approximately 300 head of grade Holstein cows at Windsor Valley Dairy LLC — split half and half between a double-eight parallel milking parlor and four robotic milking units. In the spring of 2020, Molly decided to take a leap and fully embrace her love for the industry by returning full time to her family’s dairy.
