Blanket Time

I've told a few folks before about an incredible tool I use for bringing a moment of peace to our home (and NO, it's not when all the kids are in bed). We call it "blanket time." Not a stunning, attention-grabbing name, I know. Perhaps I could call it our "tranquility timeout" or "the insanity stopper." No matter what you call it, blanket time has been the easiest, cheapest, most wonderful way to have all my kiddos near without the commotion.
A couple years ago, I read the Duggar's book, The Duggars: 20 and Counting. In it, Michelle talks about using "blanket time" as a tool to teach her littler ones to be calm and self-controlled. (I think she used a different name for it, but I couldn't find that part in the book.) Anyway, at the time I read it, I was just beginning homeschooling with Anna and needed a way to have Elly, only 1 at the time, be near and not needy. Anyway, I followed Michelle's instructions and was amazed at how wonderfully blanket time worked.
Basically, all you need to do this is a small blanket, a few favorite toys, and the child. With a few days training, a child can be taught to stay seated on his/her blanket, quietly playing with the selected toy(s), for quite a while. I've used it for several occasions: school time, when I'm preparing a meal and need kids out from under foot, for training them to be calm in the pew at church, etc.
Lately, however, I realized that I needed a way to get my hands free of my 1-1/2 year-old son so that I could teach school lessons and make supper. I wondered, "Will blanket time work on a boy?" Hmmmmmm. Let the experiment begin!
Well, wonder of wonders, after a few days of training, several frowning Zeke moments, a few tears, and lots of cheering (from my girls who also participated in blanket time to set the example), Zeke is able to give me 15 to 20 minutes of blanket time! I'll let a couple of pictures speak for themselves.