All About Centers

I have brought back centers! 

For those who don't know what centers are, it's basically small areas with an activity or similar toys.  A lot of daycares and elementary schools have them; kids are usually exposed to them at one point in time or another.  

Since mine are no longer in daycare, they haven't been in centers in a year.  Well, all that has changed this week, because they have made it into our home.  And they are here to stay! 

I have a love/hate relationship with centers.

I love them because:

1. The boys clean them up quicker
2. Toys aren't everywhere and in everything.  So they are way less messy. I'm not tripping as much; I am still tripping though, there's nothing I can do about that.
3. It makes it easier to seperate the boys when they don't get along.
4. It makes it easier to discipline the boys.  (An example, the alphabet/number magnets on the fridge are a center.  Azariah decided to take the magnets off and try to throw them behind the fridge.  He wasn't allowed in that center for two days.  He hasn't done it since.)
5.Problem solving, in general, is easy! (If they both want to play with blocks, but don't want to play together.  I can divide the blocks up and separate them, or put a timer on the center.)  They seem to argue less, and I can appreciate that.
6. They are super easy to make.  The ones we have are: coloring, reading, hard toys, stuffed toys, blocks, puzzles, books, chalkboard, dry erase boards, desk center (I'm still working on opening it), magnets, and "mommy's helper".
7. They feel like they have options.
8. They help me keep a (loose) schedule.  I don't time the centers, but the boys haven't stayed in one center longer than an hour.  So time doesn't get away from me as much.  Lunch is always between 1 and 2,  and nap time is always between 2 and 3.

I hate them because:
1. They are a pain to monitor.  I have to constantly remind them not to pull something out, or to clean up before they move on. And sometimes it turns into a thing.
2. It kind of takes away their freedom of imagination. That's why I didn't divide the dinosaurs from the guns, and the cars from the music toys. Because what if the dinosaur needs to play the drum to scare the bad cars off? You know?   I did all their regular toys all together, and then they have stuffed toys, and blocks.  They can't build a building for the dinosaurs to hide behind, but there are still other ways for them to get creative.  I just hate feeling like I am putting a limit on it
3. That freedom of choice goes straight to their heads, somedays.  They'll be convinced that they're about to pick dinner and bed time, too.  I hate busting that bubble.
4. It makes me less likely to play with them.  If they decide to draw or read, I am there.  But they are bossy when it comes to blocks and toys, so I stay away.  Depending on what they choose, I may not play directly with them. But I did create "Mommy's Helper" which is a nice way of saying "Chores with Mommy", today.  They'll be required to spend at least 30 minutes helping me each day.  It's not playing, but it's still quality time.

At the end of each day, before bedtime, they are rewarded with their tablets if they played in centers well, behaved, and at least tried all their food.  So far, we're a bit less crazy with centers.