Five Minute's Peace - Picture Book + KID KANDY Activity

Five Minutes' Peace
Written and Illustrated by Jill Murphy
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1986)

I was given Five Minutes' Peace by a good friend when my babies were babies. I can safely say that this book was for my mommy's heart (and tired body) rather than for the kiddos!

In Five Minutes' Peace, Mrs. Large (an elephant mommy) just wanted to get away from it all. After preparing a tea tray for herself, she sneaked off to the bathroom. All because she wanted five minutes' peace.

Alas, anyone with children knows that did not happen. Rarely does it ever happen. Mrs. Large did manage to slip into a cozy tub. But she was soon joined by one, two, and then three children. Mrs. Large did the only thing that worked. She got out and went back downstairs.

Where she enjoyed 45 seconds of peace.

The conversations and illustrations are adorable in Five Minutes' Peace. This tiny book is cute and makes me laugh. Murphy brings to life many true experiences with young children.

How do you get 5 minutes' peace?

KID KANDY:

How long is 5 minutes?

Use a kitchen timer for this activity. Actually, a kitchen timer is a great tool for rearing children.

~ Make sure to really set the timer, or children will get no sense of how long 5 minutes is.

~ Time different activities, announcing when 5 minutes is up (to go along with the buzzer or bell of the timer).

~ Some things you can time: cleaning up, building with blocks, drawing, eating dinner (or finishing some undesirable food), bath time, running around the yard, climbing the jungle gym, reading books, quiet time, time out, as a countdown to something being over (like play time with a friend or time to leave) . . . If you are doing it, you can incorporate a timer. 5 minutes is a LONG time when you are a child.

Kids want to be with us. Let's use a timer to give ourselves peace and sanity!

What can you do in 5 minutes?

Angie Quantrell clearly remembers those hectic days when she could not find 5 minutes' peace. Her children are grown, but now she has the same wonders as she watches her grandchildren. Maybe she needs to get out her timer!