Recovergirl sets book traps and game traps for her sons, and they apparently always work:
you can use book traps to divert your children to different parts of the house. I needed to clean the boy’s room but I knew I wouldn’t have much success if I just asked them to stay out of their room so instead I set up a book trap at the dining room table.No kidding. When I'm trying to get some work done or some email out, setting up the kid's crayons and some paper, or throwing a blanket over some chairs is much easier than trying to persuade her to play by herself for a few minutes until I finish, or convincing her to read a book when she asks to "watch sumpin'."I’ve noticed that this sort of technique works well in parenting. No joke. If I keep one step ahead of my kids we can have a very smooth day.
More on Book Traps [recoveredgirl.wordpress.com]
I love setting traps. We called our version a "China trap". When my oldest daughter China, was 3 and began sleeping in a "big girl bed" I would set a trap at night which would usually allow us at least 30 more minutes sleep next morning. I would arrange, on the floor of her room, some of her toys in a scenario that in the morning would be sure to capture her attention and divert her from her route to our bedroom. For example, a half completed tower of Lego, or a bunch of toys with bandages and a Drs kit nearby. The better the bait in the trap the longer we slept !
[and here, we've just been putting her laundry away when the kid sleeps. -ed.]
I am commenting on a comment. Twinshere, I love your "China Trap" idea. Great idea for getting more sleep.