How Do I Homeschool with a Toddler?
Toddlers are a force to be reckoned with –
– especially, when you’re trying to homeschool their bigger siblings.
My solution :
1. I give my youngest attention before I attempt to homeschool their older siblings. Then I know they’ve gotten the loving and cuddling and attention they need. I’ll give them something interesting to do in the same room I’m in so I can redirect my attention to homeschooling. If the toddler insists on being naughty or trying to get my attention…
The favorite activity of my toddlers is splashing in the toilet as soon as I turn to give my attention to a kid who just has a quick spelling question.”
2. A firm “NO” with eye contact
3. Followed by a short (1 minute) time-out if they don’t respect the ‘no’.
4. If they won’t stay in time-out or are showing other flagrant acts of defiance, a small “smack” on the back of their hands (it always breaks my heart to do anything but kiss those sweet pudgy hands, but they have to learn — it’s a toilet, not a pool *sigh*)
Beyond those discipline items in place —
-
Keen observation, every second of every moment of the day. Since that is physically IMPOSSIBLE (although as moms we make a valiant attempt)…
-
I keep my toddlers with me at almost all times. I’m so much more likely to see what’s going on, if they don’t escape from me. They have a proclivity to escape and then I have to say things like,
“Quick, don’t let the baby eat the dog food!”
-
PREPARATION – This includes activities, toys and as many safety measures as you can think of.
-
*DISTRACTION* – This is the name of the game in the toddler years. I try and anticipate what my toddler is about to do (like pull 25 books off the shelves) and keep them from doing it by giving them something more attractive to do. Toddlers are GREAT to distract, because most distract fairly easily. Sometimes they want something just because someone else has it. So when I show them something I have and act like it’s cool to play with, that’s usually enough to distract them.
Of course the picture is how we all WISH we could school (during their naps), it doesn’t always work.
There are also my 50 activities to do with your toddler while you school.
Stay tuned – upcoming my ideas on handling a toddler during school time. It mostly consists of they hows & whys of keeping your toddler with you while you school the other(s).
Just click if you’d like more information about homeschooling with
(Oh, my!)
