This is an article by Diane Hopkins from Love to Learn (http://www.lovetolearn.com/). As lots of us are starting or preparing to start our homeschools, here are some great ideas for occupying your little ones!
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How's it going teaching homeschool with a little one to distract and occupy you? Can be pretty crazy!
I used to struggle with trying to teach the big ones while the little one seemed to carry on a constant disruption. It took a change of attitude, plus some planning to change that in my homeschool.
The change of attitude came unexpectedly as I was searching and praying for a way to keep my toddler or preschooler from messing up my homeschool. Sometimes a change of perspective is all that is needed. Have you read my article, "The Baby is the Lesson"? It has been the most popular thing I've ever written, and I hope it will help you see your little one from a different perspective! (article can be found at http://www.lovetolearn.com/)
Now, to the planning: if you plan ahead, your little one will be lots happier and busier while you are trying to get in some teaching time. Of course, you will involve your preschooler as much as possible in your homeschool: singing, pledge of allegiance, story time, checking the weather, etc. I began school with all my children together, and with an activity waiting nearby on the floor of our schoolroom, such as big legos, a sorting toy, coloring and crayons, or something else to pique my little one's interest when the teaching went over his head. Little ones want to be in the middle of everything, and having something to do close to us would give us time to get going in the morning.
As the morning wore on, my preschooler would get restless and need attention. Time for "Baby Duty"—my term for a 20 minute shift of interacting with the little one in your family. I would assign one child to take the little one outside or into another room and get out a special pre-packed box of delights reserved just for this time, and filled with educational games, puzzles, books to read, an educational toy, perhaps even a healthy snack for two.
"Baby Duty" blessed us in two ways. First, it gave our little one some much needed attention and focused time. But it was also very good for the child assigned to "Baby Duty". It gave him a playful break from study, enabled him to be the teacher for a little while, helped him practice his reading skills while enjoying a story, and created a wonderful bond of friendship and love between siblings. That was the bountiful and unexpected bonus! Both child and little one would come back from "Baby Duty" happy and refreshed!
I used to struggle with trying to teach the big ones while the little one seemed to carry on a constant disruption. It took a change of attitude, plus some planning to change that in my homeschool.
The change of attitude came unexpectedly as I was searching and praying for a way to keep my toddler or preschooler from messing up my homeschool. Sometimes a change of perspective is all that is needed. Have you read my article, "The Baby is the Lesson"? It has been the most popular thing I've ever written, and I hope it will help you see your little one from a different perspective! (article can be found at http://www.lovetolearn.com/)
Now, to the planning: if you plan ahead, your little one will be lots happier and busier while you are trying to get in some teaching time. Of course, you will involve your preschooler as much as possible in your homeschool: singing, pledge of allegiance, story time, checking the weather, etc. I began school with all my children together, and with an activity waiting nearby on the floor of our schoolroom, such as big legos, a sorting toy, coloring and crayons, or something else to pique my little one's interest when the teaching went over his head. Little ones want to be in the middle of everything, and having something to do close to us would give us time to get going in the morning.
As the morning wore on, my preschooler would get restless and need attention. Time for "Baby Duty"—my term for a 20 minute shift of interacting with the little one in your family. I would assign one child to take the little one outside or into another room and get out a special pre-packed box of delights reserved just for this time, and filled with educational games, puzzles, books to read, an educational toy, perhaps even a healthy snack for two.
"Baby Duty" blessed us in two ways. First, it gave our little one some much needed attention and focused time. But it was also very good for the child assigned to "Baby Duty". It gave him a playful break from study, enabled him to be the teacher for a little while, helped him practice his reading skills while enjoying a story, and created a wonderful bond of friendship and love between siblings. That was the bountiful and unexpected bonus! Both child and little one would come back from "Baby Duty" happy and refreshed!
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