The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

child “write” with a finger on it and erase by squishing it around. Offer fingerpaint or play dough. Fill a large, plastic, lidded container with dry beans or split peas and let your child use scoops or measuring cups to pour them from one container to another. Yes, you’ll have to clean up the area later, but it may buy you 30–45 min-

. . . Your homeschool
day will not look like a
classroom day during
this season of your
family’s life.

utes of teaching time with another child.

Additional ideas for high-chair time can be found here: www.redshift. com/~bonajo/ preschool_activities.htm.

3. Put the step stool up to the kitchen sink, close the drain, and run a drizzle of water into the sink along with a little bit of dish soap. Give your child some plastic cups, bowls and spoons to “wash.” He’ll feel glad to know that he is helping with the chores. A turkey baster and soapy water can keep a child entertained for a while too.

4. Check out book and tape/CD kits from the library. Your toddler can listen to the story through headphones while “reading” the book.

5. Read aloud to your older children right outside the open bathroom door while your younger child plays in the tub. Or just read in the bathroom. Strange perhaps, but safe!

6. Make some special toys available during school time only. Rotate these toys so that they are always fresh and interesting.

Divide and Conquer

1. While working on a specific subject with one older child, have the other older child play with the youngest child in her room. This is a special playtime for the two of them. Then switch for the other sibling to have this special time.

2. Ask Dad to teach certain subjects. My husband teaches science and logic to the older kids. This frees me up to spend undivided time with my younger children.

3. Have middle grade students do certain subjects independently. After giving instruction, send them off to work on the assignment on their own.

4. Hire a homeschool teen (or ask Grandma) to come over and play with the youngest child while you “get serious” with the older children.

5. Swap school time (or toddler time) with another homeschool mom. For example, you teach a subject to her older kids (along with yours) while she plays with the younger ones. Or vice versa. That way each of you can have uninterrupted school time with your older kids and/or playtime with your younger ones.

Get Creative With School Time

1. Wait until your toddler’s naptime to work on school subjects with your other children.

2. Work on some school subjects at night while Dad is home to play with or put the youngest to bed.

3. Do a fun activity with your toddler before you begin school. This should help her to be more content to play on her own or to listen to books quietly for a while as you give attention to the other children.

4. Don’t feel like you have to do every subject every day. Combine subjects or possibly double up on some schoolwork on certain days when the baby takes a longer nap or is playing more contentedly. That way, you can do less on other days! For example, combine geography with history, or do a whole week’s worth of science on one day.

5. Be willing to do some schoolwork on Saturday when Dad is home.

6. Use smaller amounts of time for school. A block of four hours may not be possible at this time, but 45 minutes to an hour at a time may be doable.

7. Read aloud during breakfast and lunch (while your youngest child is contentedly eating in his high chair).

8. Understand that your homeschool day will not look like a classroom day during this season of your family’s life. Maybe it never will. And this is okay!

Enjoy this season of your child’s life, knowing that it will not last forever and that you are not alone. Your toddler will be at this stage only for a couple of short years, and the next thing you know, he’ll be in kindergarten. They are only young for such a short time, and it is a precious, precious time. Don’t wish it away!

Make every effort to stay flexible with your schedule and your to-do list, as toddlers change from one day to the next. Just when one strategy may be

Swap school time
(or toddler time)
with another
homeschool mom.

working for your family, he’ll change and you’ll need to try something else to keep the school day flowing. In other words, what worked yesterday might not work today! Above all, give him lots of hugs and kisses during your school day, which will reassure you both that he is not an interruption but a blessing.

Terri Johnson, along with her husband Todd, founded Knowledge Quest, Inc., publisher of history and geography materials. Knowledge Quest is well known for producing mapping programs such as Map Trek and Time Trek, as well as timelines, historical biographies, geography curriculum, software, and even mobile apps. Visit Knowledge Quest at www.Knowledge QuestMaps.com.