10 Ways to Homeschool With Tots Underfoot.
Elizabeth's Top Ten Ways to Homeschool with Tots Underfoot
1. Start early. The Early Bird gets the Worm, or in this case, the completed math assignment. I was listening to a motivational speaker who described it as, "slay your dragons first." The things that you consider most important or difficult - tackle asap. For us this is Bible and Math.
2. Offer something special. Have a special bin of toys or art supplies that only come out during "school" time. This will give the little ones something fun to do and maybe score you a few undisturbed minutes with older children.
3. Make junior school. I made dotted line name charts and dry erase boards with washable markers, because the 2 and 4 year old want to do "Math" or "Handwriting" with their older siblings. I just did this as a distraction technique, but my four year old actually learned to spell his name this way. Bonus!
4. Give focused attention. It can be easy to work at trying to get your little kids to stop clinging to you for a moment so you can direct their older siblings, but sometimes the very opposite is needed. If you can take a few minutes to focus on the little ones and affirm them, it can help them to get the attention they need and then be happy to play independently (for at least 2 minutes).
5. Get help. I would not make it without the help of a wonderful nanny that comes a few days a week. This has made it possible for me to homeschool in the midst of running a business and having a new baby. There are other options too. Do the kids have an aunt or grandma that loves to read, have them come help. Have dad take over a subject or you wait to teach one until dad can watch other kids.
6. Plan to work and work the plan. For me, Miss Freedom and Spontaneity, to be saying this seems almost disingenuous. But the truth is that kids thrive with structure. They do better when they know what to expect. Your plan can be as loose or rigid as you like, but it helps to have one. Just make sure you don't get upset when the plan splatters all over the place like an unturned bowl of jello salad. This is messy business.
7. Relax. When my son was in public school, I calculated that if the teacher divided up her time to give every student individual attention, each one would get 12 minutes. Granted, that is not how teachers use their time, but still, it made me feel better. If I give my students just 20 minutes of one-on-one time, that is almost double what a teacher could do. Wow, not too shabby.
8. Look at the Big Picture. Is it going to matter if your son learned to read when he was 6 or 8 or even 12? No, all that matters is that he learns. Worrying about being "behind' is a waste of precious time. Children often learn slower in one area because they are leaping ahead in another. If our older kids are not bounding forward in advanced mathematics because they are growing in the knowledge of how to be a caring sibling and do real work around the house, I think they will be all the better for it. Growth is important, but we are created beings, body, soul and spirit. All areas of growth are important and connected.
9. Be patient. If you are not the Duggers, your time with pint-sized tots will eventually come to an end. I know if can be hard to imagine when you are up to your eye balls in poopy diapers, but kids do grow up. As long as we are persistent in our commitment to learning and teaching, the kids will get what they need when they need it. We won't always have to interrupt our history lesson to soothe a crying baby. And I'm told, one day, we will even miss those interruptions.
10. Keep the peace. The number one inhibitor to learning is fear. If you want your children to learn, don't create an anxiety filled atmosphere by stressing out about what isn't getting done. Be creative, keep trying and hold on to that peace. Did you ever notice that the armor of God has the boots fitted with the gospel of peace - peace is at the very ground level. We are not going to get very far if we don't start out and (unlike my kids in the car) keep our shoes on.
1. Start early. The Early Bird gets the Worm, or in this case, the completed math assignment. I was listening to a motivational speaker who described it as, "slay your dragons first." The things that you consider most important or difficult - tackle asap. For us this is Bible and Math.
2. Offer something special. Have a special bin of toys or art supplies that only come out during "school" time. This will give the little ones something fun to do and maybe score you a few undisturbed minutes with older children.
3. Make junior school. I made dotted line name charts and dry erase boards with washable markers, because the 2 and 4 year old want to do "Math" or "Handwriting" with their older siblings. I just did this as a distraction technique, but my four year old actually learned to spell his name this way. Bonus!
4. Give focused attention. It can be easy to work at trying to get your little kids to stop clinging to you for a moment so you can direct their older siblings, but sometimes the very opposite is needed. If you can take a few minutes to focus on the little ones and affirm them, it can help them to get the attention they need and then be happy to play independently (for at least 2 minutes).
5. Get help. I would not make it without the help of a wonderful nanny that comes a few days a week. This has made it possible for me to homeschool in the midst of running a business and having a new baby. There are other options too. Do the kids have an aunt or grandma that loves to read, have them come help. Have dad take over a subject or you wait to teach one until dad can watch other kids.
6. Plan to work and work the plan. For me, Miss Freedom and Spontaneity, to be saying this seems almost disingenuous. But the truth is that kids thrive with structure. They do better when they know what to expect. Your plan can be as loose or rigid as you like, but it helps to have one. Just make sure you don't get upset when the plan splatters all over the place like an unturned bowl of jello salad. This is messy business.
7. Relax. When my son was in public school, I calculated that if the teacher divided up her time to give every student individual attention, each one would get 12 minutes. Granted, that is not how teachers use their time, but still, it made me feel better. If I give my students just 20 minutes of one-on-one time, that is almost double what a teacher could do. Wow, not too shabby.
8. Look at the Big Picture. Is it going to matter if your son learned to read when he was 6 or 8 or even 12? No, all that matters is that he learns. Worrying about being "behind' is a waste of precious time. Children often learn slower in one area because they are leaping ahead in another. If our older kids are not bounding forward in advanced mathematics because they are growing in the knowledge of how to be a caring sibling and do real work around the house, I think they will be all the better for it. Growth is important, but we are created beings, body, soul and spirit. All areas of growth are important and connected.
9. Be patient. If you are not the Duggers, your time with pint-sized tots will eventually come to an end. I know if can be hard to imagine when you are up to your eye balls in poopy diapers, but kids do grow up. As long as we are persistent in our commitment to learning and teaching, the kids will get what they need when they need it. We won't always have to interrupt our history lesson to soothe a crying baby. And I'm told, one day, we will even miss those interruptions.
10. Keep the peace. The number one inhibitor to learning is fear. If you want your children to learn, don't create an anxiety filled atmosphere by stressing out about what isn't getting done. Be creative, keep trying and hold on to that peace. Did you ever notice that the armor of God has the boots fitted with the gospel of peace - peace is at the very ground level. We are not going to get very far if we don't start out and (unlike my kids in the car) keep our shoes on.
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