There is no shortage of challenges when it comes to homeschooling, but one of the toughest is figuring out how to accommodate the needs of a toddler while tending to the teaching of your older children. A homeschooling parent can easily feel like there just isn’t enough of her to meet all the needs. Thankfully, we have the wisdom of many homeschooling parents who have dealt with this situation. You can glean from strategies they’ve used to find some that could work for you.
Here are some I’ve used or heard of others using successfully. Of course, every family is different, and every child is different. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to managing all the needs on homeschool days. But everyone should find some things below that are worth a try!
Inclusion in Learning
Toddlers generally love to be included in what’s going on. It makes sense to take advantage of this on homeschool days!
How do you include your toddler in learning? You may have some subjects that work for all your children together. In our family Bible was one of those subjects, and so was history. These story-based lessons lent themselves to piling the kids on the couch to listen while I read.
We also had math and phonics activities that toddlers could do when siblings were working on those subjects. A favorite at our house was using self-inking stamps for math. When my little ones were working on number recognition, I would have a few papers ready with large numbers written on them and have my toddler stamp that number of objects on the paper. For instance, if “three” was written on a paper, my toddler would choose a few stamps and add three of each of those on the paper – three kitten stamps, three mushroom stamps, etc.
For a phonics activity, you can take a letter your toddler is learning to recognize the name and sound of, and draw or print the outline of that letter on a paper. Then, give her stamps, stickers, magazine cut-outs, etc. that all begin with that letter. She can color the letter and decorate the paper with the items you provided. Then, she can name the letter and the items to you, reinforcing the letter name and sound that you’re working on.
Here are a few other ideas for including your toddler in homeschooling. Use counting bears for math activities. Give your child a colored paper to decorate with items of that color (and then name the color to you), etc. These fun activities let your toddler learn alongside her siblings. You are teaching her that learning is fun while also laying an academic foundation for future learning and building focusing skills. Maybe most importantly, you’ll be establishing a routine that will begin to adjust your toddler to the homeschool she will have in future.
Nap time
Most toddlers will still benefit from taking an afternoon nap. Use this time! How you use it is up to you. For some, it makes sense to work on a tougher subject that requires high concentration and few distractions. Others might let everyone (including you, parent) have a refreshing time of rest so that the rest of the afternoon can be more productive. Another idea is to use nap time to teach subjects that draw you into a sweet one-on-one time with your child. For instance, if your child loves science and really appreciates having your full attention and fewer time restrictions for this subject, you both might enjoy reserving it for your toddler’s nap time.
Special Rotation of Homeschool Toys
Many parents have a special stash of toddler toys that are only accessible during homeschooling. These should be toys the toddler enjoys and can play with fairly quietly. Here are some that work well: building blocks, playdough, coloring books, stickers, stencils, sturdy picture books, lacing toys, and puzzles.
It’s good if you don’t put all the offerings in at once! Let it be a little bit of a surprise for the toddler to discover, and maybe, change the offerings at lunch time so there are some new options for the afternoon.
You may also want to have a special, extra-appealing toy/activity or two that you can bring out rarely when you really need some quiet, focused time with an older child.
Independent Play
Independent play has benefits that go beyond giving you space for teaching. It helps your toddler learn to function within boundaries and can also open the door for creativity as he finds new ways to interact with the resources he’s provided, relying on himself to make fun rather than on others. It can also help with separation anxiety as your child learns that it’s okay to play alone for a little while and that you will always come back soon!
To establish a regular habit of independent play, create an area where your toddler can play safely within earshot of you, but not necessarily within eyeshot. In our family, we used the child’s room and put a safety gate in the doorway. If your little one is resistant to independent play, start with just five minutes. Explain that it’s time for independent play, and that you’ll come get him when the timer goes off in a few minutes. Be sure to come right when the timer goes off. You can gradually build up to 30-minutes or even a little more, depending on how your child responds.
Some children love independent play time, especially those who tend to feel overstimulated around too much activity. But all children can benefit from a little time to themselves. Meanwhile, you can use this time for presenting new material to your homeschooled children or to accomplish another part of your homeschool day.
Snack Time
During snack time, your toddler is probably secured in a high chair and happily enjoying some food. For some families, this is a good time to get a few homeschooling things done. This seems to work especially well as a transition right after naptime.
Audio books
You may be able to use audio books to occupy your toddler while also developing her love for reading! Of course, you can always purchase an audio book, but an even better (and free) option is to just record your own (or someone else's) voice reading some books that your toddler enjoys. She can follow along and enjoy the pictures while listening to the recording of you, a sibling, a grandparent, or someone else read. The voice memo app on your phone is an easy way to do this, and you could even have friends or family who live far away send you their recordings.
So there's a start!
We’ll share some additional ideas in the next post. Maybe you’ll want to give some of these a try in the next few days and come back for more inspiration and help for making your homeschool inclusive, productive, and beneficial for everyone in your home!
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