Keeping little ones busy?

[blessedmomof3girls]

I am having a hard time homeschooling my 6 year old and my 3 year old. My 6 year old loses focus very easy if I try to work with my 3 year old at the same time as I have her doing work. I have to keep my 3 year old busy while my 6 year old is doing school otherwise she gets into stuff and bothers my 6 year old. How do you guys do it? I need some ideas/advice before I lose my mind. Oh and I have a 6 month old as well. Sometimes our days are very chaotic and it is very difficult for me to concentrate under chaos and so I know my 6 year old is not able to concentrate.

[Tansy]

Julie posted these before maybe they will help you

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=198&p=33557
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4987&p=36744#p36744

[juliekay]

It is hard to concentrate under chaos! Here are some tips that have worked for me:
1. Schedule some task or specific toy time during the time you are working with your older daughter.
2. Make a big batch of play dough in the morning - this is a huge hit here! Watch out - even my older kids get distracted with this!
3. Tape a LONG line of masking tape down through several rooms - up onto sofas and back down, etc. Have your 3 year old follow it OR use a car to follow it...
4. In our Read - Aloud area I have the Little People. My "little people" can play with it ONLY in that room and during read aloud time and they must do so quietly or it is taken away.
5. Remember, it will take some time to train them as to what you expect during "school time".
6. Lots of little snack times!
8. Educational DVD time.

Enjoy this age! They’ll be too big for this fun stuff too soon!

[shaffer96]

Oh wow, I feel like I could have written the exact same post! I feel the same way about homeschooling my 5 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old. It is so hard! My 3 year old wants to be at the table and my 5 year old gets so distracted when I am working with him and vice versa! Then my 1 year old just runs around everywhere getting into everything! Its hard to keep a 1 year old busy because he is too young to color, or do play dough, yet too old to sit in a play pen or bouncer. I feel your pain! I can't wait to hear what others have to say about this!

[birchbark]

For my 3yo I have one basket designated as his "school" basket. In it I have lacing beads, a shape-matching toy, Mighty Mind, a geoboard, preschool workbooks, special crayons, etc. that he can only use during school time. He knows he must be quiet if he is in the room with us. If not, I send him into another room to play. He goes back and forth between sharing "school" with us at the table and playing with toys in the other room.

For an easily-distracted student, you could try a pair of headphones with music when he is working on his own. Headphones also work great for a little one watching a video, if you need some quiet time. Although I try not to do that too often.

[krismoose]

How much time do you need in one block? I do reading, handwriting and math in one block, (separated by jumping jacks and stretching, for variety) and it takes about 45 min. 3yo dd plays alone with special toys that only come out of the closet on a schedule (M-megablocks, T-lacing beads, etc) during that time. Used to be in her bedroom only, but now she can stay in the adjoining room if she plays quietly. We do read-alouds partly at snack & lunchtimes - closed mouths , and activities with her tagging along. I do "school" with dd3 1st, and ds5 can "play with" the baby nearby for those 20m if she's not down for her 1st nap yet. I don't know what we'll do when baby outgrows her morning nap

[blessedmom]

blessedmomof3girls,
I've been thinking about you the past couple of days. I am also a blessed mom of 3 girls, with a boy added last year. I'm a little further down the journey than you and I remember when my girls were the ages of your girls. The thought that kept coming to my mind is "this is a process." Don't be discouraged. Many of the suggestions given to you already are good ones. I want to encourage you that it may take time to train the whole family for "school time." We started school 3 weeks ago. The first week, my 14 mo ds cried most of the week. We were going from "summer time" to "school time." Now his mommy was a little more occupied with the other children and he had to adjust to the schedule I decided for him. He was used to me being more available for him. Now he takes turns playing with each one of his sisters. (the first day I started off with 30 min each and then I quickly realized that was too long; he does more like 15 min each and then comes back and plays near me.) He is also being put in his playpen more consistently for playtime. And I also implemented blanket time for him. This is a first for me. I put him on the blanket in the room with me when my 5 yo dd and I sing and dance to her memory verse and do the rhyme. I put a few toys down for him and he has to stay on his blanket. He obviously had to be trained to do so. He did not naturally stay. He actually learned some of the motions last week. Blanket time and playtime in the playpen have taken training though. the first week my expectations were very low -- 5 minutes. Now he can stay on his blanket more like 10 or 15 and plays in the playpen with music for about 45. During playpen time I work with my middle dd that needs the most attention this year for her reading, phonics and spelling. I try to make sure those subjects get done while ds is in the playpen. Two other thoughts kept coming to my mind. 1. spread your school day out and spend time enjoying your children. They are still young. There is so much play and discovery to be had as a family that will be harder to do in a few years. What doesn't get done in the morning, finish during nap time. Last thing -- if your 6 yo is easily distracted, train the other children to play quietly by themselves during lessons. I have on dd that needs everyone away from the table when we are working on reading and spelling, another needs that during math. I have taught my dc to not interupt during those times. Again this is a huge process that we are still in. I used to announce before a math lesson, "this is so and so's math time, please remember not to interrupt." My 2nd dd had no trouble sitting at the table with us when my oldest was younger. she was very quiet. The 3rd has required lots of training. I had to teach her to be quiet at the table. There was one year, I continually had to ask her to get down because she was being a distraction. She was always allowed at the table with us, but she had to follow the rule of working quietly so that she did not distract the others. Now she does much better, but she still needs reminding and every once in a while is asked to get down. As far as keeping the younger ones "busy." I find what helps is to come up with a dependable schedule. I've never been good at that, but I finally felt the need for one this year. It's not perfect, but it is a guide. I find it has really helped my younger ones. My 14 mo ds is not shocked when his playtime or blanket time come. He actually anticipates it now. More than anything ask the Lord to guide you. He is faithful to show you just what you need for each moment.
May God bless your home!!
shaffer96, for my 14 mo ds, I also use the highchair for snakc time. That always buys me at least fifteen minutes and sometimes longer if I give him a book or a toy. today he asked for a pencil and paper. that lasted a little bit and gave me a chance to train him not to put it in his mouth. also, I don't know how your house is laid out, but we try to make sure all of the doors are closed to other rooms and he stays near us. i do sitll have to get up many times, but he is learning. Take these years to really work on training all of your dc your expectations. The lessons are second in priority to the dc learning to obey. I once heard that a child's spiritual goal until age 7 is OBEDIENCE. Once they are faithful in that the rest will come much easier. it is well worth the work for a much more peaceful household in the future. That 3rd dd I was talking about, I was watching her "participate" in school today, and I was thinking how much she has matured and how much the training is finally beginning to pay off.