Activities to entertain older siblings

[Marcee]

Sorry if this has been asked before. Feel free to post a link to threads if needed.
Currently I am schooling my kids at different times during the day. Generally DD goes first (age 9) and DS goes 2nd (age 6). What kinds of things would you have children do at this age when they are not schooling? I hate to have them watch TV and play on the computer We are in a REALLY small apt while we look for a place to set roots in TX. The kids have no outside place to run around and it has been way to hot to spend time outside. That being said, my kids share a room which has no place for them to play-it is so small. So, they play downstairs. Neither one will be upstairs alone because there was a bomb planted at the mall across the road and it was detonated which scared the heck out of them. Plus DD found out about the lady that was throwing acid in women's faces and is terrified that will happen if I'm not in the same vicinity.

So......................we basically all have to be in the same room and that makes it hard for either child to have alone/private time. DD gets frustrated with DS when he does play and makes car noises etc. DS wants to do what DD is doing when he is being schooled. Both of them interrupt constantly while I'm working with the other.

I'm just at a loss as to what to do. I am not a creative idea girl and coming up with ideas is like trying to fix an engine with no training

HELP

[GinainMD]

I am always looking for ideas too for over the winter months when we are holed up inside. Some things we have done are jigsaw puzzles, stories on cd, jewelry making, latch hook, knitting, small models, painting, and playdoh. What about legos, lincoln logs, or tinkertoys? I try to rotate these toys in the winter to keep things new. Hope this gives you a few ideas.

[Tansy]

I know what you mean it has been extremely hot this summer!!! 2 months of no rain, And we didn't get the pool membership this year.

I volunteer for our ministry and work at home, after 7 interruptions of my work in 30 minutes one day I had had enough... So I applied a ancient Mommy secret. Work will set you free!!! every time they interrupts me now I set them to a chore. You can make this apply to both kiddos. Here are some chore Ideas: putting away dishes, sorting laundry, washing the fronts of cupboards, sweeping, windows, bathtub, around the back of the toilet, matching lids to bottoms in tupperware drawer, sorting a box of those melting beads into color groups.

I also let my kids pick out quiet crafts they liked to do, and bought the supplies for them. I scheduled Craft time during my "at home" work time so it was very clear what my expectations were.

Now My kids know if they quarrel they will both be assigned a chore to do.
If they interrupt they also will be assigned a chore.
I'm bored has become a watch word in our house it means I need work...

It only took about a week for my kids to figure out how to entertain themselves quietly during my "work" time.

Getting them over the fear issues Will be much harder. It sounds like you have moved recently? You can PM me if your in the DFW area. Have you gotten involved with a h/s group? Made new friends? etc.. etc.. Moving is very unsettling and stressful, be sure to plan really fun stuff to get you all out of the house. even (I hate to admit this) even if it means buying a cup of McDonalds coffee and letting them Play in the A/C play area. But I'm in no means endorsing eating there.

I used a reasonable explanation that if they intrrupped me they have to do my chores because I'm not getting to them because of all the interruptions.

Edit: spelling

[John'smom]

Marcee,
I was wondering if there were some way you could stagger their work, so someone is always working on something. I'll try and type this up here what we do so it makes sense.

We start our morning off together:
1. Song
2. Prayer for Missionary and other requests
3. Poem
4. If applicable Read Coloring the Classics or about our current artist
5. Upstairs-Math video (if applicable 1x/week)
6. Storytime (HOD)
Then I work with John and Gracie is on her own
John
Emerging Readers
Listen to his science
Make sure he knows how to do his Math
R and S English Lesson with Mom
Gracie
Coloring the Classics (coloring and listening to the music with headphones) or something else approved see below
Audio book (listening with headphones)

Now it's time for me to work with Gracie and John is on his own:
Gracie
Math
Spelling
Emerging Readers
Go over what she's suppose to do in her 1st grade skills book
John working independently
Math
English
Science

We then have a snacktime while we all listen to an audio book for about 15 minutes. During this time I go over their independent work marking anything that needs to be corrected.

I'm going to post more in a separate post as the screen is jumping on me.

[John'smom]

Next I work bounce between both dc
John
Spelling
Copywork (he does on his own)
Gracie
1st Grade Skills book independently(that I previously went over with her)
I work with her on handwriting

After this we are together with the rest of HOD. I understand you're trying to teach 2 manuals and I am not, but seems to me you could bounce back on forth between the 2 of them, so your day is shorter and you're keeping one busy while you're working with the other one.

Now there are some times when one of my dc are finished while I'm still working with another one. I try to rotate each day what they could work on by themselves. I can't allow my dc to play during school time (like doll house, tinkertoys etc.). They just breaks down if I do when I try to call them back to their work. The things below are fun, but educational, but on the whole associated with school. I don't mind if they use them outside of school hours, but they can't bring their regular toys into school hours. Your dc may not be this way and so there are tons of suggestions then. I see some other ladies have chimed in with those.

We have available:
Puzzles
Audio books (from the library, a must)
Globe fun
Do a Dot Fun
Coloring the Classics
Math Flash Cards or time on online drill
Tangrams or Pattern Blocks
Independent games like Rush Hour
Draw Write Now
Look at books from the library
Geoboard
Lacing projects

[John'smom]

The screen was jumping again. I guess that happens when I typed too long. Anyway, I've told my dc no complaining as well. If they don't want to do the extra activity I planned, they can go to their audio book or just sit at their desks with no talking while I'm working with their sibling. When my kids are complaining or grumpy or acting bored (I'm not talking about disobedience), I tell them they must need a job and send them on one. If attitudes don't improve they get another one. They soon control themselves.

From reading all your posts, it does sound like you have a lot on your plate. Everything is different for you and your dc. You all need a grace period. It sound like you've just moved which could be emotional in and of itself. Add homeschooling on top and it may take some adjustments for everyone. You have now taken your authority back as teacher and it stands to reason your dd has to adjust to that. I say that not as an excuse for her, but to help you realize why everything may not be so easy at first. I really enjoyed this blog post. You have adjustments emotionally as well and I've felt like on my homeschool journey that in a way the Lord has used my dc to teach me more than I could ever teach me. He's using them to mold me more into His image.

Please know that you can do this. Phil 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." He's given you all you need to do so. II Peter 1:3, says "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:"

[Marcee]

Thank you so much ladies!! You have all helped me so much.

[tbarr12]

I can second the statement about a move being emotional!!! We only moved into a new house 1.5 miles from our old one, but I'm sure as I look back on these first several weeks, I will see that lots of the turmoil came from the emotions surrounding the move - the kids missing their old house, not always liking having their own rooms (!), and my own stress about getting settled in and not having time to do it!!! That statement just really rang true for me. It's been kind of rough.

[Marcee]

The screen was jumping again. I guess that happens when I typed too long. Anyway, I've told my dc no complaining as well. If they don't want to do the extra activity I planned, they can go to their audio book or just sit at their desks with no talking while I'm working with their sibling. When my kids are complaining or grumpy or acting bored (I'm not talking about disobedience), I tell them they must need a job and send them on one. If attitudes don't improve they get another one. They soon control themselves.

From reading all your posts, it does sound like you have a lot on your plate. Everything is different for you and your dc. You all need a grace period. It sound like you've just moved which could be emotional in and of itself. Add homeschooling on top and it may take some adjustments for everyone. You have now taken your authority back as teacher and it stands to reason your dd has to adjust to that. I say that not as an excuse for her, but to help you realize why everything may not be so easy at first. I really enjoyed this blog post. You have adjustments emotionally as well and I've felt like on my homeschool journey that in a way the Lord has used my dc to teach me more than I could ever teach me. He's using them to mold me more into His image.

Please know that you can do this. Phil 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." He's given you all you need to do so. II Peter 1:3, says "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:"

Wow-that blog post spoke directly to my heart. And boy was it convicting-thank you for sharing this. I know God wanted me to see it