As your toddler becomes a preschooler homeschooling becomes very challenging. Let’s meet that challenge head-on. There are multiple ways of handling this.  I choose to lock myself in a room with the toddler and the school kids and forge ahead to get as much school done as possible.

– give attention to the younger one FIRST
– toys/activities that are JUST reserved for “school time”.
– have a special rug or a taped off area (smallish) where he can sit during HIS “activity time” -build up activity time as this awesome big boy thing. Build up his “activity space” as this personal place that’s just his – maybe he rolls up the rug/cloth mat with his name on it or roads for cars, etc. after activity time so no one else steps in his “activity space”
– put his activity space nearby (where he can see you, but not in the same room? where he can hear you, but around a corner? under the table you’re working at with strict instructions not to be noisy?

Why this works

1. The kids are used the noise and commotion of each other.  If left to their own devices they scream and run in a pack together, anyway.  It may drive you insane (it does me), but they seem to be able to handle it.

2. You’re wearing the baby (if you have one) as an appendage (I recommend a good sling, a bouncy seat or baby swing).

3. The toddler is less likely to TRASH your home or HARM THEMSELVES if they’re in your sights.

4. This is the way you get your laundry folded, your lunches & dinners made…everything we do as moms is done with kids underfoot, near, and around us.  School is just another extension of family life in our homeschool.

5. You can save 1 or 2 subjects for each child that requires more attention or 1-on-1 time from you for another time of the day, during the toddler’s naps.  Some moms covet that time for other things that are a higher priority for them (cuddling with an older child, getting computer work done, etc.), but this is an option for a few subjects.  Those naps aren’t long enough to fit all of school in for most families, though.

Logistics

• Take everything you need for school with you.  A potty chair? Diaper changes? A playpen for time-outs? As soon as I leave the room to get something, chaos breaks out and it’s almost not worth the supreme effort to get everyone refocused on school.

• Keep coffee and snacks close-by, you’ll need them.

• Make sure the room is toddler proof.  It sounds silly, but after they’ve been in one room for 2-3 hours, they’ll find ALL sorts of stuff to get into.

• Make sure they either can’t get out (a locked door) or that you’re stationed by the only exit.  You will need to pay attention to your school kids and you won’t be paying constant attention to your toddler and they will escape.

1. 1. I enforce pretty strict discipline during school time.  The kids know that school-time is different than family-time (different activities, different rules, sometimes a different room).  I am the general in a war zone.  I battle their childish natures that just want to play with each other.  The war is waged by keeping my troops on task.  ALSO, a toddler in your school will turn into a preschooler in your school and you want them to know the “rules” as early as possible.

      *	No chatting with siblings except during a “break”.
      *	No distracting a kid doing an assignment.
      *	No touching another kids’ school stuff .
      *	Respecting a kid’s space (so that they don’t get climbed on or hit if they don’t want to).
      *	No staring off into space when you’re supposed to be working.

   2. Have special toys that the toddler gets to see ONLY during school.  A rubbermaid tub works great for the toddler’s “school items.”  Some toddlers want “real school” and color books work well.  Some toddlers just eat crayons.  Some toddlers like blocks.  Some toddlers just use them as projectile missiles for their siblings heads.  Know your toddler and rotate things out of the box that aren’t working for you.

      *	You will be “pretending” to play with your toddler while you’re teaching school.  You’ll get them involved in an activity, and keep your hands moving in that activity while you’re teaching and answering and directing the other kids.  Then, turn and give your toddler a positive affirmation as if you’d been paying attention to them all along.  Toddlers “fool” easily. – This may seem cruel, but your toddler gets a large percentage of your time (as he should)) just keeping them out of trouble. You have to accomplish school, too, though.
      *	Change out your toddler’s activities often during the day, possibly every 10-15 minutes.
      *	Distraction works fabulous for most toddlers.  If they’re insisting on climbing on sister’s lap during school, or doing something else they shouldn’t, see if you can distract them by giving them one of their “toys”.
      *	Another idea is to sit the toddler between you and sister and have sister practice her reading by acting like she’s reading to the toddler, while she’s really reading out of her school book to you.  Before sister turns the page, she can point out a picture to the toddler to reinforce that he’s part of what’s going on, too.

   3. Have your school child(ren) take turns doing school.  45 minutes to an hour of school and 15 minutes of a “break” to play with the toddler.

      *	Your school child will see the toddler “playing” with you and want to play with the toddler (all my kids do).
      *	It will motivate the school child that when they’re done with 2 or 3 assignments (or 1 big one) they can take a “break”.
      *	It will break up the time for the toddler.

• When you can’t stand the noise, chaos and multi-tasking anymore and you’re ready to run screaming from the house – end school (my limit is 2-3 hours : somedays 15 minutes is tough).  I’m always exhausted and feel like every drop of life left in me is spent after doing school this way — but it gets done.  Reward yourself, no matter how badly it feels like school went.  Have a special cup of coffee.  I personally fix lunch for my kids and do chores while they eat.  Then I eat lunch alone as part of my reward.

This isn’t the only way to handle a toddler during school time — it’s the best way for our family, though.

Here are some ideas of things to put in your rubbermaid container “School Box” and your bag of tricks for your toddler : Toddler Activity Ideas