Seton Magazine Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
Question from a Seton Mom:
What do those homeschooling moms out there with both school-age children and toddlers do to keep the little ones occupied? I have a child in 4th grade, 2nd grade, 1st grade, preschool and one that’s 2-1/2. The 2-1/2 year old is a VERY busy little girl and does her best to get the attention of her older siblings while we’re working.
Answer from a Seton Mom:
What I do is rotate teaching the kids. I have my older children take turns playing with my toddler and take turns getting their lessons. This does take a little bit more time, but I feel that it works well for us all around and there are fewer distractions when I can focus on them one or two at a time. Sometimes we can set up the older children at the dining room table doing their Math lessons and have the preschoolers and toddlers set up in a different room of the house drawing, reading, or playing. Then I can concentrate for some time on my older children, while the young ones play or “study” together, although I do have to be back and forth between the two rooms, which is why more often than not, at our house we end up rotating the lessons.
The goal though, is to train your little one that school time is important and she needs to not interrupt the children constantly when they are studying. But remember, at these ages, you have a lot of flexibility, and if you have to take a break every 15 minutes to read a story to your toddler, or to help her find the crayons for the thousandth time, it’s ok. The schoolbooks will still be there tomorrow.
Prepared by Clare Schmitt
