Homeschooling all ages is a challenge, but when you add in babies, toddlers, and preschoolers it can be overwhelming. I have moms ask me this question a lot, “What do I do with my non-school aged children while I am trying to homeschool my other children?” The simple answer is there is no magic bullet answer.
That’s not helpful, I know. But it is the truth.
Each family situation is different, each child is different, and what may work for one family or child won’t work for another. My greatest advice to you is to gather ideas and just try them out one at a time. If something works, use it until you’ve outgrown it and then try out other ideas.
As our children grow, their needs change with their growth. We have to understand that we need to change and grow with them. Don’t get discouraged when what you were doing stops working, just keep moving forward no matter how challenging the days become.
Since we have to keep trying new things and implementing different ideas, I want to offer some ideas for you to try out. I have teamed up with some amazing homeschool moms who have shared some outstanding tips just for you.
Elizabeth from OConnor School House says…
1. Spend quality time with the toddlers/babies before starting your school day.
This fills up their tank before you set them up with something independent.
2. Use naptime to your advantage.
I do 70% of our schooling during naptime or after they go to sleep (although I don’t love using that time for school, so I’ll usually just save our read alouds for after they go to bed and our oldest is still awake).
3. Use snack time as time for read alouds or use lunch as a time for a history or science lesson read aloud.
I try to include my 3 year old where I can (science experiments, picture books, etc.)
Veronica from Nurturing Connections Homeschool says…
1. Begin with the littlest ones first.
Giving them some extra attention up front helps them feel connected to you and gives them the confidence to move on more independently throughout the day.
2. Set up a basket of activities for them to work on only during homeschool time.
Change up these activities from time to time. This keeps things fresh and exciting for your children.
3. Be intentional with the time you have with the little ones.
It’s easy to push them aside for more “important” work, but they’re learning and growing is just as important. Take time to create a bucket of activities to draw from in order to keep your little one engaged and inspired.
Crystal from Crystal Wearmouth says…
1. Tire out toddlers and preschoolers early in the day.
Go outside first thing in the morning and let little ones play. Keep them as active as possible during the mornings, so they will nap well in the afternoon, giving you and your older children focused quiet time to accomplish school work.
2. Include toddlers and preschoolers in sit down work when they are eager.
I give our toddler a pencil and paper and have her sit with us while I teach the older children. This gives her practice sitting quietly while I am helping my older children.
3. Read with older kids while attending to babies.
Reading is an easy task to do while feeding your baby or holding them while they are sleeping. Carve out times that your baby is most satisfied to read.
4. Be flexible and let go of things that aren’t necessary.
In our family, we stick to the essentials when things get hairy because of the baby and toddler stage. This makes the season of our life a little easier, eliminating a lot of the unnecessary stress. Don’t be afraid to cut out a few things.
Danielle from A Learning Lifestyle says…
1. Use lots of free play always including your toddlers and preschoolers.
Let your children use their imagination as much as possible. This is the key to helping them learn better in the future.
2. Focus more on character building in all of your children no matter their age.
Strong character attributes will go a long way if you start early. Focusing on this and not only “schoolwork” is essential. Always include toddlers and preschoolers in character building instruction.
3. Be intentional and make everyday living teachable moments.
I call this “sneaky learning” because it happens while they are playing, while helping you cook, while helping you clean, or feeding the animals. Your children don’t see it as learning but you know it is. Include your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in this type of learning with your older children. Focus on life learning while they are little.
4. Teach one-on-one subjects during nap time.
If your young child does not want to nap, save some of the work for when dad is home in the evening and can attend to the younger children.
5. Teach in very short increments of focused attention.
Some closing thoughts from me…
Trying to homeschool your older children while attending to your busy toddlers and preschool can be exhausting, but the tips from these amazing mamas hopefully encourage you and help shift your perspective. I want to offer a few tips that might help as well.
1. Let your older kids take turns entertaining your younger kids.
If you need to work one-on-one with one of your children but you can’t seem to sneak a quiet, focused moment with them, let your older children help. One of the biggest helps in our family was for my kids to play in pairs while I focused on one child and then we would rotate who played and who did school with me.
2. Set a 20-minute timer.
When my children were younger and we had lots of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in the house, I would set timers to transition to the next thing. Because our little ones don’t focus for a long time, offering 20-minute time blocks of activity help keep them engaged and happy.
An example might look like this:
- 10:00 am: Math
- 10:20 am: Snack
- 10:40 am: Science
- 11:00 am: Outside
You get the picture. It shakes things up a bit and keeps your little ones engaged and gets them ready for a good afternoon nap when you can spend longer blocks of focused time with your older children.
Just remember that your family is different than other families, do what is best for your family. Try things and keep trying them until you find something that works. We are all trying to figure it out with you. You got this!
