Homeschooling With Toddlers in Tow

As many of you know (well probably all of you considering my readership, I think, is mostly family.) I have three children under the age of 5 at this time. Which makes homeschooling the two oldest children a little... complicated. I've heard so much great advice over the years of what to do with those little ones. And I've used some of those ideas, to varying degrees of success, during the 4 years that we have been homeschooling. This year it looks like this.

I started out the year wanting to let the little ones into the school room and play with Playdoh, color pictures, do a little preschool. It became apparent, very quickly, that it wasn't going to work. Caleb is cut from a more... rambunctious cloth. Allowing him anywhere near the tear-able and/or break-able things was not working. So our preschooler set had to be banished to the play room. (Which is really the same room as school room, there are just some bookcases and a baby gate as a divider) The first couple of weeks of that were really hard and the then not-quite-two-year-old did not want to be on the OTHER side of the baby gate. But perseverance paid off and he finally realized that Mama was not going to give in.

What makes it work for us is that I go out there often and hug, kiss, read stories, settle arguments, and all around still be with them. Also it helps to send an older sibling out there from time to time to play as well.I keep Lilia stocked with coloring/ work books so that she can "do" preschool, that's very important to her. I guess there is one child who gets to be in the school room. Gloria can't do much damage yet.