Keeping Little Ones Safe and Happy During the Homeschool Day

In my last post I shared about Homeschooling Multiple Ages. For me, the hard part is not juggling multiple grades at once, but juggling the toddlers and babies! Little ones are fast, busy, and at times can be very loud (although sometimes it is when they are quiet that you have more need to worry)! Unsupervised, they can quickly destroy a room or find themselves in danger. I'll never forget the day I was snuggled on our bed reading aloud to the kiddos. We were fully engaged in the story and I did not notice the toddler sneak away. Our daughter asked for a break to go to the bathroom and came back yelling that a river was flowing through the house. Our toddler had barricaded himself in the bathroom (by pulling out the cabinet drawer we could not open the bathroom door), stopped up the sink, and had the water turned full blast. He was giggling and having the time of his life splish-splashing in all the water. Thankfully, he wasn't harmed, but man what a mess that caused! Since then, we have started assigning "littles" duty. Anytime we are reading or doing school all together, I assign one of the older children to make sure they are keeping an eye out for escapees. 

I'm a pretty frugal person, but I am so thankful I splurged on this playpen. The price is worth my piece of mind and her safety. At 8 months old, our baby is crawling and exploring everything. She's no longer happy contained in a bouncy seat or even the pop-a-tot. She wants to be (and needs to be for development) constantly moving. Because we have a wide range of ages, the floor is not always a safe place. Probably more likely than not, there is a small lego hidden under one of the couches, or some other choking hazard in a little crevice. By having a space of her own, I know she is safe. And because she is right there in the middle of everyone, she is also usually happy. 

The toddler is a little more difficult. He plays very well on his own, but can be LOUD. He also often gets jealous for attention, which can cause him to act out even more. Here are my top tips.

1. Spend time with toddlers FIRST. We have a morning routine where after breakfast, everyone is to tidy up their areas and then watch World Watch. During that time, it can be tempting for me to catch a few minutes to myself to drink my coffee or catch up on whatever housework or school prep needs done. If I do though, I know I'm setting myself up for a miserable homeschool day. I have to use that time to connect with our toddler. Giving him those few minutes in the day fills his cup and sets him up for a day of independent play. Some mornings we can just snuggle. If he has a lot of energy I may take him outside to ride his bike for a few minutes. I may read him a book. Whatever it is, I make it known to him that he has mommy's full attention for the next 10-15 minutes or so, but then I need to go help his brothers and sisters with school.

2. Let them "school" too. It is usually my toddlers that WANT to do school, even though they are not necessarily ready to. If we are reading a book, I hand our toddler a stack of books to look at. If my big kids are doing workbooks at the table, I either hand our toddler a coloring book and crayons or a dry erase board. I love dry erase workbooks and activity mats because they can be used over and over again. 

3. Have lots of SNACKS! A full mouth is a quiet mouth, lol. 

4. Keep Legos, blocks, or other open ended play toys on hand. Before we start, I set a bin of toys in the breakfast nook. It is adjacent to the living room where we do school, so I can still keep an eye on him, but he is just enough out of the way that he's not a huge distraction. If I have a bit more time or know that school may take a little longer than normal, I may set up a car "track" using painters tape or make a fort. 

5. Be patient. Ultimately, it is going to take some child training and a whole lot of patience. Some days go smoother than others. Stay the course and keep fighting the good fight. 

Wishing you all a wonderful homeschool year! I'd love to connect with you on Instagram @pocketful_of_treasures.

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