How Do I Homeschool with a Toddler?

Toddlers are a force to be reckoned with -- especially, when you're trying to homeschool their bigger siblings.

My solution :

1. A firm "NO" with eye contact
2. Followed by a short (1 minute) time-out if they don't respect the 'no'.
3. If they won't stay in time-out or are showing other flagrant acts of defiance, a small "smack" on the back of their hands (it always breaks my heart to do anything but kiss those sweet pudgy hands, but they have to learn.)

Beyond those discipline items in place --

1. Keen observation, every second of every moment of the day. Since that is physcially IMPOSSIBLE (although as moms we make a valiant attempt)...
2. I keep my toddlers with me at almost all times. I'm so much more likely to see what's going on, if they don't escape from me (which they have a tendency to do).
3. PREPARATION - This includes activites, toys and as many saftey measures as you can think of.
4. *DISTRACTION* - This is the name of the game in the toddler years. I try and anticipate what my toddler is about to do (like pull 25 books off the shelves) and keep them from doing it by giving them something more attractive to do. Toddlers are GREAT to distract, because most distract fairly easily. They also want something just because someone else has it, so me showing them something I have and acting like it's cool to play with, is usually enough to distract them.

Of course the picture is how we all WISH we could school (during their naps), is doesn't always work.

See my Toddler page for ideas on handling a toddler during school time. It mostly consists of they hows & whys of keeping your toddler with you while you school the other(s).

There are also 50 activities to do with your toddler while you school.