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As of right now, my oldest child is almost 6, middle is almost 3, and youngest is 6 months. We’ve been doing “school” for a few years now just as we had time and my daughter’s interest grew, but this has been our first official year registered with the state, so I’ve had to make it more of a priority in our weekly routine. There have been many days with distractions and interruptions, days I’m holding a sleeping baby or trying to breastfeed while teaching – but by the grace of God, I feel like we’ve got the hang of it! Here’s my advice for the overwhelmed homeschooling moms with toddlers and newborns with some practical tips sprinkled throughout.
1. LOWER EXPECTATIONS
This season of life is hard, so don’t make it harder by chasing impossible standards. It’s probably going to be very rare to get through an entire lesson without disruptions. There will be messes, whining, tantrums, diapers to change – all very normal in this season of life! So be honest with yourself and set realistic expectations. I simplified our school routine as much as possible for a few months, knowing my one-on-one time with my daughter would be very limited AND because I wanted to soak up all the newborn snuggles. This was a slower homeschool season, so if we didn’t complete all our lessons, I had to be okay with finishing later or pushing it to the next day!
2. THINK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY ROUTINE
You are a family, not a school. Start by focusing on the order of events and natural rhythm of your days (like naps, meals, playtime) instead of the time on the clock, leaving margin for prepping meals, doing daily tasks, and other things that will inevitably pop up. Also keep in mind the needs of younger siblings – when your toddler may be hungry for a snack or when your baby’s fussy hour is. Try finding pockets of time they will be most content to hang out while you teach your school-age child(ren). Tip: After breakfast works really well for us! And also know that this will probably change as your baby grows and their needs change.
3. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN & LET GO OF THE REST
Repeat after me: let go of what you can’t control. Messes with littles are inevitable; however, you are the gatekeeper of the toys they have access to. I have a cabinet in our dining room with toys and activities my toddler can play with ONLY during school time – these are typically things like playdoh, sensory buckets, puzzles, matching cards, craft items like stickers, paper, glue, scissors, or toys with smaller pieces that I can supervise but still foster lots of creativity. I also utilize “blanket time” during lessons, which is something we have implemented with all of our kids from a very young age (here’s a blog post about it). School is much easier when my toddler is contained to one spot while playing independently.
Toy ideas to keep your toddler busy:
4. PREP BEFOREHAND
Taking a few minutes to prep ahead of time will help reduce interruptions and set yourself up for success. Anticipate everyone’s needs by filling up water bottles, preparing snacks, changing diapers, taking a potty break, gathering school supplies, prepping an activity for your toddler, setting up the playpen or whatever you need for your baby with a pacifier nearby. Giving your toddler simple expectations like only getting one toy out at a time or telling them they need to play quietly, then praising their efforts will pay off in the long run. It also helps to start with the most intensive lessons first, then leave independent practice towards the end in case younger siblings start to get antsy.
5. GIVE YOUR TODDLER ATTENTION
This one is simple, but something that can truly change the game. I’ve found that if I give my toddler just a few minutes of undivided attention to feel seen, heard, and loved before beginning lessons, she is much more content to play independently for a while so I can teach her older sister. I usually ask her to grab a book for me to read or I will join whatever activity she may already be engaged in. Sometimes we’ll start with a family subject/activity too, like Bible, music or science so the younger ones can be involved. This also shows your older kids that their younger siblings are important and loved at every age too, and not in the way.
6. BE FLEXIBLE
We want predictability and structure, but not a rigid schedule. Lessons may not (and probably won’t) always happen when you want them to. If you’re interrupted, you can always pick back up where you left off later or call it a day and try again tomorrow. I have also found that trying to squeeze in every subject can be exhausting for everyone, so alternating with something like a loop schedule may be a better idea. I actually like to split our subjects throughout the day with Bible around breakfast, then reading/math later in the morning, a read aloud around lunch time, then history/geography or science in the afternoons, and piano in the evenings. Snack breaks or outdoor breaks are great too! And if you *really* need focused 1:1 time, take advantage of naps or bed time for the younger siblings. Just remember to hold your plans with open hands, because you are a FAMILY, not a school. Needs and routines will change, along with interruptions, so flexibility is key here.
7. GET OUTSIDE
If all else fails and your family needs to emotionally reset, go outside to get some fresh air. And if that’s not enough to clear everyone’s heads for a fresh start, it’s okay to throw it all out the window and go for a walk instead – bonus points if you bring snacks! We all have off days, and forcing lessons will not be fun or effective. You can also turn it into a science lesson by talking about nature, animals, seasons or weather. That’s the beauty and freedom of homeschooling!
Some days feel more like surviving rather than thriving, but these tips are what have helped me in my homeschooling efforts with a newborn and toddler in tow. Let me know if you have anything else to add!
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