One of the things that worries me the most about my new home-schooling venture is:
What to do with the toddler.
Of course I have raised toddlers before. But if I have had a more active one, I don't know who that would be. Baby girl is ACTIVE.
She is a climber. She puts everything in her mouth and she is the most handsy baby I've ever had. There is NO stopping when she is awake.
Some ideas I've had are:
~Teach when she is asleep.
~Teach when she is eating.
~Take a lot of field trips.
~Have the boys "teach" her things they are learning (whether she understands - the point is they will keep her occupied while they are reinforcing what they have learned.)
So, what I need you for you to do is to give me ideas of other things that will occupy her busy body. Keep in mind that she eats crayons. And play dough.
What are some baby activities that can't be eaten?
6 comments:
Oh Amanda. :) I've been thinking "Homeschooling will be so much easier once Luke is a bit older!" and then it occurred to me during this post that he is just like your little one. Laugh right out loud. No advice, but I'll pray for you if you pray for me!!
What has helped me is to have "school boxes" for the toddler. Then only one thing is out at a time, and it's something special and fun. I have quite a few of those very large-sized pencil boxes from Target all with various activities that I bring out during school time. If she really likes to be running around I don't know if she would sit very long to play with them, but it's an idea. I will often put them in a high chair or booster with a try and let them do water colors, play dough, the "school boxes", etc. You could also save educational shows or videos for during that time.
I should add I only allow one box out at a time. Some of the boxes I have are those leap-frog magnet toys, I have the one where you match the two sides of the farm animals and the other is the three letter word building. I know your daughter is young, but the farm animal one works even if you get the pieces wrong. :)
I also have markers with coffee filters to color on, you can spray with water afterwards to make a tie dye picture.
Let's see, a hole punch with colored paper, colored pom poms with very large chopsticks and colored bowls, beads and pipe cleaners, stickers, chalk with black construction paper, a kit with all the supplies to make paper bag puppets, etc. You can google it and find lots of ideas online.
Thanks for the suggestions, Shyla! Maybe some of those will work. She is just over a year old, so most things get eaten - meaning anything paper gets torn up and swallowed...but large magnet toys might be a good distraction. as long as they don't fit in her mouth!
Jennifer, praying for you friend. I didn't remember that you are homeschooling too. (or maybe I skimmed that part since it "didn't apply" to me. Ha! ) We will definitely have to share ideas!
What about playing with tupperware/lids?
Have you seen these drawing pads: http://www.crayola.com/browse-products/my-first-crayola-marker-and-paper.aspx
Can you have some special books that are just for school time so they're her school books? Carolina will sit and look at books for a good 15 minutes and she is a busy little bee, too. What about a "quiet book"? Here is one a friend made:
http://shoutingforha.blogspot.com/2011/12/quiet-book-girly-version.html
Could your mom take her for a day or a half a day on a regular basis? It would be nice to know you'd have some chunk of time every day to concentrate solely on school for the boys. To be honest, this is the thing that intimidated me the most about home schooling. I just didn't know what on earth I would do with the little ones! But lots of moms do it and I know you can, too.
I LOVE that quiet book. Do you know if she sells them? I don't know if I could make one (or if I have time.) I love that it is a fabric book because she chews board books up...and eats them. !
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