Just when I was starting to get the hang of homeschooling our oldest daughter, I became
pregnant with our second daughter. Homeschooling through pregnancy was rough. I was
exhausted all the time and I was diagnosed (again) with hyperemesis gravidarum.
We had to readjust our homeschool routine a bit, and it basically revolved around naps and sickness. But we managed to get it done and still enjoy the creativity and flexibility that homeschooling offers.
I quickly learned the hard part was not being pregnant, or even trying to homeschool with a newborn in tow. No, friends, the hard part was when that baby was walking, grabbing things, and needed all of my attention, all of the time. Once again, we needed to readjust our homeschool routine.
First, I enlisted the help of our oldest daughter, who was 4 at the time. I would ask her to pick out two or three board books that we could all read together. She really enjoyed doing this and took finding the right books very seriously.
Next, I would have both girls snuggle up close to me and we would read the books together.
During our reading, I would ask them both questions about the pictures and the story. Afterward, I would look up 3 or 4 fun songs on Youtube to help us get moving. Roku and Amazon Fire Stick are perfect additions for homeschooling, but you could even just turn on the radio or make up your own fun songs. Here is a list of our favorite YouTube channels:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=super+simple+songs
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=baby+genius
https://www.youtube.com/c/KIBOOMU
Once we were wide awake and got the wiggles out of the way, we would move on to
schoolwork. Even my one-year-old had her own work to do. I would help my oldest understand directions or answer any questions she had, then give a simple activity to my youngest to do.
Activities ranged from picking up plastic Easter eggs and putting them in a basket, finding things in the I-Spy bag I made, or using plastic tongs to pick up pompoms. Whatever the activity, I made sure to let her know “This is schoolwork” and to make it fun. My goal was for her to associate the two (schoolwork = fun).
I know what you're thinking, or at least what I would be thinking, “Giving a one-year-old
schoolwork?!?”
The work itself wasn't my concern. My expectation was that she would feel included in our
day. My expectation was that I would help her love learning. My expectation was that she would feel proud of herself. And let me tell you friends, my expectations were most definitely met.
That one-year-old learned so many things by doing those simple activities. She learned hand-eye coordination, independent playing skills, sensory development, and gross motor skills. Each day we continued to build upon those skills.
That one-year-old baby is now 9. She has grown up with a love of learning and with empathy
and kindness for others. She is beyond all my expectations, and I could not be more proud of her.
It's important to include your younger children in the homeschool day. Not only is it
beneficial for them, but for the older children as well. My oldest daughter learned patience,
critical thinking skills, and emotion regulation while I helped my youngest daughter with
whatever she needed.
It's okay if you or your children need to take multiple breaks. It's okay if all the work you had
planned for the day didn’t get done. Remember, homeschooling allows creativity and flexibility. Know your reasons for homeschooling and understand your “why” and give yourself some grace.
Here are some of my daughter’s favorite toddler activities:
I purchased an insect kit and pompoms from the dollar store.
I made an I-spy kit using items I found around the house, and stored them in a Ziploc bag with duct tape.
Using a pipe cleaner and a few Cheerios, she made a bird feeder.
I made sure she was included in any science experiments.
And there was lots of painting. We used everything from forks and cotton swabs to marbles and aluminum foil.
There are millions of ideas available on Pinterest and other corners of the internet. Just pick a couple to start with, and then mix it up every week or so. What works one week may not be your child’s favorite the next. And that's okay! Pick something new and move forward!
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