For Moms with Toddlers

[Canadianmumof5]

For those of you who have homeschooled with toddlers running around......can you please respond to the poll :001_smile:

 

Our toddler is all over the place! He doesn't sit still for longer than 5 minutes; and it is so hard to get anything done when he is up! I spend the entire morning trying to keep him from getting into everything. Last year, he was still a baby so it was fairly easy to have time with the older kids. This year......oy-vay!

 

Just wondering which age you found the most challenging for your toddler, as it relates to trying to homeschool with them under foot.

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Haha! I don't mean to laugh at you, but....I so get it.

 

I've posted at least 2-3 of these posts in the last year :)

[Canadianmumof5]

I'm just hoping that it gets easier as they get older.......right? It does, doesn't it? I'm in the eye of the storm so to speak, right? HELP!! :tongue_smilie:

[Mommee & Baba]

For me it's 2-3 and even 3-4.

 

Baby stage was easier as I slung my ds while we did school. However now that he's almost 3 I find myself wanting to hide in a room and pretend I don't have a toddler running around like a rooster...:lol: But then when we stop and take a break he's the ONE guy who makes me just laugh so hard my stomach hurts!

 

However it makes our day extended because he's having to find other entertainment. I feel guilty at times and other times it's just the way our life is because we homeschool. Once we're done with school ds is a peachy boy. I will be glad when he can sit still longer than 5 minutes to do an educational activity! :)

[Meriwether]

I voted 1-2 because that is what I am dealing with now. My ds5 was a pain at 3, though. My older son was starting K that year so he lost his playmate during school hours, we moved, and we had a baby. I hope it was a hard year because of those things.

[ByGrace3]

I am finding this poll very discouraging. 2-3 has to be easier than this! it has too!!!!!!!!! :lol: I keep telling myself each month should be a little easier. This thread is not reinforcing that! :tongue_smilie: My 3 yo and baby last yr was a cake walk compared to the 15mo-22mo of the last few months!

 

Of course, we are potty training during an 11 performance Christmas pageant that dd is in, so I might be slightly frazzled right now! ;) :lol:

[Canadianmumof5]

I am finding this poll very discouraging. 2-3 has to be easier than this! it has too!!!!!!!!! :lol: I keep telling myself each month should be a little easier. This thread is not reinforcing that! :tongue_smilie: My 3 yo and baby last yr was a cake walk compared to the 15mo-22mo of the last few months!

 

Of course, we are potty training during an 11 performance Christmas pageant that dd is in, so I might be slightly frazzled right now! ;) :lol:

 

:iagree::iagree: I was so hoping that 1-2 was the most difficult.......(sigh).

[meggie]

For me he was hardest from 18-24 months. He had started climbing and was in to everything. He had no concept of self-preservation. Now he seems to understand the concept of gravity a little and tries not to get hurt. He's much safer than he used to be. I used to have to put him in his crib every time I fed baby girl because I didn't want him to get injured because I couldn't get to him.

[canadianmomtofour]

I said 2-3, but really 1-2 was just as difficult. The difference was at 2 mine stopped napping. Now my youngest is 3 1/2 and we still have challenging times, but overall things are finally starting to get easier. All I can say is take advantage of naptime!

[lailasmum]

Mine have never been nappers so I never got used to that but I would say 3 has been the hardest. With my son 2 was hard but 3 has been harder because he has the ability to actually acheive the chaos he has planned being stronger, taller and more co-ordinated.

[bluemongoose]

I voted 1-2.

 

They stop that morning nap that is so nice to school through during that age.

 

They are into everything, all the time!

 

You cannot convince them to sit still for an "educational show" so that you can move on with school.

 

Mine potty train around 2yo (at least that has been the common age here so far) which requires constant interruption and clean up!

 

They can still be really clingy and not want to find something quiet to play-independently!

 

They fall, trip, climb too high, get themselves into trouble all the time which requires my attention to patch boo boos and rescue them.

[Celia]

I voted 1-2, but really, I think it's from when they start walking/climbing up until about 3 years old!

[happyhomemaker25]

I've only dealt with 2 toddlers while homeschooling. My son was content to play most of the time in baby jail. It was easier when he was 2-3 because he could actually get involved in something outside of me or the other kids.

Right now my daughter is 1-2 and driving me crazy. She needs to be in the middle of everything. If we aren't paying enough attention she will climb up and be in the middle of the table coloring on someone's school work before we even see her.

[higginszoo]

Definitely 1-2. Before 1, they're pretty easily corralled. By two, I was able to get them distracted with activity bags and videos. Between, they're just busy little whirlwinds with zero attention span.

[CanaryMelody]

This poll should have a multiple choice option! For all 4 kids, ages 1-4 are hard for me. And each child seems to know how to get into more trouble than the last! :tongue_smilie: :lol:

[Guest]

When my youngest was between 1-3, I asked myself twenty times a day what in the WORLD I thought I was doing trying to homeschool. I was constantly going crazy; matter of fact, I just pitched a tent and stayed there!

[EmmaNZ]

I haven't voted because I wasn't sure which to choose. Also, I think it depends on the child,and when they decide it is a good time to kick up a stink!

 

Most of the time from 1 until 4 is hard work, just different challenges. My 18 month old is not too crazy, but he's a screamer - nobody can concentrate until he decides to stop. My current 3 year old is so keen to join us, bless him, but can't manage very much yet which he finds frustrating. When my dd was 3 she was pretty easy, but again there was the challenge of finding 'work' for her.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I voted 1-2, but only because that is the age of my own toddler. If you ask me in a year, my answer may be different. :D

[Maus]

I'm another one who voted 1-2 because that's the age I'm dealing with now. (She's turning two in three weeks.) Before she was one, she played pretty happily in the same room as us, and we just did homeschool on large t.v. trays in the living room.

 

This last year has been difficult, because she wants constant input.

 

I am having a glimmer of hope, though, because last week, I set up her own t.v. tray and gave her a coloring book and crayons and she happily colored all the way through math. So, she's getting her own "schoolwork" for Christmas (haven't decided what, yet, but things like puzzles, and simple workbooks, etc.) She's in the "Me do it" stage, so I think she'll be happy doing what she perceives as her own work.

 

Also, she's just caught on to simple characters and plot lines, so I can distract her with "Thomas" or BluesClues videos, to some extent, because the older kids tend to start watching, too.

[sewingmama]

2-3 because he is now down to 1 nap a day and he is just old enough that he is semi interested in what we are doing so wants to be "involved" by throwing stuff everywhere at the table.

 

He's also big enough to get into a LOT of trouble on his own and nothing can contain him - too big for playpen or gates -climbs right out/over them.

 

And nothing holds his attention for more then a minute.

 

It' the worst age :001_huh:

[MathGirl]

For me, 1-2 is most difficult. DD is 3 and is great about keeping herself occupied while I do school with the older one. DS just turned 2 and has been (and still is) so hard to manage. Maybe it's because he's a boy/more energetic (and is also very attached to his mama, whereas the girls have always been more independent), but I'm really hoping things will start getting easier as he gets a bit older.

[angela in ohio]

1-2

 

They want to do things, but they can't quite do them on their own. I think it is the hardest age overall. I've long said that the hardest time was 10-20 months. By 2, they can sit and play quietly on their own for a while. But at 1, they are looking for trouble. :D Also, by 2, they could take longer naps, which gave us more one-on-one time.

[coffeegal]

I voted 1-2, but really, I think it's from when they start walking/climbing up until about 3 years old!

 

:iagree:

[Canadianmumof5]

I don't think the poll results are very comforting.

So basically next year is going to be more of the same :willy_nilly: ??

Great.

[BigMamaBird]

Three year olds are crazy! Everyone talks about the Terrible Twos, but with all of my kids, the hardest age has been three. They're mobile, they're fearless, they're asserting their own developing little personality. One minute they're cuddly, sweet little angels, the next minute they're feral little ebola monkeys!

[ThreeBlessings]

I don't think the poll results are very comforting.

So basically next year is going to be more of the same :willy_nilly: ??

Great.

 

 

:grouphug: It totally depends on the child, environment, etc. You'll find ways to cope and grow as you do. For me 2-3 has been harder mostly because my youngest dd is not the extremely active, climber, get into everything type (otherwise I'm sure 1-2 would have been harder). She is a very bright girl and I've found it hard to give her my best and my time when school has to happen for the older two, and dinner must happen, and cleaning must happen, well you get the point. I have found I have to make plans for her for the week on Sunday just as I do for the older kids. I set up workboxes for her, make file folders, gather match games, counting cubes, board games she can play with me and have activities set out for us to do together. She loves worksheets also, lol, so she will sit with us when she wants and do school as long as I set that up as an option for her. She's almost 4 and I have a pretty good handle on things now, so long as I pay attention, plan ahead, and use my super hero mommy skills. :)

[Sevilla]

Age 1-2 was so hard - I have never faced a more challenging parenting stage. The toddler was mobile, active, into EVERYTHING and had the attention span of a minute which meant a LOT Of messes and getting inton things, and lto of repetition of teaching them not to climb furniture, pulling them out of the closet, etc... I really disliked the 'active but with little impulse control to regulate themselve' stage.

 

Once age 2 hit? Everything was 10x easier. They had longer attention spans, they no longer were a crazy monkey, they could listen to verbal instructions some of the time without my having to physically follow through with each direction. They could sit and participate for short sections of lessons. They could help me with things and be entertained by coloring pages.

 

I would never.ever have thought that age 1-2 would be so hard, but conversely age 2-3 was significantly easier - so it will get better!

[ByGrace3]

I would never.ever have thought that age 1-2 would be so hard, but conversely age 2-3 was significantly easier - so it will get better!

 

Thank you! :thumbup1:

[Canadianmumof5]

:grouphug: It totally depends on the child, environment, etc. You'll find ways to cope and grow as you do. For me 2-3 has been harder mostly because my youngest dd is not the extremely active, climber, get into everything type (otherwise I'm sure 1-2 would have been harder). She is a very bright girl and I've found it hard to give her my best and my time when school has to happen for the older two, and dinner must happen, and cleaning must happen, well you get the point. I have found I have to make plans for her for the week on Sunday just as I do for the older kids. I set up workboxes for her, make file folders, gather match games, counting cubes, board games she can play with me and have activities set out for us to do together. She loves worksheets also, lol, so she will sit with us when she wants and do school as long as I set that up as an option for her. She's almost 4 and I have a pretty good handle on things now, so long as I pay attention, plan ahead, and use my super hero mommy skills. :)

 

And where can I find/buy these super hero mommy skills?? Chunky Monkey doesn't colour, he eats the crayons; he won't sit and watch TV, he will turn it on & off with the remote control 50X; he won't play with the hundreds of toys we have, but he will pull everything out from the cupboards; he can reach everything on the counters (I have 2 broken glasses in the sink just this week alone!); and he can't be left unsupervised for a minute or he wreaks havoc, seriously. Now having said all of that - he is the cutest little thing, clears his own dishes from the table, picks up any food he dropped & puts it in the trash, LOVES LOVES LOVES his siblings, and naps for 3 hours every afternoon.

 

I really shouldn't be complaining - when the older 3 were his age, I was working full time (by choice - so dumb) :( I missed out on all this with the others. I should be thankful every day for the opportunity to be home with him. One day he will be a big boy like DS10 and I will wonder where the time went.

[meggie]

And where can I find/buy these super hero mommy skills?? Chunky Monkey doesn't colour, he eats the crayons; he won't sit and watch TV, he will turn it on & off with the remote control 50X; he won't play with the hundreds of toys we have, but he will pull everything out from the cupboards; he can reach everything on the counters (I have 2 broken glasses in the sink just this week alone!); and he can't be left unsupervised for a minute or he wreaks havoc, seriously. Now having said all of that - he is the cutest little thing, clears his own dishes from the table, picks up any food he dropped & puts it in the trash, LOVES LOVES LOVES his siblings, and naps for 3 hours every afternoon.

 

I really shouldn't be complaining - when the older 3 were his age, I was working full time (by choice - so dumb) :( I missed out on all this with the others. I should be thankful every day for the opportunity to be home with him. One day he will be a big boy like DS10 and I will wonder where the time went.

Ohhh...don't be hard on yourself :grouphug::grouphug: Super Mommy skills come with practice. If he's the first one you've been home with, you're just discovering all these "wonderful" things he's doing. Transitioning to being at home is hard, but it will be worth it. You sound like you're doing great. Heck, my son loves to throw food on the floor and it's such a nightmare to make him pick it up. So at least you've got that ;). I honestly have to tell myself constantly that someday I'll miss it. I've also taken to keeping a journal for them. I keep track of the cute things they do because it's easy to forget when they're being monsters. And I'm absolutely positive that children are so deliciously adorable at that age as a survival technique. Someone's gotta love and forgive that child with that little devilish grin and mischievous twinkle in the eye. Someday it'll pass. And you'll have a whole host of other worries with them :lol:

[Tohru]

I voted 1-2, but really, I think it's from when they start walking/climbing up until about 3 years old!

 

:iagree: After 3yo, it's a lot more fun and easy.

[silliness7]

It depends on the toddler. ime, it's usually about 15mos. until age 3. But I had one who was just peachy until she hit 3 and then the fun began. :glare:

 

I voted 1-2. My current 2yo is almost 3 and he's getting easier by leaps and bounds. Now I would like to get him out of diapers.

[Annie Laurie]

1-2

 

They want to do things, but they can't quite do them on their own. I think it is the hardest age overall. I've long said that the hardest time was 10-20 months. By 2, they can sit and play quietly on their own for a while. But at 1, they are looking for trouble. :D Also, by 2, they could take longer naps, which gave us more one-on-one time.

 

This.

 

I remember when my now 7 yr old hit 2, he got a lot better about being occupied with Playdough and such.

 

My current little one is 12 months and he spends all day getting into disgusting things or climbing things. Or whining to nurse or be held.

 

ETA: I agree though that 3 is when it's finally way easier. At 2 they still have short attention spans. At 3 my kids loved to participate in school and do whatever we did. No problems at all by then. So only 2 more years for me! (laugh. cry.)

 

Oh, and I also have to say that my baby has been a mess from 6 months on. That's when he was really good at crawling and started pulling up at 7 months and he was grabbing stuff off the tables, eating paper and books constantly, and just into everything already.

Edited December 6, 2011 by Annie Laurie

[ThreeBlessings]

And where can I find/buy these super hero mommy skills?? Chunky Monkey doesn't colour, he eats the crayons; he won't sit and watch TV, he will turn it on & off with the remote control 50X; he won't play with the hundreds of toys we have, but he will pull everything out from the cupboards; he can reach everything on the counters (I have 2 broken glasses in the sink just this week alone!); and he can't be left unsupervised for a minute or he wreaks havoc, seriously. Now having said all of that - he is the cutest little thing, clears his own dishes from the table, picks up any food he dropped & puts it in the trash, LOVES LOVES LOVES his siblings, and naps for 3 hours every afternoon.

 

I really shouldn't be complaining - when the older 3 were his age, I was working full time (by choice - so dumb) :( I missed out on all this with the others. I should be thankful every day for the opportunity to be home with him. One day he will be a big boy like DS10 and I will wonder where the time went.

 

 

I was bitten by a radioactive hedgehog and I have no control over when the super powers kick in, sigh. :)

 

Seriously though, it is definitely a lot to do with the child. You sound like you have an active one on your hands. Ds was like that. It was a trial mostly between 1-2. He was into everything, climbing everything, etc, but was also super sweet. It does help to try to remind yourself of all of the wonderfully positive things. :) My dd who is almost 4 stopped napping before she was two and when she did nap before that I had to hold her and usually rock and/or nurse her the entire time to get her to sleep. I was actually glad for naptime to go!

[LindaOz]

I put 1-2 because that is where we are right now and I can't remember which was the hardest age with the others (maybe I've just blocked it out of my memory...:tongue_smilie: ).

 

My dd is nearly 19 months and i'm finding that it helps to have a routine for her that fits in with 'school time'. After breakfast, I try to spend some time with her while the other kids do morning jobs. Then she has 'blanket time' with toys in the lounge room while I do some school with my next youngest. After a while we move downstairs to our study area where dd1 goes in the play pen for awhile. Next, she plays with toys on the bottom shelf in our study that are there especially for her at that time of day.

 

By this time, one of the older kids are usually ready to take a break and play baby sitter for awhile which gives me a chance to continue with others. Sometimes dd1 will sit on a older child's lap and color (scribble) while big sister reads or whatever. I don't know how they concentrate, but they seem to cope alright.

 

Dd1 usually goes for a sleep in the late morning or early afternoon and this is our quiet time where everyone goes off to read on their own - including me. This is really the only way I get a break. It's tempting to use it for school work but I'm really enjoying having that hour of quiet. Dd1 is sometimes still asleep long enough to do some more work after quiet time.

 

So, anyway, I'm finding that training my toddler into a routine that works around our school time has been the most beneficial.

[JessReplanted]

My kids are not toddlers anymore, but I remember those days well!

 

I voted 1-2 was the hardest. I remember trying to school my oldest as much as I could when the younger two were napping.

 

And, I also made the entire downstairs a 'safe zone' (as much as possible). So they could run around and get into things without me worrying too much.

 

And videos... those Leapfrog videos were my best friends. :lol: (My youngest knew all of her letter sounds by 1 1/2 because of those videos.)