If you have REALLY BUSY littles...

[WarriorMama]

...I need help!!

 

I know I've posted before about my very active son (now 3.5). Now my baby, who is 13 months, has fully morphed into a toddler, and her sole ambition in life is to keep up with big brother.

 

I'm having a really, really hard time getting any work done with my 7yo. It's like trying to get school done in a house full of human tornados. They are JUST NUTS. They come up with new stuff to destroy faster than I can keep up. They climb like baby mountain goats. 3yo can open gates, undo buckles and child locks...you name it. If they are not working together to destroy the universe, they are annoying the crap out of each other, knocking one another down, or screaming because they both want the same toy. I am :willy_nilly::willy_nilly: ALL THE TIME. Oh, the chaos. The CHAOTIC CHAOS. :lol:

 

The usual suggestions for toddler activities don't work so well. A container with rice or beans to scoop means the whole room takes a rice shower, then they kick it around. They don't want to color, or play with toys, or do ANYTHING that involves staying still or being remotely quiet. And that's fine. If they were my only two I would take them all over the place and let them run off steam. I can't figure out how to balance them with homeschooling.

 

Help? Ideas? Thoughts? :bigear:

 

For the record, we do have quiet time every day (1yo naps, 3yo watches a movie), but I'd really rather not use it for school...it's the only break I get all day and it kind of saves my sanity!

[meggie]

No real advice, only sympathy and :grouphug:. We're about to be starting that phase as Chuck gets more and more mobile and more and more curious. If it were just Digby, it would be easy enough to bring him into the school fold so to speak, but I've got to keep my eye on her now. I'm not sure what I'll do either. More :grouphug:

[WarriorMama]

No real advice, only sympathy and :grouphug:. We're about to be starting that phase as Chuck gets more and more mobile and more and more curious. If it were just Digby, it would be easy enough to bring him into the school fold so to speak, but I've got to keep my eye on her now. I'm not sure what I'll do either. More :grouphug:

 

Thanks!! It's certainly an intense stage...

[Mrs Mungo]

Get the book Montessori Play and Learn. There are TONS of suggestions. However, with things like scooping rice? It's important to go through the idea that it's a lesson and that it has a purpose, a beginning and an end.

 

For example, dye some macaroni different colors. Get some plastic bowls of the same colors (or you can put a circle of colored paper in the bottom of white bowls). Give the macaroni in one big bowl. Give him some children's chopsticks. Have him transfer them from the big bowl into the smaller, colored bowls. So, blue macaronis go into the blue bowl. Once the macaronis are all sorted, the lesson is finished and the macaronis are poured back into the bigger bowl.

 

The other idea? Have you considered preschool? Three is a really busy age. My kids went to preschool a couple of days a week at age 3. I realize it's controversial with the homeschooling crowd. But, it made it much easier to get to those more difficult subjects. If you have family around, maybe grandma would be willing to take the littles one day a week? We chose a preschool just down the street (we walked to it). It wasn't academic or anything. They played, painted, ran around on the playground, did circle time, etc. It was fun for them, and it was a good break for me to work with the older(s).

[MedicMom]

I dont have advice, but I am right there too...I can't get anything done because my 21-month-old is literally trying to climb the window blinds if I turn my back for 30 seconds. My MIL calls him a tornado, which is accurate considering the trails of destruction he leaves in his wake.

I have no idea how I will manage once this baby is born. :grouphug:

[saraha]

Here is what I am doing, but it doesn't always work, so please take it for what it is;)

 

I have an almost two year old and a four year old in addition to 4 older kids. When I have a time of the day when I need to focus solely on one child for half an hour or so, I put the littlest one in the play pen with loud toys that are only played with in the play pen, like his singing electronic piano, a rain stick, a tambourine-etc. Then I give the 4 year old 3-4 activities to choose from and she may only do those things- if she chooses to abandon those and make a mess or something, it becomes a discipline issue. Then I hyper focus and we work as quick as we can. Some days, like today, the baby was in the play pen making tons of racket and the four year old was building an obstacle course with all of the pillows and cushions in the house and making her toys go through it. It made a mess, but a controlled one, and when she tried to pull things into it I had put off limits, she got a warning, which she decided to heed. It bought us almost an hour before the baby started crying to get out. He was enjoying throwing his toys out into the obstacle course and my girl made it part of her game to rescue them and return them. I use the play pen judiciously so that he is not in it all of the time and that the toys that are in there are only played with when he is in it to keep it sort of fresh.

Also, I keep a lot of our toys out of reach so that I have control of what is out and available to be palyed with, that way they aren't stringing legos from one end of the house to the other on top of playfood and playdough and board games, otherwise, this is exactly what she would do and she has already lost a bunch of the pieces to my older kids board games. She is also the reason all of the art supplies are in a tackle box on top of the fridge :tongue_smilie:. Sometimes I feel like a toy prison guard, but it has helped immensely.

[JudoMom]

...I need help!!

 

I know I've posted before about my very active son (now 3.5). Now my baby, who is 13 months, has fully morphed into a toddler, and her sole ambition in life is to keep up with big brother.

 

I'm having a really, really hard time getting any work done with my 7yo. It's like trying to get school done in a house full of human tornados. They are JUST NUTS. They come up with new stuff to destroy faster than I can keep up. They climb like baby mountain goats. 3yo can open gates, undo buckles and child locks...you name it. If they are not working together to destroy the universe, they are annoying the crap out of each other, knocking one another down, or screaming because they both want the same toy. I am :willy_nilly::willy_nilly: ALL THE TIME. Oh, the chaos. The CHAOTIC CHAOS. :lol:

 

The usual suggestions for toddler activities don't work so well. A container with rice or beans to scoop means the whole room takes a rice shower, then they kick it around. They don't want to color, or play with toys, or do ANYTHING that involves staying still or being remotely quiet. And that's fine. If they were my only two I would take them all over the place and let them run off steam. I can't figure out how to balance them with homeschooling.

 

Help? Ideas? Thoughts? :bigear:

 

For the record, we do have quiet time every day (1yo naps, 3yo watches a movie), but I'd really rather not use it for school...it's the only break I get all day and it kind of saves my sanity!

 

I'd recommend aiming for survival and then the basics only (reading, writing, math) for your oldest. At age 7 this should take well under 2 hours, more like an hour, probably. It's hard with preschoolers/toddlers, and even harder with an especially busy one (my 4th was one of those :willy_nilly:). In the long run it won't matter if your oldest has formal history or science or anything else at age 7 or age 8 (I found that around 4-4.5 my boys became a bit more reasonable). Just survive, and try to enjoy the ride.

[Shellydon]

I get school done by hiring a homeschooled teen to come over twice a week for two hours each time. I also do school outside a lot and let the littles run and play. When the youngest napped, I would get in as much school as possible then. It is very hard!

[WarriorMama]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I don't have time to individually reply to them all (crazy toddlers and all, lol), but I REALLY APPRECIATE all the advice!

 

 

t

I'd recommend aiming for survival and then the basics only (reading, writing, math) for your oldest. At age 7 this should take well under 2 hours, more like an hour, probably. It's hard with preschoolers/toddlers, and even harder with an especially busy one (my 4th was one of those :willy_nilly:). In the long run it won't matter if your oldest has formal history or science or anything else at age 7 or age 8 (I found that around 4-4.5 my boys became a bit more reasonable). Just survive, and try to enjoy the ride.

 

That's pretty much what we're doing now, because we can't seem to get through more than the essentials. The guilt is KILLING ME, though. My eldest is relatively advanced and she LOVES school and learning and activities and projects and all that stuff I just can't get done. I feel like I'm doing a crappy job and letting her down educationally. :(

Edited February 27, 2012 by WarriorMama
Phone typos!

[JudoMom]

That's pretty much what we're doing now, because we can't seem to get through more than the essentials. The guilt is KILLING ME, though. My eldest is relatively advanced and she LOVES school and learning and activities and projects and all that stuff I just can't get done. I feel like I'm doing a crappy job and letting her down educationally. :(

 

Trust me...as one who has BTDT, let the guilt go and enjoy it. Please :001_smile:.

[kathkath]

join the y and put them in childcare while you work with your oldest. That's what I have been known to do :)

[WarriorMama]

Trust me...as one who has BTDT, let the guilt go and enjoy it. Please :001_smile:.

 

Well, I can try! ;)

 

It's sunny and warm here today after a bout of nasty weather, so I think after quiet time we're going to go to the park and play...and NOT feel bad about the work we didn't manage to get to today! We could all use some sunshine, I think. :)

[Gentlemommy]

Ugh. I feel your pain! I have an almost 7 year old (with attention issues no less, so any noise or distractions make it virtually impossible for her to focus:001_huh:) a just turned 4 year old and a 16 month old. The two littles are very similar to yours OP. It is utter chaos around here most days!

I too, am hesitant to give up the quiet time, it's the only time I can just SIT and relax for an hour. Plus by that time of day, my eldest is tired as well and really needs to unwind...if her concentration was bad in the morning, it is a thousand times worse by afternoon!

What I've done-

Baby gate the school room. At least I know where everyone is this way.

 

We have Expedit shelving from Ikea, one small 2x2 one that holds four baskets of baby toys. We also have the wooden slide from Ikea in there. Just being in there buys me a few minutes, because during the rest of the day, it's gated and off limits.

 

I have a basket that holds about 25 gallon sized baggies of preschool activities for my 4 year old. She can choose which ever she likes, and she can do however many she likes. The rules for that are- 1.She must stay at the table, and 2.Only one baggie/activity out at a time.

 

I switch off working with each of the big girls. So I will put dd2 'in charge' of dd3 for ten minutes. She takes her to dd3's room, where there is a kitchen set, and some dolls and blocks, and they play in there. I have a monitor in there so I can hear them. I do any hard teaching for dd1 at this time, explaining new math concepts, working on phonics (this requires a lot of focus for her), or dictating her spelling words. Then they switch, dd1 takes dd3 off to play and I work with dd2 on her ETC or MEP.

 

Snacks at the highchair buys me a few minutes. The two big girls can work at the table for that.

 

I have dd1 read to dd2 while I nurse the baby.

 

Do you have a fenced in yard? Can you sit with the oldest one outside and let the littles just run around out there? We don't have a fence in our rental, but I sometimes do this at the park. Usually I bring just stuff she really loves to do, since the temptation of running off to play is greater at the park lol.so we bring extra history or science read alouds, projects or crafts we just can't get to with the little ones underfoot, ect.

 

 

I'll be watching this thread fornmore ideas...most days I feel like I'm barely hanging on!!!:tongue_smilie:

[*Inna*]

I don't have much advice, just wanted to say I sympathize.

Do you have a fenced in yard? Can you sit with the oldest one outside and let the littles just run around out there

:iagree:

I have one of those tornado kids, can't imagine having 2. Being outside works well for us.

[Mrs Mungo]

Another idea that I've mentioned before?

 

Search etsy for Waldorf or Montessori. People have put together loads of great games. If you have extra cash, buy some of them. If you have extra time, check it out and see what you can make yourself. If you have neither, maybe you have a dh, sister or someone who could help out?

[momto3boys]

Mine are 5, 3, and 6 months now but I have found "divide and conquer" to be a useful tool...my older boys feed off each other, if they start to get hyper it snowballs until they are bouncing off the walls. I also try to get lots and lots of outside active time early in the day whenever possible-we've been known to be out in the backyard at 6am playing!

 

Good luck!

[Momof3littles]

DS2 spent a lot of time in an Ergo on my back. Not always fun for either of us, but he was attended to, safe, and not destroying the house or climbing on tables.

 

Now that's he's approaching two, he's getting better about sitting for a few mins to do a fine motor activity, playing in a sensory bin, etc. He will also play in the basement playroom with my 5 yo for short stints (train table, etc.) while I work with my 8 yo. Around 2-2.5 IME it is easier to engage them in little activities.

[WarriorMama]

Thanks so much again, everybody! Even knowing I'm not the only one dealing with the CRAZINESS is really kind of reassuring. :)

[AK_Mom4]

How about early or late? Can you get the 7yo up in the morning before the other two and do school in pajamas? Can you let the 7yo stay up an extra hour at night after the other two go down? It's amazing what can be accomplished with even one quiet hour's work and then bits-and-pieces throughout the day. I really like the "work outside" idea - we do this once the weather gets nice.

[LMD]

Lol at rice shower. I totally feel your pain! I'm trying to do 2nd and K with my olders, and my 18 month old baby is mr. destruction. This child pulls stunts my others wouldn't have dared! Just last night I quickly stopped him trying to put a fork (that he grabbed from the counter while my back was turned) into the electrical socket. The other day he got a hold of DH's razor and tried to copy him 'shaving' - he has some nice cuts on his face now, but he didn't care, he was more interested in wiping the blood everywhere! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

 

I don't have complete answers - beyond 'ride it out' but here's what helps a little here. Firstly I make sure to spend some time with just him in the morning, I set aside a time to sit and read to him. He's also usually the first up so we spend a little time in the morning together.

I try to take them all outside in the morning, down to the park for some fresh air.

I packed up all his toys into idividual boxes in another room. Pulling out one box at a time helps with the wow factor and keeps him entertained longer (I can get about 10-15mins out of him this way). I do the same with big toys, packed up in a box in another room and pull them out one at a time.

I put him in his highchair with some paper & crayons and let him at it.

We have an enclosed pergola area where we do the majority of our school work, he can run amok in there (mini trampoline, bike etc.)

And Food! Bribe with snacks and sesame street lol.

He's so on the go that he generally also naps for about 1.5-2hrs a day and I do use that time for school. I take a break when he's up again in the afternoon, I send the big kids for a rest time and let him run around my feet while I try to stay awake!

 

And speak of the little angel, he just woke up!

[Stayseeliz]

I try to do some reading aloud at the breakfast table while my 11mo is happy and busily eating away in the high chair. Then I have the two oldest work on their workbooks until she goes down for a nap. During naptime we finish up reading aloud and do science. I am planning on doing the pack and play thing too. Today she didn't nap long and was up before we finished our read alouds. I told DH when he got home that she was a good visual illustration while we were studying the Mongols and Ghengis Khan. She went about destroying and attacking everything in her path! She's sooo busy!