Do you do anything with your preschooler?

[PeacefulChaos]

Not education-wise. I see all the 'tot packs' and 'preschool packs' and they make me want to bang my head against the wall. Same with letter of the week type stuff - I bought into the whole idea of doing fun little school type stuff with Pink for about 3 weeks when we started homeschooling (in 2011 :lol: - 2012 I totally knew better!) and then realized it was just not worth it. So I'm not talking about that.

Here's my dilemma: When the boys are doing their school work, she's, like, the lowest on the totem pole. She does great playing by herself (most of the time!) or coloring or whatnot. But I guess I just kind of feel bad because, like, today, we had school this morning - she got in trouble a bit, we had lunch, she took a nap, she woke up and I was making dinner, then I left and didn't get home til an hour before bedtime, to discover things in disarray and not how I felt they should be an hour before bedtime ( lol) and then she got in trouble again, and overall I was just left feeling like on days when I'm homeschooling the boys I just don't interact with her much, and when I do it's usually really light and superficial (Oh, thank you for this cup of tea! It's delicious! or Oh, yes, you can color - yes, you can use the markers - yes, I like your picture of me - etc...) or it's because she's in trouble. Granted, she doesn't get in trouble much - not usually even every day, I'm pretty reasonable about what a 3 year old can and can't be expected to do ;) - but Idk... I just want to have more time with her, kwim? Like I'm thinking, 'Is she going to think that when the boys were doing school that mom was just mean/didn't care/whatever'?

So anyway, go easy on me. I'm trying to think of what to do with her - and WHEN (that's the BIG thing) - where I'm actually investing in her. Any ideas are appreciated. :) (well... as long as you're nice to me. :D )

:lurk5:

[blondeviolin]

My three-year-old is a cling-on. She is constantly with me. Still, the whole reason we are doing the What Your Preschooler Needs to Know activity book is because she loves it! It's open-and-go (cut-outs and stickers in the back!), lots of reading and singing, etc. It takes us all of 5 minutes, which leaves me time to read a book or two to her, and let her do he letter thing. Our letter theme is simple: On Monday, she colors page. On Wednesday, she pokes the letters. On Friday, we do a letter craft (which is part of our fun school time and the olders love to do too). All of this takes somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes. She LOVES that she has her own time with me. She also sits in on science or history as she desires.

 

I will say, Friday mornings (when we do our letter craft) are completely geared towards her. She typically tags along with the olders school, but on Friday, they tag along with "her school."

 

Between that and her always being right. next. to. me. she has plenty of time with Mom.

[Aoife]

TONS of montessori :D I am constantly making new trays and such and new activities for him to work on while we school. I just have a bunch of small bookshelves with lots of various montessori style activities that he can cycle through during the day. Then when big brother is working independently I will break out a rug and we will do some montessori demos which gives him something to work on throughout that week. He loves it and it works very well for us!

 

I have the montessori at home book and there are a ton of montessori resources on the internet. I also have a few other books I got from amazon that were fantastic!

 

You can make a lot of montessori stuff on your own or you can buy stuff from places like montessori outlet, allison's montessori, kind advance and so forth.

[Embassy]

Maybe you can try to schedule in 20 minutes a couple times a day where it is her "school" time. Just use that time to play with her. Follow her lead. Does she want a tea party? If yes, then do that. If she wants to color then color with her.

[Nart]

My three-year-old is a cling-on. She is constantly with me. Still, the whole reason we are doing the What Your Preschooler Needs to Know activity book is because she loves it! It's open-and-go (cut-outs and stickers in the back!), lots of reading and singing, etc. It takes us all of 5 minutes, which leaves me time to read a book or two to her, and let her do he letter thing. Our letter theme is simple: On Monday, she colors page. On Wednesday, she pokes the letters. On Friday, we do a letter craft (which is part of our fun school time and the olders love to do too). All of this takes somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes. She LOVES that she has her own time with me. She also sits in on science or history as she desires.

 

My three year old loves What Your Preschooler Needs to Know Activity Book. I love it because it really is open and go. He sees me working with my five year old and says " I want to do my reading! I want to do math!" So even though the activity book isn't really a math or reading book he is happy to get the attention and I don't have to scrabble to find ideas. Activities are reading a poem, story, or song in the main book then doing an a related activity. For example, in the main book there is the song "There was on old lady who swallowed a fly". Then the activity book has cut-outs of all the animals to put into her stomach.

[Wabi Sabi]

I'm planning on using the free Wee Folk Art curriculum with my 4 year old this year. It seems very sweet and age appropriate, nothing too over the top. Really it's just a way for her to have something of her "own" and because she wants to do school like a big kid. I also want to be better this year about always having two or three Montessori works set out on trays for her to do at any time and then rotate them frequently.

[FromA2Z]

Well, I only have a 4 and almost 3 y.o; so I am in a different situation than you. But FWIW this is what I think. Dedicate at least an hour of "school" to her each day. Now this does not have to look anything like school..but in your mind dedicate it as such, so it gets done. It is just as important for her to have mommy time with you for her development as it is for your olders to have time with you learning math and reading.

 

You do NOT have to do printables/worksheets, but I would recommend looking at some of those sites for some of the ACTIVITIES they do. Montessori ideas are great but you may be pressed for time making some of the items. Look at getting some educational toys, puzzles, dress-up, blocks, shape sorters, & games. I take things I have and dedicate for school time only: usually these are things that have many parts - using them only for school helps keep all the parts together and my boys look forward to these toys and "school time". Use these things to help gently and informally instruct on colors, shapes, numbers, letters, and develop gross and fine motor skills. Painting and play-doh are the most do's every day in my house. If she likes to do "crafts" do one a week with her.

 

Sing songs, play make-believe, and read lots of books. I use Before Five in a Row to help me lead into a "teaching time". Again you do not have to printables or worksheets with any of this. This month I'm reading the BFIAR books that have bears. I have extra books on bears, forests, caves, etc. We just talk informally about these things -play act, etc. I also think it is very important to do outside physical activity together, catching/kicking balls, pushing her in a swing, walking together and pointing out things you see, etc.

 

I think the most important thing is to simply spending time having fun, playing games, exploring things and reading together one on one. Again I don't have to worry about olders to keep on schedule, so it's easy for me to say. It may be that in order to get things done, her time with you may have to be sacrificed just make sure that it's not ALWAYS her time that's getting sacrificed.

 

BTW I personally use a lot of printables with my eldest b/c he loves them...my youngest none at all.

[Mom-ninja.]

Not education-wise. I see all the 'tot packs' and 'preschool packs' and they make me want to bang my head against the wall. Same with letter of the week type stuff - I bought into the whole idea of doing fun little school type stuff with Pink for about 3 weeks when we started homeschooling (in 2011 :lol: - 2012 I totally knew better!) and then realized it was just not worth it. So I'm not talking about that.

Here's my dilemma: When the boys are doing their school work, she's, like, the lowest on the totem pole. She does great playing by herself (most of the time!) or coloring or whatnot. But I guess I just kind of feel bad because, like, today, we had school this morning - she got in trouble a bit, we had lunch, she took a nap, she woke up and I was making dinner, then I left and didn't get home til an hour before bedtime, to discover things in disarray and not how I felt they should be an hour before bedtime ( lol) and then she got in trouble again, and overall I was just left feeling like on days when I'm homeschooling the boys I just don't interact with her much, and when I do it's usually really light and superficial (Oh, thank you for this cup of tea! It's delicious! or Oh, yes, you can color - yes, you can use the markers - yes, I like your picture of me - etc...) or it's because she's in trouble. Granted, she doesn't get in trouble much - not usually even every day, I'm pretty reasonable about what a 3 year old can and can't be expected to do ;) - but Idk... I just want to have more time with her, kwim? Like I'm thinking, 'Is she going to think that when the boys were doing school that mom was just mean/didn't care/whatever'?

So anyway, go easy on me. I'm trying to think of what to do with her - and WHEN (that's the BIG thing) - where I'm actually investing in her. Any ideas are appreciated. :) (well... as long as you're nice to me. :D )

:lurk5:

 

 

I could have written your post. I feel the exact same way! It makes me very sad when I think of all the time I had to spend with my two other boys when they were infants/toddler/preschooler that I don't have to spend on my youngest.

 

Once I tried to vent to my mom about my feelings. Big mistake. She said, "It's your fault you don't spend quality time with him. If you put your older boys in school then you would be able to properly give him the time he deserves."

 

Talk about pouring salt into my wound! :glare:

[Mom-ninja.]

I have the montessori at home book

 

I used to have that book. Gave it away. Cause, you know, I was done having kids. :glare:

 

 

I checked out Mudpies to Magnets from the library for ideas.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Kleine Hexe

[BugsMama]

I give the little ones school time. We call FIAR "Doodle's special school" and he gets that 30 min of attention. He loves it. I have time scheduled in for baby too- she gets time in the afternoon while the boys play.

[kimnjed]

I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!!!!! I too, could have written that post. I have 2 doing school work and 2 toddlers. I feel the exact same way. What I tried to do towards the end of last year and will try again (we took summer off) is to give the lots of cuddle time first thing in the morning. I try to be deliberate about couch time with them before we hit the ground running on school. Then before nap I cuddle them again. I'm not talking large chunks of time, just a little time that is devoted to the littles when I'm not distracted.

 

I know they aren't getting as much of my attention as my two big kids got as toddlers, but they know they are loved and don't seem to be suffering :) If they get extra whiny or fussy I know they just need a few minutes of Mommy time and then they are off and running again.

 

All that to say, I understand and I'm listening in for good ideas too!

[Tanikit]

I think this is not so much about preschool as about feeling you have spent enough time with each of your children and that no one is getting left out. My nearly 5 year old does seem to get much more one on one time with me - she's more vocal and more demanding of my attention and I have had to really make an effort to spend time with my toddler. I do try to have a separate reading time with her where we look at picture books together and she spends a lot of time with me when I am cleaning the house or making meals. I have also made sure that when reading to the toddler the oldest is allowed to be around, but she is not allowed to interrupt - she can listen but she cannot take over as this is the youngest's time. My youngest does however like joining in with crafts and scribbling on anything my oldest is busy with and she has had to be taught that she can't - she must draw on her own paper then. I also try to play games with both together and adapt games the oldest wants to play so that the youngest can also take part. I do include the toddler in parts of school time - we have a singing session in the morning with actions so she can take part and she is allowed to sit at her big sister's table and draw while big sister does Math.

[sewingmama]

:grouphug:

 

I can sympathise - I often feel like I haven't interacted with my 3yo much during the day either.

 

When I finish schooling the 6yo I usually grab the 3yo and read him a bunch of books - he loves books. He gets to choose all his favourites without interuption from the bigger kids. He also likes to play computer games so I'll sit with him on my lap and help him play.

 

Lately he has been asking me to help him make stuff -so I do that as well.

 

Since my oldest is only 6 we finish school by lunchtime so there is usually lots of time left in the afternoon for me to make it up to the 3yo.

[alef]

Mine does much better throughout the day if I give her some individual attention in the morning. My plan for this year is to check out a stack of library books just for her each week and set aside time to read to her sometime early in the day.

[2squared]

I squeeze my preschooler in somehow. Like a PP, my 4yo is glued to my side. Drives me crazy some days. I try to start the day out with 30 minutes of picture book reading.

 

Then she sits next to us while I'm working with my olders. She likes to write on the lap sized whiteboards.

 

I love the What Your Preschool Needs to Know Activity Book! Wow. I am tempted to buy that. I wonder if it would get done here?

[Rosie]

I struggle with the same thing! Last year my baby was 3.5 - 4yo during the school year. Here's what I did to get a little time with her:

 

- Every morning we'd have family devotions, so she was with my husband and me then, cuddling and answering (usually incorrectly, but very cute!) questions.

 

- Then I'd send the older two to do independent work on the computer/iPad or handwriting while I'd read to the 3 year old. After I read to her, sometimes we'd do a little bit of learning to read stuff, but only if she wanted to.

 

- We like to do Tea and Poetry (from The Writer's Jungle) and so she always sat at the table with us during that time and listened in.

 

- Periodically we would play with C-rods together, mostly without naming them as numbers but near the end of the school year we got into naming them and actually doing math with them. You can see what we did if you click the link in my signature.

 

- I'd have my older two read to her for a bit each day and also my husband read to her before bed each night.

 

It didn't fully solve the problem - I still spent way more time with my older two - but it helped. This year I'm planning on the same type of thing, though she'll also have handwriting and more math.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Rosie

[Susie in MS]

We did *do* school when my dd was 2-4, but it was all fun.

 

~~Little Hands to Heaven gave us a very short Bible story spread over 5 days and a matching song to go with it.

~~When she got older reading FIAR books and doing very simple fun stuff was special too.

~~All the while playing with Lauri toys and puzzles.

 

Not a bit of it felt like school. It was all fun, but it nurtured her learning skills, and more importantly our bonding and growing together.

[Dinsfamily]

This is where MFW packages and SL P3/4 (and lots of other books) have come I handy for us. Since my newly 4 yr old is one of the first up, I can read to him snuggled on the couch or in my bed first thing. It really makes him feel loved. That kid will listen to Pete the Cat a hundred times in a row and likes it when he can sing the songs all by himself (no brothers to horn in on his fun). I also can find a few minutes here or there during the school day to play with one of the toys from MFW with him. He calls them his school toys and likes to have my full attention for a few minutes. There's no set up for me and very little cleanup. In fact, my 1yr old loves to get in on the action. I task the 4yo with teaching his brother something and he feels like a big kid. The 1yo can make an absolute mess of our school toy tub, but it cleans up in 5 min (a must for me). He also has the option of having stories by himself at night. Last night, we all piled into his bed for storyline making him feel important.

 

I think doing these things with him allows us some one-on-one time that I can handle during the school day. I don't think of it as preschool. I don't care if he learns anything or makes a big mess. I feel like he's more included in our day now and has more of me besides discipline.

[2_girls_mommy]

I keep a 3 yr old 3 days a week. I am not doing anything big for school for her. But I do have a dedicated time. So far she and I and my 8 yr old spend 20 or 30 min. learning and singing some action songs. Then we are working on a shape and a color a week. We have Dr. Seuss color shape flashcards and we spend some time looking around for the shape and color. Then i get her started on an activity like painting a picture with that color or glueing. Then I try to have some different activities and toys about for her to rotate through.

 

Then after lunch and outside time, I spend more time reading her a Dr. Seuss or equivalent book before nap time. So far it has been enough for her. If I keep her next semester when she is 4, I think she would like to have her own school books, and may have her mom pick up the What Your Preschooler Needs to know or the Rod and Staff ABC books. I will let her pick.

[freeindeed]

I do alternating days of Montessori activities, iPad activities, Baby Sing and Sign, Slow & Steady Get Me Ready, and Oak Meadow Preschool. I have a schedule in my latest blog post. My preschooler is special needs, and our "official" school time is light.

[Ellie]

My dd were almost 4 and almost 7 when I withdrew older dd from her private school (Easter break of first grade), so I don't have experience with littles. :-) But younger dd was still a preschooler. :-)

 

We spent several months (almost a year) undoing the emotional fallout from the less-than-a-year in school, which meant that our schedule was probably far less academic than yours, and I only had two dc. Younger dd often sat at the table with us and messed with stuff--artsy stuff, and a couple of cute workbooks that I'd gotten at the grocery store or ToysRUs. Otherwise, she was a very busy person on her own, and would be off in her bedroom or around the house or in the back yard. Happily, I didn't have to watch her every minute, and we had a small house. :-)

 

We didn't usually do any Official School Stuff for more than 20 minutes at a time or so, and it wasn't very intense anyway, and then we'd be up and around and talking and goofing off. After lunch I read aloud to both (often younger dd was too busy on her own to sit down with us). We went to the library weekly, and left the house for a field trip weekly. So, really, there were only a couple of hours on Monday and Tuesday that were more focussed on academics with older dd, and younger dd was fine with that.

 

After a year, when she was 5ish, I did Spalding with her on those two days a week, and let her mess around with math-y workbooks that I'd bought at the grocery store or ToysRUs, or she'd count real money that we kept in a jar in the kitchen, or she'd do puzzles, or sit with us at the table and color, or do artsy stuff at the table with older dd.

 

I can't tell you how thankful I am that my children were so relaxed and laid-back. :D

[dairymom]

On top of all of the other really great advice, I was just wondering if you had to have one on one time with the older two boys? I do think it's really important to have a time set aside for her schooling, and I agree that it doesn't have to be anything but simple playtime. Maybe while you are having one on one instruction time with the your 8.5 year old, you could have your other son do something one on one with your daughter--and then vicsa versa (sp?). That way she would be getting a few blocks of time throughout the day, and not doing so much on her own. Just a thought!

[PeacefulChaos]

On top of all of the other really great advice, I was just wondering if you had to have one on one time with the older two boys? I do think it's really important to have a time set aside for her schooling, and I agree that it doesn't have to be anything but simple playtime. Maybe while you are having one on one instruction time with the your 8.5 year old, you could have your other son do something one on one with your daughter--and then vicsa versa (sp?). That way she would be getting a few blocks of time throughout the day, and not doing so much on her own. Just a thought!

 

Yes, she does get time with Astro while link is doing stuff with me. Usually link doesn't get the free time to play with her that Astro does, but she does go play with him when she can. :)

[indigomama]

I worry about making sure my littles have as much of my time as my schoolers, too.

 

I plan on making sure they have a morning top off of my time before I get started with school. This will be anything from just sitting on the couch cuddling to playing trains or reading.

 

Then a cuddle before nap.

 

Also, I usually take my 2 yo when I run errands. It's not completely undivided time but she loves going places and talking to people, so I take her when I have to go to the store and such.

 

And I try not to over schedule our evenings and weekends, so everyone gets non school one on one time with DH and I.

[EMS83]

:grouphug: Me too. I just hug attack him whenever I walk past him. If he wants to stick to my hip, I let him as much as possible.

[boscopup]

I try to do some little activity with my 3 year old every day, and make him think he's done "school". We might play with C-rods or work with phonogram cards (he knows most of the multiletter ones now, just from listening in to his big brother). My friend gave me some preschool workbooks she wasn't using, and now he is playing with those. He's not *learning* anything from them, as he already knows counting, colors, shapes, etc. He's able to blend and all that, but isn't really ready to do formal learning to read, nor do I want to even bother doing much of that with a 3 year old.

 

He gets to sit in on Sonlight P4/5 with his big brother, and I also do library books aimed at his level. Plus he sits in my lap a lot while I'm teaching. :D Really, he gets TONS of time on me or talking to me, even though I'm not specifically focused on him all of that time. He's still my snuggle bug. :)

 

That preschooler activity book mentioned up thread looks cool, but too bad it's now $20. :001_huh: I think I'll stick with good ol' cheap R&S ABC series. I'm about to place my RR order with the two books we're missing that I know he could do now. I like those books because they force me to let him use scissors and glue. :tongue_smilie:

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I schedule 30 minutes with my youngest and have since was 2. We read books and work on letters and numbers. This year I've scheduled a second 30 minutes later in the day to play or do crafts or go for a walk... whatever. He also has 30 minutes of one on one playtime with each of his siblings, which doubles as giving them a break and helping build sibling relationships as well. He has time to choose his own activity and time to listen to books on tape. I've also scheduled a "center time", which means I try to think ahead of something fun that he can play. This week he played with a balloon, his brother's train set, our stacking cups at the kitchen sink, etc. It's been a great first week for him. HTH

[thebacabunch]

I do lots of montessori before kindergarten.

[Holly]

My DD turns 3 this fall. I found a schedule at SCM that I love! You spend time with each child one-on-one...starting with the youngest! Last year I saved preschool with my 5yo until the end of the day. By the end of the day, I was so tired I didn't get to her. :( If my 10yo were at the end of the day, I'd have to suck it up and teach...or suffer legal consequences! ;)

 

After this one-on-one time, you schedule a big sibling to play with your little one while you school another big sibling. After that they trade off. I already have a list printed out to give them ideas of what they can do with DD (so they aren't plopping her down in front of Blue's Clues). ;) My older DC will get practice reading aloud, being a leader, and bond with their little sister.

 

For "family learning" times, I like to keep activities on hand for them to play with quietly...pattern blocks, board books, coloring, Little People, etc.

 

Here's a link to the SCM schedule that I'm hoping with revolutionize our HS this year! http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/daily/seggenpredaily/

[lea_lpz]

I use BFIAR, Rod & Staff About Three, and MFW preschool toys with index card activities, and HWT Get Ready for School. It takes us about 20-30 minutes to do and many of the activities are done when my dd is working independently for a couple of minutes.

 

He also joins us for many of the activities my dd does for MFWK, like Bible, Read alouds, and activity time (rotates between social studies, art, history, music, science & hands on math).

 

Sometimes we do all preschool activities one on one and I send my dd to play so we can spend time together. I do the same with her during math and Lang.

Edited August 31, 2012 by lea_lpz

[lea_lpz]

I use BFIAR, Rod & Staff About Three, and MFW preschool toys with index card activities, and HWT Get Ready for School. It takes us about 20-30 minutes to do and many of the activities are done when my dd is working independently for a couple of minutes.

[maizeydaizey]

My DS is only 2 1/2 but he bothers me relentlessly to do 'school' when DD is doing school. So, yes -- this year we will be devoting time to him! Last year it was busy stations but this year we will be working on some materials together. I am also adding in a morning basket concept (aka - replace circle time as to not let DD catch on) that will be a lot for him as well.

 

He is very into letters, shapes and animals -- so I plan to go with that and just create some fun montessori stuff, activities, art projects and a great assortment of books based on these concepts. We will use some Tot Packs in which I'll laminate for games and themes too. I enjoyed them with DD when she was younger (not called that then) and I plan to do the same with him. He is not moving to writing or anything, just basic patterns, puzzles, matching, etc.

[Forget-Me-Not]

Mine is almost 4, and I do it at her lead. If she bugs me to do 'schoolwork', I find some time to sit down and do it with her, even if it means my olders take a break for a bit and the day takes us a little longer. Or, I'll assign one older kid to sit down and read her a few books while I work with the other one.

 

Right now we're working our way through a BrainQuest workbook (which she loves--I wouldn't throw workbooks at her if she hated it), or we'll read a few books or do some puzzles. She loves to bake, so I try to do a baking project with her once in a while. And I consider all the tactile stuff I have for her to do as 'school'--or at least developing skills. She'll pound Play-doh, peel stickers, color, string beads, cut paper etc. Sometimes she does preschool games on the computer for a while. Sometimes she just spends a quiet morning playing with her babies (dolls and stuffed animals) or creating a meal with her play-food and I figure all that imaginary play is doing something important too :D

 

There are definitely days where I feel a little guilty because it seems like I haven't interacted with her much during the day. But she's happy, well adjusted, learning by leaps and bounds. She's not one to just wither away; if she needs me she definitely lets me know :lol:

[Momma_Bear]

I devote an hour to my 4yo ds every morning for "school". We do some crafts, play, read books, etc. I found it helps him a lot during the day to give him that whole hour in the morning. If we wait until the afternoon I was tired and so was he and it never got done.