A home for their hearts Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 and I four year old who is bouncing off the walls all day long!?!? I guess I just need to vent. I'm about to lose my mind. If the baby is happy when I sit down to do school work with the older two then my ds4 is reeking havoc. He is either fighting with my dd8 or playing too roughly with the baby. Add that on top of a baby who doesn't ever want to take a nap, if she does it's in the afternoon for maybe 30minutes if I'm lucky, and you have a stressed out mom who doesn't even want to homeschool because by the time I get somebody at the table to work with something always happens to tear me away. AGH!!! Okay, I feel a little better now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I have no answers, only sympathy! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 One of our daughters was a clinger...so I got a mega-soft and comfie baby sling and just 'wore her' everywhere. Actually, it was wonderful. She was contented most of the time, and my nerves got a break, too. Hang in there! Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Same here! It is a fight to get any schooling done and I am just tired of fighting! And I only have the two to deal with.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in CA Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 :grouphug: Just know it doesn't last forever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 One of our daughters was a clinger...so I got a mega-soft and comfie baby sling and just 'wore her' everywhere. Actually, it was wonderful. She was contented most of the time, and my nerves got a break, too. Hang in there!Ginger :iagree: I was going to suggest the same thing. It's only been in the last, oh, 4 months or so that my now 22 month old son has been content to play either by himself or with the siblings not actively doing school work. His GERD played a *huge* role in his clinginess. If you're not already doing this, can you spend some concentrated 1-on-1 time w/your 4 yo (possibly while wearing your wee one) for a half hour or so doing "school" with him before you start with your olders? This is what I do with my 3 yo -- I bought some Kumon workbooks for her and she picks which 2 she wants to do each day, usually a dot-to-dot book and a maze book. I also have a place which is as toddler safe as I can make it and the youngers play in there while I work with the olders. My other trick is to work with my eldest (7 yo) while the other three are down for their naps/rest time. Good Luck. I know how frustrating and, well, hard it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I only have two and we're only doing preschool with the oldest, so it's not a big deal, but dd(1) just gave up her nap about a month ago and our school has gone from great to fitting it in wherever!!!! I even took a week off b/c it has been so frustrating. Today we started up again and started all together in the playroom. That was WAY too distracting, so we ended up moving school to the kitchen and my dd ran a muck in the rest of the house. Yes, it must get better. :) At least the majority of our school right now is read-alouds. She'll sit through most of that if I give her some special books. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Baby Sling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Can you do some schooling outside? Give 4yo some water in a tub and or a watering can, or have him paint the side of the house with water in a bucket? Gather leaves or acorns, then glue them on posterboard (gathering takes 10 minutes, gluing another 10, and voila! Math lesson can be accomplished!)? Can he dig a hole and see if there are any worms in the dirt? How about sending him on a hunt around the house? Draw him a scavenger hunt sheet, and ask him to bring you 4 things on it--Find 5 blocks, tell me how many windows are in the living room, count how many pillows are on the beds, find a red crayon and a blue one, and so on. Make a grid with boxes and have him check off each thing he does. Might buy you enough time for a section of SOTW, for example! My point is, perhaps giving him small tasks and teaching him to come to you quietly might help keep him focused for short periods of time so you can get some schooling done. Another way is to set up some stations for him to visit for a short time while you do school--can you set up some things in the same room? Can he do 15 minutes or more of "room time" once a morning? Does he like audio books (the kind you get at the library--with the picture book)? You can tape or download two or three on an ipod and tell him to listen then draw a picture of the story. Can you do a tub of activities for him? Art? Shaving Cream on a tray? Hope you find something helpful. I know you probably just wanted to vent--and I do understand, I really do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 My two year old was often on my back or front from the time she was little - and now I wear her to get her to take a nap, and sometimes at bedtime. (I used them with all my kids, but the need for me to have extra hands increased with the number of kids!) Find a comfy carrier, or two or three... My faves: pouch, wrap, mei tai, pod. Need some more info on these? try www.thebabywearer.com or www.wearyourbaby.com My four year old needs much more activity than my 8 year old ever did (but, he's a boy, too). So my work with him is more physical, so that he is then more content to do a quiet activity for a bit while I work with the older one, or while he works along side us. He'll do lots of paperwork (coloring, cutting, 'writing') while we work on history or LA. As long as he can be included, he's happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 School your ds4. Get wipe off workbooks that can be done over and over. Give him puzzles, play dough, construction paper and scissors, math manipulative's, anything that will keep him sitting at the table during school. HWT manipulative's are great. The Leapster by Leap Pad is great too. Most all the games are educational. My 4 year old will play with it for about an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I would suggest a Mei Tai too! She can be a part of things when she wants to and be lulled to sleep when she is ready. My ds would fall asleep on my back while I was vacuuming :) I had really clean floors that summer :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I have an Ergo... Very comfy. I still use it and nurse in it. He is 32 lbs and 34" now! Will the 4 year old take a bath? Have you joined the toddlers in duck tape group? We have some suggestions and lots of sympathy there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwilliams1922 Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I feel for you! My 3 yr old has not been taking her nap latley. :( the 1 and 3 yr old are supposed to nap from 12-2 each day. The 3 yr old kept getting out of bed. :( no work done yet today ...sigh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 I've been dreaming up ways to help the situation but everytime I try something it seems to blow up in my face. I guess I just need a good dose of perserverence! My baby is usually pretty good about playing happily while I work with the older two until my ds4 comes along and sits on top of her, or knocks her over, or tries to pick her up, or whatever else to teach her that he is the King of this castle! I do have a baby sling but I hate it! It's not a nice one and I just never got the hang of using it. I can't afford to buy anything right now. I did decide yesterday that I was going to make my ds4 have a nap after lunch. I read him a couple of books and told him to not get out of his bed until I came to get him. He never feel asleep and probably cried 'can I get out' for about 20minutes. I think maybe a better idea would be to have him have some room time in the afternoon, as someone suggested and get him some books on tape. I'm still trying to come up with some activities he can do by himself that won't be harmful to the baby. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Christine Field wrote a book called Help for the Harried Homeschooler. She has a great chapter on homeschooling with littles in the house. We did tag team with my daughter. I would have one child play with the little one while I did a lesson with the other one. Then I would have one on one time with the little one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 I would not survived without a baby carrier. Literally. So here is a link on make your own (I recommend a sling up to 17 pounds and a Mei Tei after). And a link on how to use them in case you can get yours working better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 I would not survived without a baby carrier. Literally. So here is a link on make your own (I recommend a sling up to 17 pounds and a Mei Tei after). And a link on how to use them in case you can get yours working better. Thanks for the links! I never even thought of making one myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Just wanted to offer another word of support. DD6 hurts my little guy all the time. She filled up the bathtub and put him in it when I was at the store (DH was in charge), taught him to climb up the bunk-bed ladder and slide (eek!), and today was soffocating him under a bean bag (she did not know she was doing it, they were wrestling). I am now afraid to leave them alone. It can makes things a lot harder all around.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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