This too shall pass

[carriede]

Homeschooling with a toddler suuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

That is all.

[Tenaj]

Homeschooling with a toddler suuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

That is all.

 

Much sympathy here.  I had my granddaughter (1yo) here for a few hours last week and suddenly remembered what it was like to have a toddler around while trying to teach!

 

(and it will pass but that doesn't make it any easier while you are in the thick of it!)

[MotherGoose]

I have someone watching my toddler this week and am planning to continue. Just two hours three days a week makes a HUGE difference.

[Rosie_0801]

Doors are important.

[Elizabeth86]

I am soooo there. She is trying to quit napping and I cannot count on that time anymore to get school done. She steals pencils, crayons, markers whatever she can get and tries to write on anything we are doing. She tries to rip books. If I try to breastfeed her while teaching she tries to kick my ds. She is a terror during school. What does she do during not school time? She totally entertains herself. She is playing with her dolls and running up and dow the hall not paying one bit of attention to me or ds. Im at the end of my rope. Im due to have a baby in the spring and I feel like In drowning some days. I sometimes just want to send ds to school so I can have time for my babies like I did for him at that age.

 

 

Hugs for you.

[MotherGoose]

I am soooo there. She is trying to quit napping and I cannot count on that time anymore to get school done. She steals pencils, crayons, markers whatever she can get and tries to write on anything we are doing. She tries to rip books. If I try to breastfeed her while teaching she tries to kick my ds. She is a terror during school. What does she do during not school time? She totally entertains herself. She is playing with her dolls and running up and dow the hall not paying one bit of attention to me or ds. Im at the end of my rope. Im due to have a baby in the spring and I feel like In drowning some days. I sometimes just want to send ds to school so I can have time for my babies like I did for him at that age.

Y

 

Hugs for you.

This exactly. My poor eight year old has had three injuries involving bruises or bleeding from the toddler this week. He's not mean, he's just impulsive and throws things. I feel bad that I'm not spending time with him. My oldest, especially, knew so many things at his age. The lady I hired to help is sitting with him and talking about colors, counting things, etc, doing all the things I did with my older ones. I know hiring someone is not an option for everyone, but occupying the toddler could be a job for even a ten year old or younger if an adult were within shouting distance. My oldest are three years apart so I had a toddler during k and 1, but she was not as wild! Plus I was trying to teach k math not sixth grade math. I completely understand. Survival. I think the straw that broke the camels back was when I was trying to reach middle dd something using place value discs and he dumped the whole thing on the floor. One thing that HAS helped is me spending time really childproofing the school room and not letting the olders have out boxes of pencils. I got them mechanical pencils so they don't have to sharpen them and I have the dry erase markers pinned to the wall in a plastic bag by the dry erase board. So all anyone has to do at any time is keep their actual pencil out of his hands. Not numerous pencils all over the place. I turned the printer around so the buttons are out of reach. Of course there is still the screaming. No cure for that one, although I have put him in his crib and let him scream for fifteen minutes while we finish up something important. (Not a regular thing, but he's either going to be screaming in the school room or screaming in his crib).

[Guest]

I keep telling myself that, but dang it's passing slower than a 90 year old granny on Sunday morning.

[RootAnn]

I remember it well. Proof here that it does indeed pass, and while you never forget it, and marvel that you ever did it, homeschooling gets easier (or at least, you get to sit down more!) 

:iagree: My best-behaved baby turned into an absolute terror as a toddler. You'd blink & she'd be gone - under the bed with scissors (where you will find bits of her hair later), pouring out your liquid laundry detergent onto the carpet (glug-glug), smears of chocolate on her cheeks (but noooo, she didn't eat any of the chocolate chip cookies that you made for something at church), pushing chairs over to climb on or into places she wasn't supposed to be, etc. I made the mistake of complaining to a woman from church on a particularly tough day. The woman told me to duct-tape her to her high chair. I ran in horror - thinking this woman should never have (more) kids. (She had at least four more after that and had at least three already at the time!) 

 

Thankfully, she grew out of most of it (except the cookie-munching, but she's moved onto DH's oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies). 

 

I keep telling myself that, but dang it's passing slower than a 90 year old granny on Sunday morning.

 

It seems to go so slow at the time, but you look back and it zoomed past. It feels like it passed as quickly as the amount of time you get to sleep in one shot when they are babies. Could have been a couple of hours, but seems like only 10 minutes.

[carriede]

Thanks for all the commiseration, guys.

 

DH was out of town for work last week, so my MIL came to help out... she took the 3 and 1 year old out for 2 hours every morning so I could do school with the 1st and 3rd graders. It was Blissful and Everything I pictured homeschooling to be.

 

So returning to the real world thus week of 4 children was hard. I decided to skip school this morning and wait till nap time. Of course by then, the olders were not at their best.

 

Try again tomorrow, right? ;D

Edited September 1, 2017 by carriede

[MotherGoose]

Thanks for all the commiseration, guys.

 

DH was out of town for work last week, so my MIL came to help out... she took the 3 and 1 year old out for 2 hours every morning so I could do school with the 1st and 3rd graders. It was Blissful and Everything I pictured homeschooling to be.

 

So returning to the real world thus week of 4 children was hard. I decided to skip school this morning and wait till nap time. Of course by then, the olders were not at their best.

 

Try again tomorrow, right? ;D

Hugs! I was also astonished at how easy school was when my MIL watched toddler. I've recently figured out that the huge problems we've had this year have been due to toddler giving up AM nap. I need afternoon nap time for ME time to be with no kids for awhile.

[rose]

My toddler is a breeze compared to one of my preschoolers. He's so needy and attached and can't stand when I give anyone attention other than him. Even if I try to have one of the two oldest entertain him he pitches a fit if he can't come to me whenever he wants. When I try to teach with him in my presence he's bored, squirrelly and distracting.

[RootAnn]

When DH is off work, he's awesome at helping with whatever I need - including back when the boys would be taken out for a couple of hours of fishing or just errand-running.  :svengo:

(I won't talk about what a disaster it would be if my mother showed up during a school day.  :thumbdown: )

 

You are lucky to have such a great MIL!

[Guest]

:iagree: My best-behaved baby turned into an absolute terror as a toddler. You'd blink & she'd be gone - under the bed with scissors (where you will find bits of her hair later), pouring out your liquid laundry detergent onto the carpet (glug-glug), smears of chocolate on her cheeks (but noooo, she didn't eat any of the chocolate chip cookies that you made for something at church), pushing chairs over to climb on or into places she wasn't supposed to be, etc. I made the mistake of complaining to a woman from church on a particularly tough day. The woman told me to duct-tape her to her high chair. I ran in horror - thinking this woman should never have (more) kids. (She had at least four more after that and had at least three already at the time!)

 

Thankfully, she grew out of most of it (except the cookie-munching, but she's moved onto DH's oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies).

 

 

It seems to go so slow at the time, but you look back and it zoomed past. It feels like it passed as quickly as the amount of time you get to sleep in one shot when they are babies. Could have been a couple of hours, but seems like only 10 minutes.

Maybe. But he's technically a preschooler now and has yet to get any easier. Different, but not easier. I'm a little scared now he's just going to be one of those kids who spend their whole life turning their parents' hair grey.

[Elizabeth86]

Maybe. But he's technically a preschooler now and has yet to get any easier. Different, but not easier. I'm a little scared now he's just going to be one of those kids who spend their whole life turning their parents' hair grey.

lol yes this is my girl. Everyone said girl were easier.. ha

[Guest]

Oh man if I just had school aged children it would be so much easier. I sympathize. The four year old is even tolerable, but the two year old watches way too many cartoons and the infant is constant attention or I feel like I'm neglecting him in a chair. Bonus points since he can't really move on his own so I have special needs mom guilt.

 

School capable kids? Cakewalk except for the occasional massive attitude issues :lol:

Edited September 1, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[caedmyn]

Not sure at what age they are officially toddlers, but my 12 MO has been walking for months, and it's going to be interesting. We don't start til Weds. I am hoping to cram as much school as possible into his morning nap (and hoping he keeps it til at least 18 months!), especially reading lessons for the dyslexic and extremely ADHD 8 YO.

 

On the bright side, I've (hopefullu) figured out a way to keep the 4 YO occupied for most of school time with a version of workboxes, so I should really only have the littles to deal with.

[fralala]

I have been pondering deep philosophical questions related to toddlers and homeschooling lately, such as:

 

"Am I-- the I who complains bitterly because my preschooler and toddler have no interest in watching videos or playing games on my phone-- the same person whose entire worldview, not even a decade ago, seemed quite occupied by the feeling that the briefest exposure to a screen during these formative years was deeply detrimental, endangering a child's developing mind?"

 

Ah, yes. All things pass, including the people we believe to be our selves. My future self-- I am hoping, and by "future", I mean ideally by next week-- is going to be much more accepting and patient when it comes to water and soap suds all over the kitchen floor (along with every single dish, container, and utensil pulled out of kitchen cupboards and drawers). She will not mind boxes of toys dumped and kicked beneath sofas and tripped over, but never played with. Play dough ground into the rug and crackers in the couch's crevices? She will smile contentedly, for this is a sign that there are happy, creative little people sharing her home. Oh, and is that the sound of the toilet flushing again? Ha! It's marvelous to live with a budding scientist, not to mention the lawyer whose lack of early screen time surely is a good argument for all the catching up she needs to do right now, preferably in place of math practice.

[MotherGoose]

I have been pondering deep philosophical questions related to toddlers and homeschooling lately, such as:

 

"Am I-- the I who complains bitterly because my preschooler and toddler have no interest in watching videos or playing games on my phone-- the same person whose entire worldview, not even a decade ago, seemed quite occupied by the feeling that the briefest exposure to a screen during these formative years was deeply detrimental, endangering a child's developing mind?"

 

Ah, yes. All things pass, including the people we believe to be our selves. My future self-- I am hoping, and by "future", I mean ideally by next week-- is going to be much more accepting and patient when it comes to water and soap suds all over the kitchen floor (along with every single dish, container, and utensil pulled out of kitchen cupboards and drawers). She will not mind boxes of toys dumped and kicked beneath sofas and tripped over, but never played with. Play dough ground into the rug and crackers in the couch's crevices? She will smile contentedly, for this is a sign that there are happy, creative little people sharing her home. Oh, and is that the sound of the toilet flushing again? Ha! It's marvelous to live with a budding scientist, not to mention the lawyer whose lack of early screen time surely is a good argument for all the catching up she needs to do right now, preferably in place of math practice.

Me too!

[Soror]

Yep, my youngest is now nearly 5, it is so much easier. My previous toddler wasn't so bad, this one has been hard since she was born. She nursed for hours on end and decided to stop napping at 1, then she just started destroying everything (her nickname was destructo baby). I'm so glad she is in an easier phase now. Those days are still etched into my brain. HSing while in the midst of having babies isn't for the faint of heart.

[Elizabeth86]

I have been pondering deep philosophical questions related to toddlers and homeschooling lately, such as:

 

"Am I-- the I who complains bitterly because my preschooler and toddler have no interest in watching videos or playing games on my phone-- the same person whose entire worldview, not even a decade ago, seemed quite occupied by the feeling that the briefest exposure to a screen during these formative years was deeply detrimental, endangering a child's developing mind?"

 

Ah, yes. All things pass, including the people we believe to be our selves. My future self-- I am hoping, and by "future", I mean ideally by next week-- is going to be much more accepting and patient when it comes to water and soap suds all over the kitchen floor (along with every single dish, container, and utensil pulled out of kitchen cupboards and drawers). She will not mind boxes of toys dumped and kicked beneath sofas and tripped over, but never played with. Play dough ground into the rug and crackers in the couch's crevices? She will smile contentedly, for this is a sign that there are happy, creative little people sharing her home. Oh, and is that the sound of the toilet flushing again? Ha! It's marvelous to live with a budding scientist, not to mention the lawyer whose lack of early screen time surely is a good argument for all the catching up she needs to do right now, preferably in place of math practice.

I know right? My 2 year old will not even glance at a tv screen. My boys have been limited and would literally watch tv all day. Edited September 2, 2017 by Elizabeth86

[Meadowlark]

I remember those days too. I used to say that sentiment to myself every single day. But guess what? I would stop living in the "when he/she is older it will be so much easier" because that's not necessarily the case. Last year my youngest was 4 and I thought that finally, we had hit the ages where homeschooling should be "so much easier". But it wasn't. The olders were older and needed more serious attention and instruction. That toddler turned preschooler wanted to do school. And the preschooler and Kindergartener did too. And I had to give them that 1:1 naturally. So I was stretched super thin. Consequently, they're all in school this year after I got pregnant in November of last year. My point is, whatever stage you're in...it's hard. Don't think it's going to get so much easier because you might set yourself up for disappointment. They'll be older, but you'll then have to deal with older issues. 

[medawyn]

I remember those days too. I used to say that sentiment to myself every single day. But guess what? I would stop living in the "when he/she is older it will be so much easier" because that's not necessarily the case. Last year my youngest was 4 and I thought that finally, we had hit the ages where homeschooling should be "so much easier". But it wasn't. The olders were older and needed more serious attention and instruction. That toddler turned preschooler wanted to do school. And the preschooler and Kindergartener did too. And I had to give them that 1:1 naturally. So I was stretched super thin. Consequently, they're all in school this year after I got pregnant in November of last year. My point is, whatever stage you're in...it's hard. Don't think it's going to get so much easier because you might set yourself up for disappointment. They'll be older, but you'll then have to deal with older issues. 

 

I have no doubt every age and stage will bring its joys and challenges, but I have to admit I'm looking forward to moving beyond the stage of letting someone make a huge mess that will take me 20+ minutes to clean up just to get 7 minutes of uninterrupted time.  It's going to be a while for me.

[RootAnn]

Literally, one of my proudest parenting/homeschooling moments was the time I came into the hallway to see that toddler ds had emptied an entire box of Rice Bubbles (Crispies?) onto the floor and was sitting in the middle of it all looking very pleased.

 

I did not cry, I did not scream. I did not even use my 'not pleased' face. I vividly remember making a split second choice to go with 'oh my, what a curious learner I have here!' and took a photo, and got a scoop, and helped ds put it all in a bag while discussing quantities. 

 

Of course, there is a reason this is a vivid memory, and that is because it was an unusual reaction for me to have at that time (3 under 6, no sleep for years). 

 

One morning, I found DD#1 sitting in front of the open freezer door with little bundles of defrosted zucchini bread with little fist-chunks torn out of them. (We had defrosted the fridge/freezer overnight since the movers were coming that day.) I laughed and got the camera. Bonus points for me since I was tired, stressed, and heavily pregnant at the time.

 

Kudos to you. I have a friend who is expecting her sixth child later this year. Her oldest just turned 8. Her patience is remarkable.

[RootAnn]

dp

Edited September 6, 2017 by RootAnn