How to prevent 3.5 year old to interrupt study time for older kids

[david5329]

I am not sure if this is the right forum.  It seems the question I ask is the opposite of this forum: how to prevent my 3.5 year old kid to interfere study time with my older kids.  

I work full time.  I devote about 1 hour study time to my 9 year old 3rd grade kid every weekday.  We pretty much only have one hour a day, during which there are so much to do,  we do Singapore math, we read aloud, we learn Chinese etc.  When my little one is still a baby, I carried her around while helping older kids study.  When baby got more mobile, daddy played with the little one when I need to be with my older kids.  But now my little one is 3.5, she demanded to study too.  It is a fair request, but she can’t study the same thing as big sister yet, and when I suggest daddy do some study with her, she refused, study has to be with mommy!  I feel it is her way to get more attention from me!  

Anyone has suggestions for such situation?

[HomeAgain]

I used to do side by side activities.  If the 6yo had math, the 3yo had pattern blocks, c-rods, or a coloring page.  If the 6yo had writing, the 3yo had tactile letters, BambinoLuk, stencils, aquadoodle.  It was special "schoolwork" that mimicked, but was more appropriate for the 3yo.

[MerryAtHope]

I would find a way to get one on one time with your daughter before working with your 9yo each day. I always found that my youngest was much less likely to interrupt if I filled her love tank first. Then maybe she'll work with daddy while you spend time with your 9 yo. I did find that side-by-side learning also worked for us for some things, but that can really depend on the subject and the needs of your 9 yo. My oldest couldn't concentrate if my youngest was talking a lot--and my youngest's primary "learning language" is talking! So, I had to make some subjects "alone" time, and some were dependent on her being quiet if she was in the room. If she was talking, she needed to go to another room while we did that subject. Your dd really needs that one-on-one with mom early in the day though, so I would find a way to work that in. She needs to know that she's just as important as your son--which of course she is, but a little one can't understand that even if you spend time with her at night. Working and homeschooling is challenging!

[ExcitedMama]

When my DD was little I would have things for her to do, like Kumon and coloring books. Eventually she would get bored and move on.

[....]

No advice, but I'm in the same situation.  I ended up buying him a preschool curriculum last winter and we work on that together in the morning.  Unfortunately, he's flying through it and will probably be finished by the end of the summer, which means I'll have to come up with another plan.  *sigh*

And putting busywork out for him to work on alone doesn't help.  He sees through my plan.  *insert evil laugh*

And, yes, it can ONLY be mommy.  lol

Anyway, we have the same problem.

[Chris in VA]

Does your little one want things to do, or want your attention? No amount of activity without your attention is going to satisfy if your answer is the latter.

In that case, I'd do that one hour of work either when someone else can remove your 3.5 yo from the room, or be extremely firm and set the boundary that you are not to be interrupted. If you set a boundary, I'd do it in increments of 15 minutes and split that hour up, because I think it's unreasonable to ask more than 15 mins at a time of a child that small. 

Can you hire a helper? Can you wake your older child earlier? Use 3.5yo's naptime? You say you have olders--can they take the little one outside for 30 minutes of walking and play? Can you take some of what you do in that hour and transfer it to another time (for example, doing the reading aloud at bedtime, or while the younger one is in the bathtub with a sibling watching her, or at lunch)?

[ChocolateCake]

My 3.5 y/o is typically in the room while I school 9dd.  For about half the time I have something messy for her to play with (water beads on a beach towel on the kitchen floor, play dough on a mat, sand or salt in a tray with toys, putty, etc.).  I have a large container I fill with water sometimes and she plays in her "pool" on the kitchen tile (with water toys). Sometimes she does "school" with us (a clipboard with one of my older daughter's math pages on it and a pencil). Then, I send her to 11ds for him to play with her.  Sometimes he lets her do a Super Mario app on his phone.  I'm OK with that.  My 9dd plays with her while I school 11ds.  I have accepted the fact that she will interrupt us so I build a little extra time into the day.  I don't work outside the home so I have no advice about how to find more time, sorry.