Here’s a post on homeschooling tips and tricks to keep your toddlers and babies happy and out of harms way while homeschooling your older kids!
How do you occupy busy toddlers, and new babies while you homeschool?
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While I work with my oldest, My 2 yo likes to cut paper. He will sit for hours if I let him.
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My third child, just turned 3, has been my most energetic. She “perches” herself on the desk always in the way. When I read aloud, she makes noises loudly over me on purpose. When I give her toddler time activities she either works on them for a good amount of time or throws them on the floor, depending on her mood. She is not being “bad” she just wants my attention when I am trying to give one on one to my other two kids. It has been very frustrating and sometimes I have to wait until naptime to really get the meaty work done with my 7 yr old. I try to ignore, I try time out, I try meaningful toddler activities but she is constant. Some days are great, some are very challenging. So I sit and rub my face really hard and pray, lol!
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this too is becoming an issue for me as well i have a 9 yr old and while I am with her, my other children tend to always want my attention… i take day by day like some of you say it all depends on the mood they are in this is my first year homeschooling and I have to admit it is hard work but overall i enjoy it 
We just started preschool curriculum with my 3 and 4 year old. I also have a busy one year old. She is content to sit in her high chair and color (I use ultra-washable crayons) while the boys do their work. She also like to put small objects (not too small though) in containers that have a hole cut in the top or even painting with water on a piece of construction paper. As long as she has something to do she is content to sit there and watch her siblings.
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I would love some advice in this area. I just started homeschooling my 7 year old this year. My son was born in the summer before we started our year. This year has gone fine because at eight months now he is just starting to be mobile. I just found out we are pregnant again due at the beginning of the school year next year. I am freaking out!! I went from one child to three in what seems like one school year. I have seen a lot of sites that give suggestions for 2.5 year olds. What about 1.5-2? He is content to crawl around and get into stuff currently but it makes it hard to focus on teaching when you have to constantly grab things and make sure they are out of his reach.
I have a 5, 3, & 18 mo old running around. My 3 yr old outgrew naps at age 2 and my little one only takes 1 hour naps and I use some of that time to regroup myself, instead of teaching because I’m worn out from the morning chasing everyone haha. I tried schedules and they just don’t work well for my family. I use a monthly pacing guide that has the main concepts my child needs to learn and I feel that it helps make my days go smoother for now while they are in the elementary grades. I find main concepts are best taught when the kids have food in front of them, their hands are busy and mouths are closed, or at least full, haha. I keep my main concepts short and sweet - no longer than 10 minutes and I always have a worksheet or “center” aka game to help reinforce the concept that they can do with minimal assistance, and I can usually use these throught the week to help with practice. Sometimes these centers and extra copies of worksheets can be used by the 3 yr old in a different way for her to learn, that’s where your creativity comes in. They feel like they are getting to do school just like their sibling. Little kids attention spans are really short, and sometimes I am surprised at those who can keep theirs occupied for “hours” on one thing, kudos to you if you are one of those. I have found Legos are a great little one occupier and tool to teach with. I’ve taught addition, subtraction, and patterns with these wonderful things! Some days you will all have to play with the same thing on the floor, you just have to figure out how to incorporate it into the concepts your working on. My oldest is working on reading, and I find that at the bedtime story, letting her help or do all the reading gets her practice in and the little ones can help turn pages or they like to repeat what is read, this makes them feel like they are reading too! Also have the older ones read out loud in the car, or do math fact reviews or speed drills on the way to the grocery store. Everyone loves stickers, even the littlest can do those in a chair while you help another at the same table with few interruptions. The thing I have learned is that with homeschooling you can teach anytime of the day, and it’s not a set chunk 7 hour day like the public schools. And it’s ok if they don’t remember something right now, in the elementary grades most of the concepts are repetitive year after year. I do laminate my “centers” and throw them in every so often for review and busy work. Your younger kids will pick up things quickly too, as my 3 year old knows her ABC’s sounds and numbers 1-20 just from hearing her older sister learn these things over the past 2 years. I even caught my oldest teaching her little sister how to write her letters on a magna doodle. The Lord has it all under control if you trust in Him. Your days will be chaotic, but you will see little glimpses of amazing things from your little ones when you least expect it. I know this post is long, and for this I’m sorry. I’m happy to share anything else with You if there are any questions. I may not have helped any of those teaching older grades with little ones, but I hope I have helped someone. Thx for your time.
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This is an area I struggle with as well…I have a kindergartener, then 4, 3, and 1 year olds. I’ve noticed that my 4 year old wants to do the same thing her sister is doing, while the 3 and 1 year old will do anything to keep my attention away from big sisters! Lol. We try to do as much as possible as a group…math games, read alouds, poems, songs, calendar, art, etc. which helps a lot. They all feel like they get to “do school”. Sometimes, the subjects my oldest needs more help with (reading) has to wait until daddy comes home and sometimes the others are busy playing and I can help her. I’m looking forward to spring when school days can be outside as all of my kiddos are happy as long as they are outside digging in something and making a mess! 
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We are so struggling in this area. We have a 2nd, 4th and 5th grader and a very high energy boy that just turned 4. We just started homeschooling the end of November. In his mind it is the weekend every day and we are all here to play with him. I swear we have spent more on supplies to keep him busy that I have curriculum for the other 3. We have made busy bags, sensory bins, laminated anything that isn’t tied down and all of it only holds his interest for 2 minutes. His drawers are full of things to do. Wishing I could find that “magical” activity…
With my 2.5 year old it depends on her mood. I try to do with her something that I prepared, that lasts maybe 10 min, and sometimes she will and sometimes she won’t do. But, reading is must every day, and she is really, really into puzzles these weeks. We try to follow her interests, whether it is coloring, reading, puzzles, educational games, shapes, music… My goal is to try to make a curriculum for her for the next school year, when she will be 3 and to start in September. For now we will keep this open and flowing. 
@Kelly I am right there with you! We just started homeschooling in September, and my 4 year old is super busy! He moves from one thing to the next in rapid succession. He always wants to have someone play with him and I fight mom guilt because he has to play alone while we do school with his sister in the afternoons(he does school in the morning with us) I have no answers, but it helps to know someone else out there is trying to keep a 4 year old busy too. I will pray for both of us!
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I made a huge list of ideas to do with my 2yo. Some are independent activities and some are parent-participation. My 7yo starts the day with independent school activities and I play with our 2yo. I find if I fill him up with attention at the beginning of the day, the rest of the day goes smoother. Then when I need to teach the 7yo, the 2yo plays independently either in the same room as us or in another room. We also stick to a pretty rigid routine which allows the 2yo to know when he gets to play with mum and when he needs to be independent.
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@BCGirl17 , it would be great if you can share with us the routine you have for your 2yo with some of the ideas:) I would really love to have something to start from Thank you.
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My kiddos are 11, 9, 7, 6, 3, 20 months, and another due in August. My older four do school every day. That means keeping the other two occupied. My three year old enjoys listening to me read, and coloring. He also has “busy bag” activities that he may play with only during school. I also have the older ones take turns working with the youngest two. Generally, first thing in the morning when I have more of the younger twos attention, I have them color at the table while I am doing either history or science with the other three as they all use the same curriculum. After that, I am usually working with the 6 yo while the older three take turns working with the younger two as needed. Once I am done working with the 6 yo, I am available for the others to ask questions, but then I turn my attention to the younger two. My youngest is the only one that takes a nap, so while she sleeps, the three year old has quiet time (usually looking at a pile of books) and I do spelling with the older ones in turn.
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I need to start doing that (spend quality time with the boys…I have two 2.5 year olds)! They make messes while we do school because I’m not giving them the attention they need. I feel so bad for them.
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I made the list by going through our playroom, craft cupboard and garage and wrote down pretty much everything that DS plays with. So there are blocks, castle tent, colouring, farm toys, games, musical instruments, playdough, puzzles, books, etc. Then I separated it into inside and outside activities as well as self directed or parent led. I keep the list in my homeschool planner and refer to it often. One less thing I have to remember.
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Thanks Mary - I’ll be praying for you too! I appreciate your prayers and encouragement!
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Highchairs are wonderful for this. My 18 mo is into everything but if I stick her in the highchair with snacks or markers or even water and a paint brush, it buys me some time! 
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HA! I can appreciate this! My son gets annoyed often when my little kids get too loud for him. When he works independently he sometimes wears his dad’s gun range ear muffs to block out the sound! Sometimes I wish we had an extra pair of those for me!!! 
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