Managing an infant or an active toddler along with teaching an older child can be quite an exhausting and frustrating process. The baby needs attention and so does your school going child.
Here are a few things that you can do to engage your baby while still giving your elder one the attention he requires.
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Make it School Time for the Toddler Too
You may feel that the child is much too young to begin learning, but that’s not true. The human child is like a sponge till the age of 5 and will pick up whatever you teach him. Use educational toys like wooden alphabet blocks, stack a rack, and building blocks of anything that will keep the toddler’s hands busy. Then give him an assignment with which to play. For instance, sort the alphabet into two piles, or make a building with the blocks (or anything else depending on the toys that he is using).
Stock up on the activities and the snacks
Line up three toy or puzzle assignments for your young child to play with as the attention span is usually quite short at this stage. As soon as you find that your toddler is getting distracted from the play activity ask him to put the toys away. Storing the toys will take some time and will teach him the value of a keeping your workspace clear. Once the toys are put away, give him a small treat or a snack. This will take up a couple of minutes and give you a breather. Once he is done eating, pick up the next activity or toy that you have planned for him and begin on that.
What works for a toddler will not work with an infant
Do remember that a very young child is going to need the mother’s attention periodically and there is nothing that you can do to change that fact. In this case what you need to do is study the schedule of the infant and then fit in the studies of the elder one when the infant is sleeping. Tell your elder one what the problem is and enlist his help. It will be easier for you to go through the school day schedule with him that way.
Article Inspiration: About Homeschooling
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