Let’s be frank for a moment. Homeschool days can be hard enough on their own. Throw a toddler into the mix and it can feel like pure chaos! Thankfully, we have several families who’ve survived the toddlerschool years (the years when you homeschool kids and have a toddler at home who isn’t old enough to do traditional school yet). Check out these homeschool tips they shared with us!
Pray
It is much easier to balance life with God than to go about your day without Him. There’s an expectation that you should pray every morning. However, when you have little kids, sometimes your morning starts in the middle of the night! You’re not a failure if you don’t have a morning quiet time! What’s important is taking time to pray whenever you have time! It’s all about relationship, not ritual! The Bible says to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks for everything. (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus).
Also…Daniel 6:10 (NIV) says: Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Dig deep into the scriptures and take advantage of the many daily opportunities there are to pray. Draw close to Him and you’ll experience balance – even in toddlerschool – for the day.
Schedule
Set a daily schedule and try to keep it consistent. Plan times when you can work on homeschool, but plan for play breaks too. Work with your older kids on their school while the little kids are napping. There’s no rule that all of your homeschool has to be done in one large session. Break it up as much as needed so you can work in manageable chunks of time. And whenever possible – work ahead!
Look for “THEM TIME” Moments
You have heard of “ME TIME”. Well, “THEM TIME” is the same concept, and just as important. Instead of focusing on yourself, you focus on them (thus the “THEM TIME” idea.) Whether it’s working on school, working on a puzzle, or playing outside – taking some one-on-one time will help you feel more balanced and will help you homeschool sessions be more productive.
Simplify
The statement “Less is More” has never been truer than now. Make your life simple, and you will find that staying balanced and organized becomes more natural. Get rid of clutter so cleaning takes less time. Keep spots in your schedule open to allow for bumps in the road – and perhaps even some free time. Prep meals in advance so dinner is a breeze. If there’s an option to make your day easier – take it!
Embrace Interruptions
When you have a toddler in the mix (and even if you don’t), you learn quickly that interruptions will happen. Have you ever been in the middle of something important and need to concentrate, when all of a sudden you are interrupted? Take a deep breath, take notes about what you were doing so you can pick up where you left off, and then embrace the interruption.
What tips would you share about homeschooling when you have a toddler at home? We’d love to hear them!
