Guest Author - Meg Grooms

Homeschooling an older child becomes a whole different ordeal when there is a toddler bouncing around. While it’s important that your toddler get used to seeing homeschooling in action, it’s also important that they allow you some one-on-one time with your older child(ren). Try some of these tips for taming your toddler during school time!

Give your toddler their very own set of books! My toddlers especially loves the National Geographic Kids series. Lift-the-flap board books are a particularly delightful choice for the under 2 set.

Let your toddler work through an age-appropriate workbook. Workbooks interest children more than traditional coloring books, and they get to “do school” too! If your child is more interested in coloring books, Dover Thrift carries an excellent line of educational coloring books, available at any major bookstore.

Give your toddler manipulative to play with. Counting bears, Popsicle sticks, checkers; anything big enough for their small hands and too large to swallow.

Allow your toddler to complete a simple art project. My youngsters always enjoyed cutting “tickets” from construction paper for an upcoming toddler parade. Another option is allowing them to glue dry beans or colored pasta onto a paper plate. Cutting pictures out of old magazines and using them to create collages is another time-tested solution.

Allow them to work alongside your older child(ren). Allowing your toddler to work in the same room as your older students will prepare them for the years ahead, as well as teach them valuable lessons about maintaining a quiet learning environment.

Movie time! Allowing your toddler to watch limited amounts of educational TV or movies can be a very good distraction, as long as the TV is used as a treat and not a normal expectation.

Painting! Set your little one up with watercolors, a smock, plenty of paper, and an old towel and let them go to town!

Regardless of the strategies you involve your toddler in, make sure they get plenty of alone time with mom after school is done! A happy toddler is a toddler that gets all the attention!