shawnswife wrote:We are about to start our fourth week of Adv and I have just finished the creation unit of K with my 5yo ds. I am very apprehensive about trying to implement the lessons and their activities alongside Adv and occupying my 2yo ds. I've read all the archives on how to handle a toddler while schooling and teaching Adv and K together. The three weeks we have done school have been VERY difficult with my 2yo. He will not stay with any one activity for more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time, he's loud and wants me to do everything with him. He is incredibly disruptive. So, I will be lucky to get the math and reading portion of K done. Maybe I'm just overwhelmed because I'm still trying to get into a routine with Adv and adding in something else seems impossible. (I have done K before so I know what to expect).
I feel like no matter what I do someone is going to get the short end of the stick.
Posted Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:20 am by doubleportion
I can't give you advice on the K. But we are doing ADV with a 2 yr old in the house. There is a good thread regarding some of your K questions
http://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=1312
What I have found in regards to my 2 yr old while doing ADV is that I need to devote a good portion of the the morning time to him. My dd does allot of her independent work like spelling, bible verse copying, math, book basket etc. in the morning while I play and read with my 2 yr old. We always start out our day with pledges, prayer and songs. Our 2 yr old enjoys being a part of those.
We had to switch the suggested order around because doing any kind of reading to the older one was causing outcries by the younger. I save the history reading, Bible reading, etc for little one's nap time. We also will do the projects like making tepees etc during his nap time (he usually sleeps for about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs). Daddy has also become the designated science teacher and all science activities are done on Saturday with him. There were also days when we left some of the craft type activities until Friday instead of doing them when they were scheduled in the TM.
There was also a fabulous article on occupying toddler while homeschooling in the most recent edition of Above Rubies, issue 74. I found allot of great advice in that.
The ladies on here have so much experience and great advice. I'm sure you will get all your questions answered.
And as always, our greatest resource is Our Heavenly Father who gave you those precious children and will give you everything you need to raise and teach them!

Edie
Posted Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:15 pm by cbollin
I almost remember those days. They were long ago and seem like a distant memory. I think I’ve just blotted it out or something. ((hugs))
My youngest was (is) incredibly disruptive as well. But it does change in style over the months and years. It was ok because my dh didn’t care if the house looked picture perfect. (That had to be the best thing he's done for me!!!!!) I know I always felt like no matter what – someone was left out (including me). I realized that meant that not everyone could receive full focus all day. Some things got shifted around and done in 5 minute spurts and/or shifted to evenings to let dad do some of it for 15 minutes or so. Sometimes that meant that he just took them outside in the back yard for 15 minutes to let me work with someone then, we'd get to join too.
I went looking through some photo albums recently. I noticed that in one picture I grabbed the camera and youngest was asleep in the outside swing while I got some teaching done. I can remember trying to teach with youngest on my hip and screaming (this is my autistic kid) or even while she was hanging upside down (favorite position). I can remember bathtub time teaching to get some read alouds done when needed. Or -- she watched a lot of the Wiggles. It was never picture perfect or stuff that our minds think homeschooling is supposed to look like.
This is a very hard stage, and it does change and gets a new flavor.
And there were times that I had to give 10-15 minutes of very active attention to the youngest, so that I could give more time to everyone else.
nothing really practical to help with because I'm no longer in the midst of it -- just saying been there and don't really remember it years later LOL
-crystal
Posted Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:00 pm by Tennessee Mama
Hi Jennifer!
I don't know if you remember, but I've got a 3rd, 2nd, K, and 1.5yo. We are also doing Adv and K.
We are starting week 8 of Adventures tomorrow and we've just finished "Ll" in MFW K. I'm taking a week off to review /s/, /m/, and /l/.
My little guy cries and whines and sometimes I'm reading above his screams. I do try to include him as much as possible. My Ker entertains him while he's not doing anything with us.
As soon as he's down for a nap we start Kindergarten. The older two have folders with independent work. (Mainly a reading assignment.)
As far as leaving many activities out of K... that's what I'm doing right now. We really just do the reading portion and make the badges on Wed.
~Audrey~
Posted Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:35 pm by baileymom
Jennifer
We are doing K and CTG with a 3 yr old, 17 mo old, and 2 1/2 mo old around as well. The days go as they go for us. Some days have been better than others, but we have managed to get everything done so far.
One of the other moms mentioned having the toddler do as much as he can with you, we do that.TJ, 3, does all the notebooking, singing, listening at read aloud (TLWW, right now).
I did decide with my dh this weekend, that we are going to start doing the reading/math portion of K when the 3 littles are napping. We'll see if that makes for less interruptions.
Hang in there, you sound discouraged. I have been too these first few weeks, but Edie is right. God has put it on your heart to teach your children, He will help you do it.
Posted Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:17 am by shawnswife
I'd like to thank everyone for their encouraging comments. I'll be thinking and praying about how to tweak things for everyone's benefit. I'm sure it will work out in the end!
And, Crystal, thank you for that descriptive mental picture of schooling while holding your youngest upside down

. I do tend to get caught up in what homeschooling is "supposed" to look like and it's nice to hear that it's not always that way even with experienced homeschoolers. Blessings to you!