A common question amongst homeschoolers, old and new, is 'What do your toddlers do while you're homeschooling older children?'
Now, there are a variety of serious answers to this question; practical suggestions that range from giving younger children similarly themed activities (a board book to look at while you have a first-grader read to you, that sort of thing), to putting together ziploc bags with various activities for preschoolers (see Dolly's famous article about how she turned this idea into an art form) .
Another popular suggestion is sand and water play. Meaning, you set up a sand and water play area in your yard, and sacrifice your vacuum cleaner as an offering so that you have enough time to teach your sixth-grader how to divide fractions. Because you will end up vacuuming all fifty pounds of sand up from your carpet, eventually.
I also see many homeschooling moms recommending 'rice play'; filling a tub with rice, and allowing the child to wallow in it, pour rice from one container to another, thereby encouraging small motor skill development, and a soothing tactile experience.
But what about....
'Flour Play'? I mean, heck, anyone can clean rice up easily, where's the adventure in that? And where rice might gain you fifteen or twenty minutes to focus on another child, I can guarantee you that a situation like the one you see above will provide much more time; first while the child is entranced by the flour's texture and whiteness, and then when they panic, and try to be super quiet while they figure out how in the heck they're going to clean it up.
And forget Play-Do. That's so yesterday. I mean, again, if you're just wanting to get a few seconds, then that might work, but to really get some good, quiet, quality time, try....
'Mascara Play'. You'll get at least fifteen minutes while the toddler rifles the drawer, exploring, another ten or so while they figure out how to take the lid off, several more while they ponder what it is that Mom actually does with the stuff and then finally use it, and then the requisite extended period of quiet, when you're thinking to yourself, 'Gosh, he/she's being so quiet!', and they are trying to figure out how to extricate themselves from the situation. Nothing makes for still and quiet like a toddler trying to cover their tracks. You just have to provide them with the opportunity! 'Prepare the environment', so to speak.
But enough about small motor development, let's discuss some activities for the more energetic toddlers, the ones who need lots of opportunity for....
Large muscle exercise. (It's important to develop that love of literature early. Put the best and most interesting books way up high; you don't want to make things too easy for them. Homeschooling at its best is a mix of encouragement and challenge.)
And I haven't even touched the idea of giving toddlers practical things to do; most preschoolers love to help, and they're naturals at assisting with housework.
...rearranging drawers, for instance.
These pictures are somewhat dated, now, and the little girls you see in them have calmed down somewhat. (They still like to surprise me now and again, you know, just to keep me on my toes; cover something with Scotch tape, that sort of thing.)
But of course, I now have another toddler to manage, while I try to teach them.
The point is...these times don't last forever. Yes, it's frustrating to have to jump up in terror whenever there's peace and quiet for more than five minutes, in order to see what's wrong, but if you stay the course, your older kids will learn. Traditional classrooms have their own moments of chaos, and their own particular troubles to deal with...and homeschooling, while dramatically different in many ways, still involves a good deal of 'management', if you have more than one child. (Okay, many parents of onlies would say that their one even requires some serious management).
They'll keep on reading while you mop up the water from the toilet that the 18 month old has been stirring.
They'll keep practicing dividing those fractions while you change the poopy diaper.
They'll laugh while the baby dances on the table, during the science experiment, and they'll still be able to explain the conclusion. (Maybe).
And, hopefully, best of all...they'll learn patience. They'll be reminded that they, too, were so much cute baggage when they were that age, and they made horrible messes, also. (I would never in a million years have guessed that my oldest daughter would transform into one of the sweetest, most helpful pre-teen girls I've ever met, considering the kind of toddler/preschooler she was. The messiest of all. Hands down. I have zero pictures of the many messes she made...because I had zero sense of humor about it. Well, and no digital camera. And no older children to laugh with me, contain the mess while I ran and got the camera, or vice versa, and help clean the mess. God Bless older children.)
They'll learn that not everything is able to be compartmentalized, and they'll learn concentration, definitely.
And one day, your toddlers won't be toddlers anymore.
And you'll probably miss it.
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