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I have a 2.5 year old who currently has a love/hate relationship with school. I'm sure it is because it's frustrating for him to know just where he stands when I do school time with Shana. We have old workbooks he can pull out and do when she is doing the RH of LHFHG, but we just haven't been able to work in LHTH yet.

I also have a huge tote of toys that I just have yet to organize to pull out for him, as well as designate toys and a place in the house for all said items so that he can play with them when we are doing school. I'm envisioning a lot of totes or ziploc bags with all these items in it.

A friend suggested "Activities in a Bag" developed by two veteran homeschooling moms, which just consists of a download with a bunch of activities you assemble and set aside for school time. I would love to see what I've got before I plunk down the money for it, but I haven't been able to find time. Would you buy something like that?

Can some of you either offer advice or pointers for this? I know there have been linkies, but I haven't been able to even find the time to take a shower, let alone look for linkies or put together these packs for John! Aaaah!

there are a lot of cool activities out there for lapbooks related to children's books. If you search for "tot school" you'll find a page with lap book ideas for Eric Carle books. They are free. My 2yo likes the activities for Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See.

My 3 year old can't really do anything schoolish on her own, so while I'm with big sister, the little one has to do something independent. I usually set out a puzzle (or she gets her own if she doesn't like my choice), set out some play doh, lacing cards or beads, chalk and a mini chalkboard, and maybe a little snack. I tell her those things are her school while I work with sister, and she usually goes through each one before coming back. She joins in with her sister on Bible/Storytime/any hands-on craft, and listens to big sister read aloud from the ER's. Sometimes she still bugs her sister though.

I would encourage you to really research weather or not you think your little guy would like the preschool activity bags. I bought it and made them for my 3 year old. He can only do a few on his own, most are activities that require my direction or help. I think they would be independent activities for my 5 year old. Overall they were not a good investment for me, I have a bunch of activities that rarely get used... I have some preschool file folder games that he can do more on his own, but he still needs help getting started. I have found that just having some special quiet toys, puzzles, and play doh works best for us. If you wanted more info on the preschool activity bags feel free to ask more, I have the first book.

Or you could do like I did today... I wouldn't really advise it though...

I handed Evie paper, scissors, crayons, and glue and told her to have fun, just try to keep the glue on the paper...

MomtoJGJE wrote:Or you could do like I did today... I wouldn't really advise it though...

I handed Evie paper, scissors, crayons, and glue and told her to have fun, just try to keep the glue on the paper...

Ok, this is more like what I do most of the time....

MomtoJGJE wrote:Or you could do like I did today... I wouldn't really advise it though...

I handed Evie paper, scissors, crayons, and glue and told her to have fun, just try to keep the glue on the paper...

this is funny and again, probably more like what I do. My 2.5 YO has gotten into a routine, which still needs reinforcing sometimes, but basically she is supposed to have free play time and play quietly during most of school, and then when I read to my older girls she is supposed to play in her room. I have put special toys in her room for her - and am working on more. A good friend of mine actually recently found some good ideas online for developmental toys you can make yourself so we each made 2 of the ones we found, and gave one to the other mom for her toddler. Plastic eggs in an egg carton, felt shapes to put on a board, a yogurt container with holes to put pipe cleaners in, things like that. My toddler loves the ones I have given her. Anyway, I just try to find ways to occupy her. We are going to hopefully start LHTH this fall.

I think my toddler does feel left out, though she doesn't think she wants to do school, or doesn't say that she does. I think because of the way we've transitioned it since she was a baby, she thinks her involvement in school IS school. I'm sure she'll be excited once there's school specifically for her. She does do rotating box activities with us, or if the math activity includes a snack I sit her down and she has snack and maybe counts hers or something.

I agree with what eachlee said. A lot of things that are developmentally appropriate for that age are not things that can be done independently. So that means you have to focus some time and attention on the little one, and with doing LHFHG/ER and all that you can't do both at once. Certainly if you can squeeze it in or just have a special time for it, do some school stuff with your younger one. But otherwise, I think you are more looking for something he can do and feel ownership of while your older daughter is doing school. Maybe give him assignments like building something with blocks, picking up all of something and putting it in a certain place, doing a puzzle, or whatever. Things he can do independently but you will have to direct him on a little bit maybe? I'm so glad having my 2.5 YO play in her room has worked out as well as it has, she doesn't seem to mind, she likes having her CD on and usually she also eats a snack in there (which I know would not work for every parent, and she has made a mess with the snack but usually she does okay). I hope some of these thoughts are helpful.

My youngest is that age and comes to me saying, "I do lessons!" It's so hard because she really wants to participate with her older sisters. I tried the busy bag ideas and they were good until she realized it wasn't what Sissy was doing I printed off some preschool pages and let her just scribble all over them. She feels like she's doing what her sisters are that way. My mom also bough her a 2-4 year old's maze book by Kumon. I was shocked that she can already do the easy ones at the beginning. She also has the leap frog alphabet magnet letters and I give her washable dry erase markers to play with on our white board.

I haven't found the perfect thing yet, but I'm learning there won't be a "perfect". Often times I just pull her in my lap and she cuddles with me while I'm reading history aloud to the girls or helping them with something else. She just wants to spend time with us so I'm learning to simply go with it. She'll be in Little Hands next year just before turning 3 because I think she'll be ready for something more formal and will have fun with all the activities. I'm also thinking my oldest will enjoy teaching her some. She already does that anyway and it will be interesting to see how it all works out!

One thing I do with my little guy, is have the big kids, including the six year old, do something with him for about 20 mins or half an hour each day. It has worked quite well. I have encouraged my girls to teach him something new, so my oldest has been getting him to help her make things for lunch. Our younger daughter often brings him out and shows us what he can do now. It is really cute. My older son is getting better at actually engaging with him, which is great.

Heidi, I'm in a similar place as you with only 2 kiddos, when your doing school with one the other is SOLO! My younger is 4 so that helps some, a little bit longer attention span and able to do more. I will admit to resorting to screen time occasionally for him, usually pbs kids. He can also do some games on computer now but 2.5 year old may not!

My DS also plays semi-quietly, usually in same room. Things like match box cars or Little People toys keep their attention for awhile! Or other imagination type toys.

Another suggestion is to do school in short bites with ur older with break time in between so ur kids can play together, my problem with that is they don't want to stop.

I've often had to tell DS to be quiet or he has to leave the room. It took awhile but he does better. I think just do something and stick to it to create a routine for them. My son refused to pick up a crayon until we had been doing school for a couple months and he just turned 4!!!

Just keep at it! Praying for you!!

My apologies, I should have noted that you only had the two blossoms. Feel free to ignore what I said.

MomtoJGJE wrote:Or you could do like I did today... I wouldn't really advise it though...

I handed Evie paper, scissors, crayons, and glue and told her to have fun, just try to keep the glue on the paper...

LOL! Been there!! Lots of times!!

Sometimes our littlest joins in for Beyond storytime; always for LHFHG storytime (which is snack time also) - he's learning these are mandatory quiet times, too. But mostly he hangs with us, or plays on Starfall (that has worked really well!) or a Caillou game, or plays with which ever child isn't doing lessons. I've tried giving him specific activities but he doesn't really go for that idea. He's learned that when it's "school time" he is free to do his computer time, or play upstairs, or join me quietly while I work with one of the older ones. Oh! and a white board with available markers and magnets to play with has worked well, too. These are close by because we use the white board for school so it's easy to keep an eye on him. But for us, I have found that I have wasted money on things that were "supposed" to keep him busy independently. He does much better floating in and out with the understanding he must be quiet if I'm working with someone. Of course, this may all change Monday - he's 2!

Also wanted to add: I have to remember (it's hard sometimes!) that interuptions are bound to happen (potty break anyone?) and I need to allow for those. Since I have mentally worked those into my "schedule" things go much more smoothly with better attitudes.

Whitney, great ideas! Thank you! The stuff is out on my floor in hopes that I will get to it sometime this weekend???

White board and markers, pens, great ideas!!! Thank you!

Heidi,

The ladies have already done such a great job of talking through ideas with you, so I'll just link a past post where I combined a lot of my suggestions for occupying kiddos who are toddlers. My post is near the bottom of the linked thread, but the rest of the thread has great ideas from other ladies too! Link: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10601&p=77197

Maybe something in the thread will be of help too!

Blessings,
Carrie

Thank you, Carrie! I knew this had already been covered! I appreciate you weighing in!!!