Input Wanted

[my2beauties]

I will start homeschooling my 5 1/2 yr old this Fall. At that time, I will also have a 3yr old. Can anyone tell me what to do with the 3 yr old so that I am not duplicating everything with him 2 yrs from now if I have him sit in on the daily lessons come August? Thank you!!!

[raceNzanesmom]

Not the answer you want, but I'd duplicate it in two years. His skill level will be so much higher than it is now. Let him join in for fun now, but don't worry about him "getting it". Keep plenty of 3 y/o things for him to do.

[kewkew34]

I was wondering the same thing, because even if I am just doing the LHFHG with Tabitha (who will be 5) and my Letter of the Week stuff with Amelia (who will be 3 1/2) and Hannah (who will be 2) they will still probably be sitting in on the LHFHG as I am not sure how else to go about it.

[mamas4bugs]

Do you have any interest in doing LHTH with your littler ones?

I will say that it will be a completely different experience for the little ones when they use the guide as their own later.

Somewhere there is a thread on ideas for younger kids, but I'm not sure how to find it. Maybe someone with better searching skills than me will chime in.

[Carrie]

I just typed a response earlier today on what to do with your little ones while schooling older kiddos that may be of help to you. I'll link it here, as it's running on the board now.

Link: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9569

Blessings,
Carrie

[krismoose]

I did LHFHG with a 2.5-3.5yo tagging along and it was great to have her join in, but we'll be doing it "just for her" (as I tell her) next year, and I can tell it will be an entirely different experience because of her interests. She remembers some things, like the science activities, but not much else. It'll be just as fun, but different, IMO!

[netpea]

I did LHFHG with my 5 year old and my 3 year old tagging along. We did LHTH with her at 4 and at 5 she was still not ready for LHFHG so we didn't do it until she was almost 6. Every child is different but a three year old will not get the material the way a 5 or 6 year old will.

[my3sons]

Welcome to the HOD Board, my2beauties! I would do LHTH half-speed with the 3 yo - that is what we did with our 3 yo, and he loved it. It was easier to have LHTH to do with him, then have him doing this or that sporadically with the olders, and he learned so much. If you have half-speed LHTH for the 3 yo, then you can focus on your 5.5 yo completely when doing LHFHG. It honestly makes it easier to give a strong foundation for phonics, early math skills, and early writing skills when you can have in your mind that LHFHG is just for the 5.5 yo, and LHTH (half-speed) is just for the 3 yo. That way, rather than having 3 yo kind of sit in on this or that, and feeling like you should try to encourage that because that's all the 3 yo is getting, you'd have the mindset that the 3 yo is getting mommy time and learning time through LHTH, and LHFHG is all for the 5.5 yo. It helps us set up the day differently, with a more conscious effort to have LHFHG plans be in a quieter place, in a less interrupted time of the day, so 5.5 yo can take all she can from it and be totally ready for BLHFHG. Likewise, a time for just 3 yo for LHTH makes that child focus on those skills, and helps that child feel like she has you alllllllll to herself - which is a pretty important thing to 3 yo. However, that's just my take on it. Even if your 3 yo ends up not doing LHTH and listening in on LHFHG, there is no way the 3 yo will take much from it, so doing LHFHG in 2 years with the 3 yo (then 5 yo), will be just fine. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie