As soon as the internet catches whiff of you being pregnant you will be inundated with ads for teaching your baby to read, count, spell and all kinds of ways to turn your baby into a bonafide genius by adult standards. No conversations about emotional and social development. I detest the adultification of childhood. I believe early education should come from play. Math skills will be built from playing with rocks and sticks. Physics and chemistry from gardening and cooking and climbing and balancing on beams. Language and History from story time and puppet shows an finger play.
Once they express interest in learning however, then we can make space to begin whatever education looks like for your family.
Homeschooling older children with a toddler requires some forethought and preparation. It means having tools in your toolbox in to keep your child occupied.
For us, it looks like homemade play dough , time outside everyday, walks in the rain , story time, library visits, dance breaks, yoga, a notebook and a pencil, art supplies, crayons and hiking. It’s nursery rhymes and finger plays. It’s gardening and watching the moon and leaves. It’s having him help stir pasta or wash a plate. It’s doing life with them alongside us. It also looks like having art supplies, magnatiles, blocks, and books too.
It can also look like schooling outside at the park so my toddler can run around and play, as is having a notepad and pen waiting next to me if he wants to scribble alongside us.
It’s also having sister practice reading aloud by reading to him
And if all else fails as it inevitably will, wait till nap time and put it on my calendar to schedule special with the big kid
Rootin’ Tootingly yours
Farai
I love your learning technique