How are you managing home school with a baby??

[Hannah2199]

Just that really. How are you managing home schooling with kids of different ages?

Mine need constant supervision to do the work and we have a baby crawling around who wont sit in a high chair while older kids do their work. All the kids seem to need help at the same time.

The older kids are now flat out refusing to do any work (primary age). They moan when we go on our daily walks. I've tried getting them to complete work separately so 1 does maths, the other does a puzzle or ipad which works sometimes but meantime the baby is crying or trying to eat inappropriate things on the floor or whatever. As soon as I deal with the baby the other kids stop working.


We are not managing to get any work done at all really. Then when OH finished work he sits with them and they will do their work- why?!?! I feel like such a failure. If I try they just say no, i dont want to, I'm not doing that etc, they would rather just lie on the floor than engage in anything. So fed up. Cant manage another 2 - 3 - 10- more?? weeks of this.

[DownWhichOfLate]

How old are the older ones?

[user1477391263]

I have a toddler (not a baby). It is tough.

Do you impose consequences, assign points, refuse any screen time unless tasks are done, go BALLISTIC and yell scarily if they play up? I have basically had to turn into Bitch Mum, but it does sort of work... most of the time.

[user1477391263]

(My oldest is nine, so perhaps a bit older than yours)

[Namechange2p2p]

We don't cope.

We do what we can and if it doesn't work out, well, so be it. I am not a teacher, this is not a school and in light of a deadly virus going about I would rather we were all happy and enjoying ourselves as much as possible instead of biting at each other over jolly fucking phonics. They will catch up. This is a pandemic and things are not going to just run smoothly all the time.

Give yourself a break, do what you can. If it doesn't work out, don't worry.

[Pleasedontdrawonyoursister]

Mine are 6, 4 and 1, oldest are year 2 and foundation stage. Partner is working Monday-Saturday and I’m supposed to be working from home part time. We do literally the bare minimum and they have loads of screen time. I’m not happy about it but we can only do our best.

[EYProvider]

What you need to do is get your older kids to play with the baby in turn. Then work with them 1-1 while the others mind the baby.

Pay them in sweets or pocket money or whatever if need be.

This is how it used to be before kids became the centre of everyone’s universe. It was good for them then and will be good for them now - it will teach them about responsibility.

[stella1know]

Have a toddler who is constantly trying to self-destruct. We live in a European country where the tri-partite school system still exists, and school allocation is at 10 years, not 12 like it was in England. So for us academic progress really does matter. A-Level equivalents at all schools are going ahead here despite the country having been in lockdown for 6 weeks, libraries and school closed and the country isnt set up for online learning. Lots of kids dont have access to a computer for themselves. So it really matters for my school child that we get through her work and she doesnt fall behind. It is chaos sometimes but after the first 4 weeks she is less resistant and gets it done. Year 3 but somehow cant do the work without me looking over her shoulder and explaining the tasks, even though she is one of the cleverest. The independent learning just isnt there yet. So homeschooling + toddler + food + basic cleaning + playing and fun + a sick pet 😭 The laundry gets left behind as does other cleaning which gets done in snippets. I am stressed.

[Titslikepicassos]

I’m not...

I tried and failed.

I’m okay with it, but have had to delete social media apps from my phone to avoid the perfect parent posts which leave me feeling like I’m not coping with lockdown as well as I should be!

We’re all reading at the minute while I bounce the baby in his bouncy chair

[EYProvider]

Alternatively, put the baby in a play pen.

[Hannah2199]

Thanks good to hear I'm not the only one.

I've tried getting cross with them but it only makes them upset and then I spend longer dealing with them crying than we do getting any work done. I've tried to make it fun, also doesnt work.

Had tried taking screens away but they then just play up when I'm trying to get baby to sleep - so then end up having a screaming tired baby in the mix too

We are running out of things to do and no flour left to do baking. They only want to play outside if I'm there to do football etc with them. Cant leave them with baby for too long as they pick him up, squeeze him etc which results in baby crying etc.

One child currently crying because I'm not helping with a puzzle she could easily complete herself. One child upset I'm not playing football with him. Thankfully baby is asleep.

Im hiding in the bathroom for 10 minutes.

Nothing seems to be working. They are 8, 4 and 10 months.

Sorry I realise the above is a bit of a rant, but I'm struggling to keep my sanity today with 4/5 weeks of this

[stella1know]

Also, House is a mess. Luckily we don’t see the ILs so that takes the stress offf 😂 for now but we still get called up to ask if we are keeping up with admin and maintenance and haircuts and cleaning (plus DH wfh + kids + feeding + entertaining + homeschooling) boomer ILs with too much time on their hands. So glad to have a break from their high standards.

[Missmonkeypenny]

We muddle on through. DS is nearly 4 months and going through a sleep regressionsas well as teething which means he only sleeps on me during the day, he is also BF and won't take bottles of expressed milk ( standard formula is out because hes allergic to dairy ). DH is a paramedic so is often sleeping off a night shift or at work. D is 5 (year R) and we do minimal amounts of formal learning each day, a lot more screen time than I'd like but it is what it is.


I'm missing my daytime naps with DS hugely and also missing being able to give DD some time alone with me but its not forever hopefully. I've found some really good apps which she can do learning on next to me which helps, cut yourself some slack.

[Cremebrule]

With difficulty. Having children at such different stages is really hard especially if the older ones are extra clingy and tricky. My baby is destructive and wants to join in with the older one. The older one has lost all ability to play independently.

[Gingercakeandtea]

My 9 month old is usually in the sling whilst we do school work

[PippaPegg]

I've tried getting cross with them but it only makes them upset and then I spend longer dealing with them crying than we do getting any work done.

Thank fuck this isn't just me!

It's a joke. Just get through the day best you can. It's more important to maintain positive loving relationships than any schoolwork. In the long run they can pick up academics but not undo weeks of stressful home life. Get them doing household stuff and sneak some numbers into it. Paint the patio draw shapes.

The whole cohort is in the same boat