To wonder how I do schoolwork with dc1 with a toddler about?

[lotsotbabies]

I am asking as I’m guessing others have had this problem but I am flummoxed as to how to go about solving it.

Toddler Won’t watch tv either so that won’t work

What age is DC1
if young it should be only 15 min or so?

Only 5 and in Y1, it doesn’t take ages or anything but struggling to do anything at all.

I used to put little one in the bath and DD and I would sit in the doorway (just out of splash reach). When the homework was finished LO would be dried and DD would go into the bath.

Reading book at bedtime and spellings in the mornings over breakfast?

If it's something like worksheets/projects I'd do them at the weekend during the toddlers nap time.

If an older toddler you could give them some 'homework' to do next to you like a colouring sheet or an sticker activity book.

Thanks @Girasoli . How do you do the spellings? I’ve no idea!

Why isn’t your child at school if you have no time to educated them or know how to go about it?

Chalk on pavement good for spellings or static whiteboard sheets that stick in the wall.
Toddler can scribble too

I assume the OP is talking about homework from school- spellings, reading etc.

It’s one of those things you just have to juggle OP. Is there another parent around who can support?

Can you all sit at the table together, give the toddler some crayons and paper, tell them they are also doing homework...

She obviously means homework

Distract toddler with toys while getting the elder dc to do spellings in chalk on and easel.

Elder dc can read to you and the toddler.

Do times tables in the car when you're driving somewhere.

I got a cheap phonics book that looks very similar to my DC1 homework books. DC2 aged 2 loves sitting with us doing her home work.

I'm afraid I've just seen read it on here that a lot of people do spellings in the morning! Some of my mum friends quiz their DC on the walk/drive to school.

We do homework before or after dinner and on weekends but mine are 10 and 6.

How much homework is there, and how often? ie, is it once a week to be returned the next week? Every day/a few times a week? What kind of thing is it?

Do you have a partner? What time do they get home?

What is toddler doing during the day when DC1 is at school - are they at nursery? Can you tire them out massively if you are at home with them?

Does it work for toddler to have their own "work" to do at the table with both of you - something like colouring, dot to dot, stickers, those activity/workbooks you can buy at WHS/The Works etc?

Or can you set DC1 up, and set something up which will interest toddler which you can do with them while keeping half an ear out for if DC1 needs help? Something like a marble run or Duplo or building blocks or wooden train track, or giving toddler challenges to go around the room as different animals, on one leg, backwards, etc.

I think this might have been critical but I genuinely don’t know what you mean.

Thanks all. No other parent around. DC2 gets very destructive sometimes, trying to snatch the pen off dc1, shouting, throwing self at me so I can’t see (or breathe!)

It’s frustrating. Feeling like a crap mum!

Make it a fun event for the little one as well as for your older child. Give the little one some paper, crayons, etc. and have them do their "homework" while you're working with the 5-year-old. Everyone receives stickers or something at the end. Or wait until the toddler is in bed and then work with the older child.

Is your child meeting or exceeding the expected level? Then he will be fine even if he doesn't do homework every day. With the exception of reading, homework at primary school isn't terribly important (and educational research backs this up). As long as you read together each day and you create an environment that includes a lot of books and activities that support learning, I wouldn't worry too much if some days you miss doing homework set by the school.

Op same here tbh - we get in at 6.30
weekdays so literally it’s dinner bath book bed - and she’s so shattered that even getting her to read a bit herself or mention trying to do spellings is a no! She needs to be asleep by 8

we try get the little brother into bed Saturday and Sunday night by 7 and then there’s an hour there to do some spellings and whatever else / reading practice

we have a kitchen island so I get her to sit up there so it’s out of the 2 year olds reach and I get him playing with something and I can stand and help her with homework - it’s not ideal but just about get it done

Been there (still there!)
It’s tough.

Spellings do out loud

Reading whenever smaller child is occupied/asleep
Bath time
playpen
in a cardboard box with some paint pens

Go out for after school coffee and cake with another parent and child and get older kids to do worksheet together with a bit of help from other parent and bit of input from me. If they have a little one too it works well - one of us entertains the littlest ones and the other helps the older ones with the homework.

sorry but this is absolutely ridiculous! There is no chance, baring extreme SN, that I would put up with a toddler throwing themselves at you, snatching the pen and shouting, parent your toddler and show them that this in unacceptable behaviour, don’t just let them do it! And before anyone starts I have 6 children, so yes I do know what it’s like (5 were primary age and younger during Covid so we did a lot of ‘homework’) but you can’t just allow your toddler to behave like that.

Poor children. Homework never used to happen until you were at secondary school years ago.
Who started this cobblers.
Teachers are there to teach spelling.

God I really can’t remember but there’s only 2.5 year between my 2 so I must have had to deal with it at some point. Colouring in/drawing at the table?

I don’t, but when I’m dealing with that and parenting (as you put it) I’m not helping the other with spellings or schoolwork. And this is the problem I’m posting about.

How do the chalk and easel help specifically? Why would your suggestion not work with pencil and paper?

Is that how you parent all your children - by barking at them that they are ridiculous?

Interesting choice, to include dad in your username and come here scoffing at women.