Tagalongs

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Our state requires that homeschool parents report the ranks of their student body. There are nuances within the regulations (such as registering with a school district, or electing to enroll in an umbrella school), but the effect is the same:

Your school-age kids? We want to know who they are.

Because I am the type of person who gives unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, I dutifully fill in my student list:

Mathaus, 11th grade
Jack, 9th grade
Phineas, self-paced
John Mark, 2nd grade
Birdie, 1st grade

And, because the law is very specific (and because I give exactly as much as Caesar requires but no more), I stop right there.

But, as you can plainly see, the reality of schooling here is a little different:

 

Simon (3.5) and Jude (17 months) have no idea that they’re not on the roster.

People ask from time to time what it’s like to homeschool a large family. Depending on my mood (or how smoothly my day has progressed) I’m likely to give them more of a primer on our overall educational philosophy (“We’re always learning. It’s more of a lifestyle than simply ‘class time.'”) than a play-by-play of how we pull it all off. But inevitably, the questions will come around to the real heart of the matter:

What on earth do you do with a baby or a toddler or (gulp!) both while you’re teaching older kids?

And this one always gets me because I’ll tell you the truth, I’ve been doing it so long I don’t really have to stop and put a whole lot of thought into it. But when I do concentrate on it, I always point out this: I bring them along for the ride. Because that way, everyone’s happier.

It sounds all neat and tidy to have a special little box of toys that only comes out for the wee ones when the older kids are taking turns reading aloud. But honestly, my 6 year-old would drop her Biscuit books in a hot minute if she saw that the “this is special!” box had come out of hiding. By the same token, trying to get my 3 year-old to forget that his just-older siblings are outlining the continents with dry erase markers while he’s given the separate opportunity to color a Paw Patrol page … no go, my friend.

So, instead, it’s a group effort, insomuch as it can be. Sure, there are things Jude cannot do (Jude + a turn at reading aloud = no) but there’s almost always some way to give him his own little chance to be a part of what we call “the crew.” Older kids listening to a story about Martin Luther while coloring a picture of the 95 Theses? He has his own sheet, taped to his high chair with painter’s tape, and the tin of Stockmar crayons. John Mark, Birdie, and Phin working on copywork at their own individual levels? Simon gets a stab, too, with his own triangular Ticonderoga and lined paper.

But when it comes to memory time, guess what? Simon can recite Bible passages that blow me away. Jude can’t talk, but he already knows all the hand motions I made up to remind the older kids the names of certain places or people. And both of them think read-alouds are the best thing ever, especially since I tend to find a way to fit both of them across my lap and throw in a few storybooks, to boot.

Does making space for my tagalongs take more time than it might otherwise? For sure. Is it an extra step to sit down with a high schooler and make sure that the baby has his own writing tool and notebook? Absolutely. Is it necessary? By all means, no. Different things work for different families, and in other seasons, I’ve found that my toddlers or preschoolers do just fine wandering off to play trains while I walk kids through grammar or math.

But right now, they want to be in the mix. Right now, they are engaged and excited and think that learning is fun. And they’re right. So I want to keep this tagalong thing going, help us all enjoy the ride.

 

 

Looking for more ways to keep little hands busy? See this post!

8 ideas to keep your toddler busy