One common question I get is “What does your Teeny Tiny Tot to do all day while you homeschool?” Well, I think its about time I address this question, and I really think you’ll be amazed at what a Tot can really accomplish in a day!

Here are some practical things you can do with your Teeny Tiny Tot to give a head start to their education!

Toddlers love to help out! Since we like to teach responsibility early on, our Teeny Tot starts her day off with chores. First she empties the dishwasher, whether dirty or clean, after that, she climbs on top of her sister’s beds, tossing down all the animals so I can wash the sheets. It would’ve been really helpful if today was actually sheet washing day.

IMG_3121IMG_3013

At the start of class she checks everyone’s workboxes to make sure they’re ready for the day. She’s also responsible for picking up the empty boxes once work is finished.

IMG_1677

And if you can’t reach something, she’s always there to help out. By the way, this is great for Large Muscle Exercise for your teeny tot. Make sure you put all the really great stuff up high, remember homeschooling is a mix of challenge and fun!

IMG_3122

Once school starts, she’s in charge of keeping the music going, she loves to music time, her favorite instrument is the jingle bells.

IMG_1064

 

After song time, she hunkers down for some of her own school work…this is great for fine motor pinching skills. It also makes your Teeny Tot feel like they’re really part of school time.

IMG_3131IMG_3095

At snack time, she’s happy to fill everyone’s boxes with snacks…sometimes she takes the snacks instead, but this is understandable as she gets hungry at her part-time police gig.

IMG_0371 IMG_3139

If you’re shy, she’ll be happy to assist you during “Show-n-tell” time. Psst…“ Just say, its your fuzzy dog and you love it”

IMG_3133

As we go through out our day, she’s always running around helping to clean up the messes we make. In this picture I believe she is picking up crayons for me, such a great helper. And excellent for those fine motor grasping skills. Um, at second glance, I believe there may be some ‘crayon dumping’ going on here.

IMG_1362

If anyone needs practice reading, she’s always a very encouraging participant. Just make sure to keep a tight hold on your book, she’s very eager to eat, read books.

IMG_1788

After reading, she helps re-arrange our floor numbers to make the game more challenging for our preschooler.

IMG_2026

About mid-day she takes a nap. There’s no picture of this because we have a “DON’T WAKE THE BABY!” rule here. As you can see she needs her rest.

After naptime, she’s likes to help with laundry.

IMG_3204

Then moves on to organizing my cupboards and kitchen drawers. I can’t tell you what a big help this is, and I think plate stacking qualifies as some sort of skill don’t you?

IMG_0474 IMG_3221

Right before dinner, she helps put away all the toys…

IMG_2905

Then she moves right on to set the table. You’d be amazed at what a Teeny Tot can do with some sour cream.

IMG_3119 IMG_2903

About 6pm or so, she likes to check the front door in hopes of her favorite person arriving, her Daddy, whom she’ll greet with a big smile and a wet kiss.

IMG_3213

After a long hard day of working, our Teeny Tot finishes off the day with a bath, and some “Bed Jumping with Daddy”.

IMG_1971

And what are the advantages for your older kids of having the Teeny Tot roaming around while they try to concentrate and do their school work?

First, they’ll learn independence as they keep on reading while you re-roll the toilet paper your teeny tot likes to drag around the house with her. They’ll learn team-work as they organize how one will hold the teeny tot while the other removes the scissors from her hands. They’ll learn multi-tasking as they do their math while at the same time keeping the teeny tot from choking to death on manipulatives. And, best of all…they’ll learn a great character skill called patience.

So take advantage of this time with your Teeny Tots, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures! Their little finger prints won’t be around for very long, they’ll get higher and higher and them some day be gone!

IMG_3214

Please note: No Teeny Tots were harmed during the making of the post.

48 Comments

  1. Absolutely adorable! My youngest (of 5) is 3 now and way to grown up – she does all the preschool activities off your site and LOVES them! I really miss the tiny tots! You are right – enjoy them while you can, they grow up too fast (my oldest is a college freshman – where did the time go?) Thanks for the laughs, ideas and fun off your site – your kids are adorable and always so happy!

    Anonymous
  2. Thank you for having such a great perspective and reminding me of it! We start homeschooling this fall, and my biggest fear is 2 teeny tots! I'm pretty sure you can imagine taking the activities you posted and doubling it…and going in different directions! Oh my! And such good ideas and resources you offer, thank you!

  3. These were great pictures. My teeny tot has just figured out how to climb – on the couch, into his toy bin, over the couch, everywhere – so thank you for the encouragement to remember they do not stay this way long.

  4. I just have to say…as funny as it was, I found myself almost in tears because someone else has experienced how busy MY little guy has been!!! My other two were angels compared to my 1 yr old right now…thank you so much for reminding me that it really is amusing what our busy teeny tiny tots accomplish, because not all teeny tiny tots are this busy! Shalom, from my busy home to yours!LD

  5. This is hysterical. It really captures what the little ones are doing all day long – learning, watching, copying, listening. And it’s a wonderful reminder that they’re only little for such a short time, and to cherish them as the miracles they are – despite the lack of sleep and exhaustion we feel. Thanks for reminding me what my own kids were like at that age. Such a blessing – an exhausting, tiring blessing, but a gift from God.

    Barb

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.