Frustrated doesn't even begin to describe it. I am ready to scream. In fact, I already have screamed and thrown a fit today.
My 4 yr old absolutely WILL NOT let me do anything with my older son. He will nonstop talk in our faces, do silly things to distract us and make us laugh, yell potty talk, and constantly interrupt no matter what tactics I use to keep him occupied elsewhere or include us in our lessons.
I am just trying to do something light with my older son over the summer, read a book together, write a thank you note, play cards or yahtzee or something. He has trouble hearing and concentrating so this is really distracting and he can't do anything with his brother acting like this right next to us. Every single session involves me repeatedly redirecting him, shushing him, getting increasingly more angry until it ends with me yelling at him, and giving up on the activity with my older son because we're both so frustrated. He just cannot stand not to have 100% of my attention 100% of the time, and will even start hitting and kicking me.
He did go to preschool for 3 full days a week last year, so I had those days to count on with school for my older son and the other days were hit or miss. This year he'll be going 1/2 days daily, so I'll only have 1 1/2 hr max alone with my older son to homeschool, and the rest of the time I'll have both of them, plus we have a baby who I'm occupied with much of the time. But during the summer right now, our schedule is similar to what it will be during the school year.
I have tried giving him a game or activity he can do alongside us as I do something with my older son, giving him a coloring book and saying it's his schoolwork and he can join us, gotten out special new toys for him to play with in another room, even having him watch tv, which he loves- but that whole time he will call up to us telling us about the show, or beg for us constantly to come watch with him, change the volume, etc and it's constant interruptions. And I feel really wrong relying on tv as a homeschooling tool! I will probably not hire a mother's helper, because I've done that before and my kids are HORRENDOUS for other people when they know I'm around and it's way more stress than it is a help.
I am so angry right now, and worried about how I will ever do anything this year with my son, who wants to learn and wants to do the activities, but can't with constant distraction. I honestly don't think there is any solution, except to wait it out and make the best of it until he matures, but wanted to vent and see if anyone else is in the same boat. Unfortunately, public kindergarten is looking more and more attractive for him, because homeschooling the two of them is looking like a nightmare.
My 4 yr old absolutely WILL NOT let me do anything with my older son. He will nonstop talk in our faces, do silly things to distract us and make us laugh, yell potty talk, and constantly interrupt no matter what tactics I use to keep him occupied elsewhere or include us in our lessons.
I am just trying to do something light with my older son over the summer, read a book together, write a thank you note, play cards or yahtzee or something. He has trouble hearing and concentrating so this is really distracting and he can't do anything with his brother acting like this right next to us. Every single session involves me repeatedly redirecting him, shushing him, getting increasingly more angry until it ends with me yelling at him, and giving up on the activity with my older son because we're both so frustrated. He just cannot stand not to have 100% of my attention 100% of the time, and will even start hitting and kicking me.
He did go to preschool for 3 full days a week last year, so I had those days to count on with school for my older son and the other days were hit or miss. This year he'll be going 1/2 days daily, so I'll only have 1 1/2 hr max alone with my older son to homeschool, and the rest of the time I'll have both of them, plus we have a baby who I'm occupied with much of the time. But during the summer right now, our schedule is similar to what it will be during the school year.
I have tried giving him a game or activity he can do alongside us as I do something with my older son, giving him a coloring book and saying it's his schoolwork and he can join us, gotten out special new toys for him to play with in another room, even having him watch tv, which he loves- but that whole time he will call up to us telling us about the show, or beg for us constantly to come watch with him, change the volume, etc and it's constant interruptions. And I feel really wrong relying on tv as a homeschooling tool! I will probably not hire a mother's helper, because I've done that before and my kids are HORRENDOUS for other people when they know I'm around and it's way more stress than it is a help.
I am so angry right now, and worried about how I will ever do anything this year with my son, who wants to learn and wants to do the activities, but can't with constant distraction. I honestly don't think there is any solution, except to wait it out and make the best of it until he matures, but wanted to vent and see if anyone else is in the same boat. Unfortunately, public kindergarten is looking more and more attractive for him, because homeschooling the two of them is looking like a nightmare.
This is exactly my thought. Though, I might even do more than 15 minutes. If you can explain the situation to your older child, will he entertain himself for a half hour while you devote your full attention to 4yo? Could you cuddle up and read books or build with him or whatever it is he loves? And explain to 4yo that you want to have good quality time with each child and he gets to go first, but that means that when it's school time, he needs to be respectful and either join in or find something to do.
