Sneaky Three Year Old

Homeschooling Preschoolers

Today I started working with Dos and Tres on their letters and numbers. They loved using the movable alphabet, counting beans, and playing the memory game with numbers. I hadn't really planned what I was going to do I just knew I wanted to start teaching them something asap. Now that they aren't trying to kill each other and destroy my house all day long I thought I would start. 

Uno is in Kindergarten and is required to go to public school (in foster care), so it has given me more of a chance to work with the girls. Oh, has it been peaceful without him in the house all day! What a difference it makes having just the two girls. We suspected it was his behavior causing most of the issues. No surprise he slapped someone the first day of school. However, today he came home with a smiley face, which means he did not get into trouble.

Unfortunately, Uno saved all of his trouble-making for the house... It was chaos from the time I picked him up from school until he went to bed. It seems like he spent most of the time in time out! (We only do 6 minutes, too, since that is his age. Although we add a minute when he does something against the rules while in time out.)

Kids Sitting in Church

Amazingly, our kids have done very well sitting in church. Tres could be in the nursery since she is three but we have decided we don't want to leave the children at all, especially at first. Also, we have to have permission with our agency if we ever leave them with a baby-sitter. Anyway, they sit with us during the main service and we go through the song service as usual but when the preaching starts they get to color quietly. So far, so good. They beg to color at home but we only let them color at church, so it won't become boring (yet, anyway).

They each have a cloth bag with crayons and a big coloring book. I have to hide it when we're at home or they will get into it. I just don't want crayon marks all over the house and as destructive as they are...well, enough said.

Sneaky Behavior

Nap time has improved greatly, especially with Uno in school. The girls' bodies are used to falling asleep after lunch now, so they go down pretty well. I have to separate the girls, though, or they will play, so I have Tres in the pack-n-play in the living room, where I am usually working on the computer or paperwork. Yesterday, I caught up on ironing and putting clothes away in my bedroom. Since she fell asleep so well with me in another room I thought I could trust her alone. Not so.

I went and checked on her and saw a dining room chair pushed up to the armoire and one of the coloring (church) bags on the chair. I thought, "I don't remember that chair being there or anyone putting it there." Yet, I went back to my ironing puzzled because Tres was in the pack-n-play laying down.

When I returned to the living room later to put a pull-up on her (I had forgotten) I pulled back the blanket to find her coloring and pretending to be asleep! I was so mad. lol They know they aren't supposed to open their bags at home. Time out for her and then she fell right to sleep.