If your 4 year old is past naps maybe you could put a little time into getting your 1 year old into a fairly strict nap routine and at the same time stick a DVD in for the 4 year old. It'll take some work but you'll really need to actively create that one-on-one time with a good routine. Not easy but required. Feel free to skimp a bit on the work while you lay the foundation to get the work done in the future.
We are almost the same home situation you are. I have a 9yr old boy, a 5yr old girl, and a 3mo old boy. We are doing our first year of homeschool, learning 4th and kindergarten materials. I totally understand your frustration. It is HARD to take care of a baby, HARD to keep a house in order, and HARD to homeschool. When you combine all those things it can be overwhelming. (I also work part time--AUGH) Anyway, my suggestion is to try and let something else go so you can give your son a 'mostly' un-interrupted 30-60 minutes each day. Maybe get up early with him, or put on a movie for your 4yr old during a baby nap. One thing I learned: At first, I tried to use baby's nap time for laundry, vacuuming, etc and I was going crazy and school was a major chore for me. Now, I make sure the kids have some time from me to get their work done. A lot of days, I sit there with the baby on my lap, instructing my K on how to do her work, and watching over my son's shoulder to be sure that he is doing well. We just do it all together. If something comes up, like a phone call, a dirty diaper, or I'm just tired, we take a break and then later, we all come back again. If my K student finishes first, she'll watch a movie or do a puzzle or something while my son finishes up. And I use baby nap times for chores when I can. It helps me feel more sane. My 9yr old needed a lot of guidance at first, because he was always so hard on himself and uncomfortable in his new setting. Now that his confidence has grown, he is much more independent. Try to do some things to make your son feel amazing, and his growing confidence may help him become more independent. Also, one last question: Have you taken a day off yet? I realized last week that we had not had even one day off since we started. At my husband's strong urging, LOL--We took the whole week off. I'm happy to report that no one died, we are still on track, and it was nice to just enjoy my children with no added responsibilities for a week. Do you need a break?? Hugs
Why not try a totally different approach to education. Inspiration is a great way to get kids to learn on their own. Introduce topics that he is interested in already. Get him going with things he likes whether in science, history or math. No one likes to have demands made on them. I don't and neither do kids. Take a look at a tool called The Closet. It is a way to introduce any topic you want, in an interesting way, that creates anticipation and makes kids love learning new things. Check out home-school-coach.com, the start here link in the categories search bar. Good luck. When children are inspired you don't need to make demands. Also search the word Spencer Sparks for some amazing examples of learning adventures you can have with a child who is inspired and motivated already.
