Shownotes
In this episode, we reframe one of the biggest challenges homeschool parents face: managing multiple kids of different ages at the same time.
Instead of seeing it as a hurdle, you’ll discover why having multiple children is actually a hidden superpower—rooted in Montessori philosophy, evolutionary anthropology, and backed by modern research.
From creating shared spaces to balancing individual needs, you’ll leave with practical, heart-centered strategies to transform chaos into connection.
🎁Grab your FREE Thriving with Multiple Kids
Juggling Multiple Kids Blog Post
3 Key Takeaways from This Episode:
1️⃣ Tailor shared activities to the youngest child’s developmental level—not to hold older kids back, but to give them the chance to lead, model, and master.
2️⃣ Mixed-age learning mirrors how humans have always thrived—in community, not isolation. Your home is the original classroom.
3️⃣ Practical routines (like rotating attention and preparing the environment) help you juggle multiple kids without losing your mind—and with way more joy.
In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 — The Lego war zone moment, reframing multiple kids as a superpower
01:31 — Welcome: Anya's story of stepping off the legal path
03:01 — Playing “Let’s Play School” with young sister: the instinct to teach
04:31 — The youngest sets the pace: why this creates the foundation
06:31 — Creating inclusive activities; anthropology; Dr. Suzanne Gaskins’ insight
09:01 — Parallel engagement; meeting individual needs
11:01 — 7 game-changing tips for homeschooling multiple kids
15:31 — Self-compassion; community: why you matter in this journey
17:31 — Reframing multiple kids as your gift; Montessori’s core truth
20:01 — Key takeaways; free guide
Resources & Links
🎁 FREE GUIDE: Master Managing Multiple Kids
⚓️ Navigate with MKAPtains Kids Activities Club – Get a done-for-you Monthly Activity Plan that makes learning hands-on and fun—so you can spend less time planning and more time playing!
🧭 Join Mamas' Compass Circle™ where you will find support, monthly content, and practical tools for moms craving calm, clarity and confidence. No pressure. Just presence.
🎓 Let’s Do This Together - You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. With over a decade of experience helping parents worldwide, I’ve mastered how to simplify homeschooling to amplify your child’s growth—without the stress or overwhelm.
Follow Anya
Instargram.com/MontessoriFromTheHeart
📑 Research & References:
- Juggling Multiple Kids Blog Post
- Montessori, M. (1949). The Absorbent Mind. Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House.
- Montessori, M. (1936). The Secret of Childhood. New York: Longmans, Green and Co.
- Montessori, M. (1946). Education for a New World. Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House.
- Gaskins, S. (2000). Children’s daily lives in a Mayan village: A case study of culturally constructed roles and activities. In S. Harkness, C. Raeff, & C. Super (Eds.), Variability in the social worlds of children (pp. 25–38). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Katz, L. G., & McClellan, D. E. (1997). The case for mixed-age grouping in early education (ERIC Digest). Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.
- Morrison, F. J., et al. (1996). The effects of mixed-age peer exposure on preschoolers’ language development. University of Toronto Early Learning Project [Unpublished report].
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Transcripts
Hey, it's Anya. Let me ask you something real quick… Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle of your living room—one sock on, coffee gone cold again, surrounded by a small Lego war zone—wondering, “How did I get here?” Like you’re supposed to raise an entire human being, maybe even teach them, and also somehow remember what day of the week it is?
If you’re in that moment—if you’ve got multiple little humans demanding snacks, love, and math help all at once—this episode is for you. And here’s what I want you to know from the very beginning: Having multiple kids in your homeschool isn’t a hurdle—it’s actually the secret sauce. It may feel messy. It may stretch you. But it gives your children something powerful: a built-in community, real-time peer learning, leadership opportunities, emotional growth. What feels like your biggest challenge is actually your greatest gift.
And before we go any further, grab your free guide: “Juggling Activities with Multiple Kids: A Practical Guide for Parents.” It’s short, actionable, and will help you apply what we’re diving into today. You’ll find the link in the show notes.
Before we dive into the first shift in perspective, let me take you back for a second… When my little sister was born, I was thrilled. Not because I wanted to share my toys (I didn’t), but because I finally had a real human to play “Let’s Play School” with. Of course, I was the teacher. Always.
Did we play school when she could barely sit up? Oh yes, we did. Was she learning addition at 18 months? Probably not. But here’s the funny thing—I wasn’t teaching her for her sake. I was doing it for me. Because deep down, I knew something that Montessori would later confirm: the best way to learn something is to teach it.
And here’s the twist I only understand now: she was learning too—but in her way. She wasn’t following my lesson plan. She was absorbing my energy, my words, my modeling. That instinct—that desire to share, model, and lead—is baked into us. And when we’re raising multiple kids, that instinct becomes a gift—as long as we remember to start where the youngest child is.
And funny enough, that’s exactly where we begin today…
So, how do you homeschool multiple kids without losing your mind? Here’s the first shift in perspective: the youngest sets the pace. I know. It sounds like you’re compromising. But in reality, you’re creating a foundation. When your youngest child is included—when the activity meets their developmental stage—your older child gets the opportunity to lead, to model, to master.
When planning shared activities, you begin where the youngest are—not to hold the older ones back, but to allow them to rise as models and mentors. When a toddler is safely engaged in pouring water, their older sibling may step in to help, guide, or deepen their own understanding. It’s not about doing the same thing—it’s about creating shared space that serves everyone. That’s not regression. That’s refinement. And it’s Montessori to the core.
"The child learns everything without knowing he is learning it... treading always in the paths of joy and love." — The Absorbent Mind
So how do we do that practically? How can we thrive in a multi-age home?
With open-ended materials that all kids can engage with. Think blocks, clay, puzzles, sensory bins, art trays, and nature walks. These invite children to engage at their own level—independently or collaboratively. A toddler might stack cups while their older sibling builds a city. Same space, different outcomes.
This approach doesn't just make your life easier—it mirrors how humans have always learned.
For tens of thousands of years, children were raised in mixed-age groups. They weren’t divided by birthday. They grew up in tribes, watching, doing, helping. A five-year-old taught a three-year-old how to dig roots or tie knots. It wasn’t called “peer learning.” The term “multi-age” would’ve sounded ridiculous to a hunter-gatherer mother—it was just life.
Dr. Suzanne Gaskins studied indigenous communities and found that children learned through immersion—not instruction. Kids were always around other kids—older and younger—and through observation, they developed autonomy, patience, and leadership.
We didn’t evolve in isolation. We evolved in community. So when your toddler is underfoot and your six-year-old is teaching them how to pour beans into a bowl? That’s not chaos. That’s ancestral learning. That’s the model.
Modern science backs it up.
A study published in Early Childhood Research & Practice found that children in multi-age classrooms showed stronger social behavior and fewer discipline issues. A University of Toronto study found that preschoolers exposed to older peers developed more advanced vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Research shows mixed-age grouping supports: social-emotional development—empathy, patience, leadership; improved language skills—richer vocabulary through modeling; a sense of responsibility—older children lead and grow.
Maria Montessori wrote: "The child can only develop by means of experience in his environment. We call such experience ‘work.’" — The Secret of Childhood
"Education should no longer be mostly imparting knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities." — Education for a New World
You’re not dividing yourself equally—you’re meeting needs uniquely. That’s leadership. That’s wisdom. That’s love in motion.
Now, what about when activities are not shared? Or when a child has unique needs? It’s easy to feel guilty when you can’t give everyone the same time and attention. But here’s the truth: you’re not meant to divide yourself equally. You’re meant to meet each child where they are.
How? Use parallel engagement.
For example, your six-year-old is doing multiplication. Your toddler is very much not. This is where parallel engagement is your best friend.
You prepare something meaningful for the toddler—maybe pouring or stacking—right near where you’re helping the older child. Both feel seen. Included. Regulated. And your big kid gets the connection they need from you without constant interruption. You're present for both, without being pulled in half. And that’s where confidence and independence grow.
Let’s bring this home—because while the philosophy and science are powerful, what you really need is something that works today, between spills and snack requests.
So how do you support multiple children—each with different needs—without splitting yourself apart?
Here are seven things I’ve found to be absolutely game-changing when homeschooling multiple kids—especially if you want more flow and less frenzy:
1 Rotate your attention with purpose. You don’t need to teach all your children simultaneously. In fact, it works better when you don’t. One-on-one time doesn’t need to happen all at once. Take turns. Breathe. While one child is engaged in a hands-on activity they can manage independently, you give your full, calm presence to another. It’s not multitasking—it’s mindful shifting. And it teaches each child patience and respect for others’ time.
2 Prepare the environment to support independence. Low shelves, simple trays. Materials accessible to little hands. One of the most loving things you can do is set up your environment to say “yes” without constant supervision. Think open-ended materials. Taste-safe sensory bins. A well-prepared space means fewer interruptions, more focus, and more freedom for you to support another child while one works nearby. The environment becomes the third teacher.
3 Follow rhythm, not a rigid schedule. Think flow, not clock. Children thrive on predictability, not pressure. But that doesn’t mean your day has to run like a Swiss train station. Instead, create a rhythm your family can thrive in. Maybe mornings are for literacy, math and then nature, mid-day for independent focused work for older kids while younger ones nap or explore sensory bins, afternoons for connection and rest. When there’s a pattern, there’s peace.
4 Lead with connection, not correction. This is big. Your child will not remember every worksheet or letter sound—but they will remember how they felt around you. Your calm presence, tone, your gentle correction, your goofy dance breaks—that’s what shapes them. Connection shapes the emotional environment far more than any lecture ever will. If a child is struggling, start by reconnecting. Sit beside them. Offer warmth before redirection. A connected child is a cooperative child. Always.
5 Let siblings help and be each other’s teachers. It’s not a burden. It’s a blessing. It builds empathy, leadership, and self-worth. When older children model skills or help younger siblings, they aren’t being “held back.” They’re stepping into leadership, reinforcing their own knowledge, and building sibling bonds. And younger children? They often learn more by watching a sibling than by listening to a parent. In Montessori, this is peer learning at its best—and it’s been happening since the dawn of time. That’s the brilliance of the mixed-age dynamic.
6 Ditch perfection. Release the ideal and embrace the real. Your home is not a Pinterest board. It’s a living, breathing, learning ecosystem. There will be mess. There will be noise. There will be moments when you wonder if anyone actually is learning anything. And yet—this is it. This is the magic. Learning doesn’t require perfect plans. It requires presence, patience, and a willingness to adapt. Progress, not perfection.
7 Normalize the noise and narrate the learning. Not every moment will look quiet and focused—and that’s okay. What matters is helping your children recognize the learning inside the mess. When you say out loud, “Wow, you really figured that out on your own!” or “It looks like your brother’s helping you carry that tray—what a great team,” you’re reinforcing connection, collaboration, and confidence. Your words become the mirror they see themselves through. And sometimes, the most impactful teaching isn’t in a lesson—it’s in how we talk about life as it happens.
And because I know you’re multitasking, I’m reminding you again—grab your free guide on juggling activities with multiple kids. It breaks down exactly how to implement what we’re talking about, with visuals and step-by-step prompts to make this real.
Now here’s the most important part. You. This path requires a lot of love—and not just for your kids. For yourself.
You are not just managing schedules. You are shaping souls. Be gentle with your expectations. Some days you’ll crush it. Other days, it’s survival mode. That’s not failure. That’s family.
You’re not meant to give 100 percent to each child at every moment. That math doesn’t work. But love isn’t math. Love is presence. Intention. Grace. Some days, you’ll feel like a homeschool goddess. Other days, you’ll cry in the pantry. Both are part of it.
And please don’t do this alone. Share your journey. Lean into your community. Celebrate the wins—even the tiny ones.
"Education must take a new path—seeking the release of human potentialities." — Maria Montessori, Education for a New World
Mama, you are that path.
So, if today felt loud, messy, and overwhelming—pause. And if you’ve been seeing the ‘multiple kids’ part of homeschooling as the hardest part—let’s reframe it. It’s not what’s holding you back. It’s what’s setting you up. For deeper learning. For sibling connection. For the kind of growth you can’t script—but you can absolutely trust.
You are raising your children the way humans always have: together. Across ages. With rhythm, relationship, and heart. This is the original classroom.
And Montessori? She didn’t just theorize this. She witnessed it. She built her method on this very truth: that the multi-age environment is not a side feature—it is the method.
It’s one of the most important, most powerful aspects of Montessori education—and yet, it’s one not many talk about. But now you know. And that changes everything.
Because at the heart of it all is this truth: "The child can only develop by means of experience in his environment. We call such experience ‘work.’" — Dr. Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood
So the next time your toddler is melting down mid-lesson, take a breath. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing it real.
Alright, let’s pull it all together. If you’re walking away with just a few key takeaways today, these are the ones to remember:
Tailor activities to the youngest child while finding ways to challenge older siblings.
Use open-ended play to engage multiple age groups.
Recognize and nurture each child’s individual interests.
Implement practical routines to ease daily transitions.
Prioritize self-care and seek community support.
And one last reminder, my sweet friend—go download your free guide, Juggling Activities with Multiple Kids. It’s a gift from my heart to yours, and it’ll help you carry this episode into action.
Until next time—stay grounded, stay playful, and remember: You’re not just homeschooling. You’re raising the future.
