How To Survive Schooling At Home
I am a homeschool mom by choice. I know parents who did not make that choice are currently having to school their children at home. A lot of my friends have reached out to me for guidance. They are struggling with this new role and really beating themselves up over it. I want you to know that it took me an ENTIRE YEAR to figure out how to teach my children at home without the struggle (most days). So what you are going through it completely normal. DO NOT BEAT YOURSELVES UP ABOUT IT! Below are a few things that I have discovered helped me and my kids the most when it comes to school. I even one of these things will help your school day run more smoothly!
- Create a routine. Routine is good for everyone but especially for kids. I found that we MUST do school in the morning to avoid meltdowns. If my kids play or have screen time before school, we end up fighting. They have a very hard time transitioning from a play mindset to a school mindset.
Here is the routine that works for us:
- Wake up
- Get dressed
- Eat breakfast
- Make bed and brush teeth
- Sit down at school table
2. Have a designated “school space”. This helps your child focus. Your space could be at your kitchen table, family room, wherever you have space. Clear the clutter and other distractions. Also have all your supplies there so you don’t have to stop mid-lesson to go grab something.
3. Set expectations. Let your child know what is expected of them. This helps them to have realistic expectations for their day. It also gives them a check list of sorts so they can see they are making progress and when will be the end of their work day. Let them know when free time is so that they know what they are working towards. This also helps them grasp the concept of time management. I have had too many meltdowns because my child thought their first completed worksheet was the end of their school day.
4. Save the subject your child struggles with for last. I have found that if I start with a the subject my child struggles with first, it kills the mood for the entire school day. It often includes arguing and tears. I learned that if I start with the subjects my child enjoys it builds their confidence and puts them in a better mood. It also sets us up to have more time for the harder subject. When you save the harder subject for last your child knows that when they complete the task they are done for the day. You can spend more time on this subject without feeling rushed because you still have other subjects to complete. Acknowledge that this is the one your kid struggles with so you will need to give up your time to help and support them. Accept this so that you are not frustrated when a chunk of time you intended for something else is taken up with helping your child.
5. If you and your child are on the verge of tears… STOP! It’s okay to tap out. It’s okay to need a break. Maybe you or your child needs a snack or time to decompress. Maybe they need to run around a bit because they have been sitting too long. We all have days when we are uber productive and days when we are less than. But here’s the thing… Together set a time that the two of you are going to get back at it. Your child can’t think that it is “giving up” because it’s not, it’s a break. A break so you can come back with a fresh mind, a better attitude, and a goal. This is an important life skill to learn!
6. Make it fun when you can! This is SO IMPORTANT! Doing the same thing everyday gets monotonous. Sprinkle fun into your school days. Sometimes I surprise my kids with a snack while they work; cookies, tea time, hot chocolate, ice cream, a piece of candy, have made us happier while we work.
Play a game that uses math to keep score. Even rolling the dice or spinning the spinner and then counting the spaces helps little ones. Chutes and Ladders is great for preschool – 1st grade. Try Yahtzee or Monopoly for adding and making change. Battleship is good for practicing coordinates. There’s always 24 for math lovers. And a lot more!
Make decorations for your classroom. Have an art/craft project. Listen to music or make up a dance routine. Have “boot camp” or make an obstacle course. Cuddle up and read together. Watch a show that talks about something your child has learned. Bake together (great for fractions!).
Just have fun.
I hope these things help you get through the rest of this school year! It is hard. I think the biggest things that have helped me as a mom is committing to giving my time to my kids. We are all used to having our time to tackle our to-do lists. Taking time away from our things to help our kids with their things can be frustrating at times and cause us to not be the best version of ourselves. Acknowledge that you will have to give up your time. Intentionally set aside time in your schedule to help your kids. Then be there with them, in the moment completely. Use it as bonding time and commit to enjoying it. The other thing that helped is knowing that we are going to have bad days and that it is okay to cut those days short. My relationship with my child is more important than if they are able to complete a task in that moment or not.
I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. If I can help I will!
