Homeschooling can drive a mama crazy sometimes. Believe me when I say that I have had my moments of wanting to give up. Thankfully, the Lord has encouraged me along the way and even directed me to find some creative ways to stay sane while homeschooling my crew.
Sometimes we need more than practical tips to carry us through a tough homeschooling season. What we need is true endurance for our homeschool journey. Where do we find this endurance? I share more about that in this audio workshop.
Get Rid of Unrealistic Ideals
One of the biggest sanity savers can be letting go of unrealistic ideals. We all have them when it comes to homeschooling. They are those dreams and desires we have for the way our homeschool will look. They aren’t based on reality but on a false idea of what homeschool should look like instead of what it needs to look like for our unique families.
Unrealistic ideals often stem from comparison. We are so busy looking at what other homeschool families are doing that we fail to seek God for what He has for our own families.
It’s time to get rid of those unrealistic ideals and discover the realistic goals God has prepared for your family.
Look for Practical Solutions to Help You Meet Your Realistic Goals
Once we toss aside the unrealistic goals and replace them with more realistic ones, we can then find practical solutions to help meet the goals God has for us in our homeschools.
Think about the areas that cause you the most stress in your homeschool day. What are some practical things you can do to lessen the stress?
Here are some practical tips to get you started:
- Need help with homeschool organization?
- Butting heads with your child?
- Is your child not listening to you?
- Struggling to get meals on the table?
- Having a hard time balancing homeschooling with life?
- Trying to homeschool with little ones underfoot? Or a baby?
Find a Daily Rhythm that Works for Your Unique Family
Next, find a daily rhythm that works for your family. This could be a simple routine or a more structured schedule. Having a rhythm or routine for your homeschool days will help everyone stay on task and keep you from losing your mind.
There have been season when a structured schedule has worked best for my family and saved my sanity. For most of our homeschooling journey, though, a simple routine has worked the best.
The key is finding a daily rhythm that works for your unique family. Get ideas from other homeschool moms but then prayerfully consider what would really work best in the season of life you are currently in.
Pencil in Short Planning Sessions
Most of the curriculum that I use is open and go. It requires minimal to no teacher preparation which should make it easy to jump right in to our homeschool day, right?
Well, what I have found is that spending just 15 to 30 minutes each weekend planning for the next school week can make a huge difference in my stress level.
Penciling in a short planning session allows me to be more prepared for the week ahead. I know what to expect and whether I need to get any supplies together. I can make adjustments for any activities or appointments that might take us away from school time. It’s just a good way to be mentally, emotionally and physically prepared for a new homeschool week.
Prepare the Night Before
A great way to reduce your homeschool stress and save your sanity is to prepare for your homeschool day the night before. This could include making sure you and your kids get to bed on time so everyone is rested and ready for a new homeschool day. It may mean meal planning and prepping for lunch and/or dinner the next day. Perhaps it is setting out clothes for you and the kids before you go to bed or reminding everyone what the next day is going to look like.
Taking some time the night before to prepare for the upcoming homeschool day helps you start your day ahead of the game instead of feeling like you are falling behind before you even get out of bed.
Schedule in a Daily Rest Time
Daily rest is a good thing for everyone. Some families call it rest time. Those with little ones may call it nap time. I’ve heard some families call it reading time, quiet time and even “reset time”.
Whatever you want to call it, schedule in a daily time of rest for you and the kids. It allows your family to regroup, relax and take a break from the demands of homeschooling and the daily grind of trying to get things done.
Tips for Homeschool Moms are Just Tools
Remember that practical tips are just tools to help you accomplish the bigger goal of homeschooling. Some days they help things run more smoothly and other days all chaos breaks loose no matter what you try!
That is why it is so important to keep your eyes on the Lord at all times. He knows what you need to accomplish each day and He will give you the means to accomplish it if you are seeking after Him.
I encourage you to listen to “Endurance for the Homeschool Journey” available in my shop.
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