10 Tips On How To Survive Homeschooling

For some veteran parents who have already started homeschooling, HATS OF TO YOU! For the many others who have just transitioned to homeschooling post-covid-19, I completely understand what you are currently experiencing.

I have been a homeschool mom with my youngest until pre-kindergarten and also did homeschool with my eldest up until 1st grade.

Is homeschooling currently pulling your hair out? Then here are 10 tips on surviving the transition.

What has your experience been? Please feel free to ask your questions or concerns below. I will be happy to help you!

“Throw the schedule out the window. You will rarely follow it!.”

1. Help

Get the help you need to start homeschooling. There are surprisingly many homeschool organizations and support groups available. Some groups have extra classes and activities for eg. soccer, dancing, etc. to help with after-school activities.

There are also homeschool mom support groups available as well. Find out through a Google search what you may have available in your area. There are support groups that offer education classes (math, science, etc.) and field trips that can give you opportunities for engagement with other families and build friendships as well. Do take the time to research the options available to you in your environment.

2. Overwhelmed

Yes, you may feel overwhelmed especially in the beginning and even throughout if you’re a veteran mom. Indeed you may not know what to expect and yes life is transitional when you have kids. I went through that pressure as well when I started.

This is the key. “GIVE YOURSELF A PASS!“. Please relax as much as possible when starting out. Do not get frustrated while trying to start. I was consumed with worry not knowing what to expect and the fear of not making sure my kids get a good education.

As time goes by you will have your own routine and expectations that will meet your family’s needs. Also, let me stress this crucial point. DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHER MOMS.

Sometimes we may think that others have it all organized and together. It is so far from the truth. Nobody has it figured out 100%. We all have our ups and downs. So do your best and be satisfied with that.

3. Meeting expectations

Many moms have this perception that we have to meet every expectation of homeschooling to be good at it. It does not work that way, unfortunately.

Throw any expectations you may have out the window. Rather kick it to the curb! Once you get started, you will likely feel that you are failing on all levels.

Be reminded, however, that every homeschool expectation and routine is specific for each family. There may be days when the sun shines and everything goes great (yeah!). Then there may be days when you wish you could sleep in for longer, or run away to the mountains to hide from the pressure. So relax during the process and smile because there is always tomorrow!

4. Enjoy the process

Throw PERFECTIONISM (I am guilty of this) through the window and just enjoy the process. Let your kids be kids and do not be too strict or routine with everything because you will likely pull your hair out at the end of the day when everything didn’t go according to plan.

Depending on the age group that you are homeschooling, do be mindful that some require more flexibility, especially the younger ones. They are not going to handle a routine well. They want to play and go for walks etc. So be flexible with the process.

If your toddler is experiencing a morning drag, you may have to switch up your schedule and do morning walks for example before going into learning. I have had to pull out the early morning swim class several times to just have them a bit more relaxed and focused by lesson time. Do what you have to do and work with them.

5. Sleep

If there is any schedule to stick to, make sure this is the one. Sleep is essential for all children to ensure a less frustrating sleep lag throughout the day. Make sure to have a set bedtime routine and stick to it, even on the weekends.

Do not give them the idea of staying up late because they are at home. You do not want to see your child dosing off when his teacher is on. As hilarious as it may seem, I don’t think the e-learning teacher will find it amusing at all. So have a bedtime routine. You will thank me later!

6. Concentrate

Do have a dedicated environment or space for homeschooling to be done? For example, a home office or loft area, a section of a living room area, etc. Anything that is available but preferably without less distraction. Keep the distractions minimal.

The more you establish a school environment scenario typical to that outside, the better your productivity will be with your kids. Your environment will also foster good school learning habits and ethics as well should they transition back to brick-and-mortar school later. Try to keep the discipline going.

7. Hang in there

DO NOT GIVE UP! If this is truly what you want to do or even if you have been suddenly thrown into the homeschooling routine, at first you may want to give up and throw in the towel and send your kids packing to school. Yes, I have considered it 1000 times myself. Persistence is however the key. Keep going at it, and you will eventually become comfortable with the process.

Whatever the stressors are for homeschooling, try to find solutions that may help to eliminate the issues or problems you face before giving up. For example, your kids might get a bit humdrum or miss hanging out with kids.

The solution is to do outdoor activities in between and join local homeschool support groups in order to meet new friends. Also get involved in other extracurricular activities such as sports, ballet, swimming, etc. This will no doubt keep the process a bit more enjoyable.

8. Stay Organized

Being organized is key to becoming more effective as a homeschool mom. Organization sets the stage for great productivity, especially with kids around.

Get tools that can help to make the organization easier for you. Post-it notes, for example, are ideal for jotting down reminders, lists of things to be done, tasks, etc.

Planners also offer a great way to keep organized as busy moms. The more organized you become, the better it is for you to manage your time well and get more work accomplished. There are different planners available for daily life or meal preparation. Check out our Mommy-Inspired Daily Planner and Mommy-Inspired Meal Planner to help you get started.

For Post-It-Notes, get different colors so that you can personalize them to specific activities, for instance, blue for work/business related, red for grocery/shopping, etc. Have a few stacks around as well so that you can have reminders readily available to get your day going.

9. Outside fun

Try to mix up your school routine with a little outside fun if possible. If you have backyard space or neighborhood park, etc. try to get outside activities incorporated into your homeschool routine. A typical day in school usually has recess for the younger kids for example.

Being in the same spot or position every day can get a bit monotonous, especially for the younger ones. Therefore I definitely recommend a change in scenery like outdoors to help with the possibility of a humdrum experience.

My 5-year-old for example is a lot more settled for additional classes after he gets an outside break to do another activity. See what works best for your family and try to incorporate it throughout the day as you see fit.

10. Laugh

There are days when I just want to scream if I may not have accomplished most of what I had planned. But I have to remind myself time and time again to just brush it off, find the happiness in the time spent homeschooling and just laugh.

To help you to release much frustration as possible find the most enjoyable things about the day and focus on that instead of the negative. For example, our nature walk with the kids was fun even though I may not have completed the math homework due.

Give yourself a BREAK! Today may have not been so perfect but joy still comes in the morning. Get up and try again the next day!

Overall, taking on the challenge of homeschooling may seem overwhelming and impossible at first, however, it can be done if you take the time to make the necessary adjustments suggested and implement changes along the way to tweak your schedule. Remember to relax and give yourself a break if things don’t go the way you expected.

Did you find the strategies listed in this article helpful? What were some of your favorite tips? How have they worked for you? Leave a comment below, I’d love to know what you think.

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