When Homeschool Sucks
There is a serious myth in the homeschooling world. There is this perception that it is always fun, easy, and fulfilling. Let me fill you in on a little secret. There are days when homeschool sucks! There are days when things aren’t fun, easy, or fulfilling. What do you do on days like this? Let’s talk about it.
When Homeschool Sucks
Please understand that these are my tips based on our experience from the last 8 years of my homeschool journey. It has changed and evolved with each year and had new life and new experiences thrown in there. If you have tips I don’t mention, please leave a comment. I would love to hear what you have to say.
They just aren’t listening!
There are some days when kids don’t listen. It’s like every disobedient bone in their body choosing to work together on that day to bring upon the homeschool apocalypse. There are a few things that can help you move thru the not listening jungle.
- What is the root issue? – Sometimes these issues can feel like they are about one thing, when really it is something completely different. Is your child afraid of doing bad at math, struggling with reading, or having a hard time with handwriting? Some of the time, issues like this can trigger a bad behavior day.
- Are other things happening in your life? – If you are going thru a hard time emotionally, dealing with family drama, or struggling with a difficult situation, this can rub off on the kids. It is important to deal with these heart issues before working on curriculum and lessons.
- Is there a learning disability? – Some situations can look like defiance when there is really a learning disability that is keeping a child from listening. It may help to consider having learning difficulties evaluated to help find your child’s learning strengths and weaknesses so they can succeed.
- Sometimes kids are just kids. – You have 2 options here. You can either adjust your discipline approach or you can choose to take a break and address learning later. You know your kids better than anyone and will find the best possible approach for your child as you continue this journey.
I have too much on my plate!
Homeschooling is an investment of time and heart. The moment you start homeschooling everyone will think you are a babysitter at their disposal, a friend to run an errand, or ready to step into multiple levels of leadership. Here’s the thing, homeschooling takes time. It takes investing in the kids.
Most importantly, it means you have to become good at saying no.
There are many things in our lives that are good things but they are not the best things. As a homeschool mom, you will have to set boundaries and be ready to say no to good things to focus on the best things in your homeschool.
It can be hard to balance everything.
I am a homeschool mom, blogger, YouTuber, and I also work
When my kids were small I did all of the homeschooling. Now my husband does most of it while I am working in the morning. I had to bury guilt and self-judgment in order to thrive. If you are letting guilt over balancing things or self-judgment over your own adequacy, it is time to bury that. It is time to focus on the positive instead of the weaknesses. You can do this.
The curriculum sucks!
No matter how hard you try, if your curriculum is the wrong fit for your child, things will suck. There are many amazing curriculum options out there. However, picking a curriculum because it is good and not because it is the right fit for your child can make life very difficult. If homeschooling is starting to suck, consider a switch in your curriculum. It may give your child the ability to thrive and bring some peace to your homeschool.
I have nothing left to give.
There will be days when you have nothing at all left to give. Whether you are working too hard, over-invested in too many things, or just not taking time for yourself to relax it can be easy to get over-worked. It may mean that you need to take a day off of homeschool and focus on something that brings you joy or take some time focus on you. Either can be healthy if they are handled the right way.
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Homeschooling can just be hard sometimes. I always say take a little break to get your priorities straight and get your mind right. It’s been harder than normal for us as we’re starting back and trying to get in the groove. I’m keeping on and hoping that it will work itself out in a couple weeks. These are great tips. Thanks.