Are you constantly stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted?
There is a better way.
Here are 5 tricks that will help you lower your stress levels immediately, so that you can actually enjoy homeschooling.
(Trust me, it is possible and you can do it.)
5 Tricks to try TODAY:
Have some fun
Take a break
Eliminate the hate
Question the rush
Slow down and savor
1. Have some fun
When learning is boring, kids start to learn a different lesson than the one being taught.
Instead of learning their math facts, they learn that:
1. Learning is hard.
2. Math is boring.
3. School is something to suffer through.
Q) How will those beliefs impact them as they continue their school journey?
A) Not well.
So stop what you are doing and ask yourself: What could I do to make this more fun?
I like to remind myself that: Either we are going to enjoy learning, or we aren’t going to do it.
(Because I don’t want my kids learning the wrong lesson!)
There are many ways to make learning fun if we take the time to think about them and seek them out!
You can make it a game, sing along, use silly voices, act it out, create a puppet show…. You get where I’m going with this. :)
Stop schooling long enough to find a way to make it fun. The time it takes to create fun will be worth it.
2. Take a break
If you keep doing school when you and your kids are tired, unpleasant things start to happen: Overwhelm kicks in, tensions rise, and tempers flare.
So take a break as needed.
It really is ok to stop school when you are all still in a good mood.
You can always pick back up later in the day after everyone takes a break.
Self care does not take away from learning. It actually increases it!
You and your kids will feel better when you return to learning after a break; and when you feel better, you learn better. (It’s a win win situation!)
So stop and take a break when you need one.
3. Eliminate the hate
If you or your kids really dislike a certain part of your curriculum, remember: You really don’t have to do any of it.
Instead of suffering through it, eliminate what you hate and re-evaluate.
You can always come back to it once you figure out a way to make it enjoyable.
Because there ARE other options out there. Think about it...
Someone in the world is doing that subject and loving it!
What are they using?
How are they setting themselves up for success?
What do they do to make it enjoyable?
Instead of hating your way through it, pause long enough to ask around, experiment, and find solutions that will work to make it something you and your kids can love. (Or at least like!)
4. Question the rush
Many homeschoolers are trying to hurry and finish curriculums.
They want their kids reading at a certain level.
They want them to pass certain grades at certain ages.
I invite you to question the rush:
Why are we in a hurry to learn?
What is the deadline?
What if it is all made up?
The truth is: All of it was made up.
Everything that we say a child should learn at a certain age was invented by someone somewhere.
Sometimes those guidelines serve us, but if following those guidelines is causing you to feel overwhelmed, it might be time to take a look at why you think everyone should read at the same age and why you think everyone should be good at math?
Why are we all in a hurry?
Slow down and look at what the rush is creating, and question if it is serving you. My guess is that it is not!
Hurry induces panic, anxiety, and overwhelm, which are counterproductive to learning.
So question why you are in a rush.
I promise: You don’t need to hurry.
5. Slow down and savor
Instead of frantically hurrying through every subject, slow it down.
Remember, the Tortoise and the Hare?
The Hare bounded quickly, but became tired and needed a rest.
Be the Tortoise: slow and steady. Not in a rush to reach the finish line, just making progress everyday.
That is how you achieve your goals.
You don't need to hurry and do everything.
Just do a few things well.
Slow down, enjoy, and really explore at least one thing today.
Humans learn more when we linger, explore, question, and play with an idea.
Rushing is counterproductive.
When we think we need to hurry, we become overwhelmed.
I invite you to lower your stress levels and drop the overwhelm today by applying these 5 Tricks.
You and your kids will thank you.
You've got this!
P.S. Read more about 10 Keys to Elevate your Homeschool here.