Tag: homeschool life

When Your Kids Are Driving You Crazy

Homeschooling is all fun and games until you realize that your kids are with you 24/7 and you’re the teacher. There’s really no break for the default homeschooling parent. So, how do you cope? How do you function on those days when your kids are driving you crazy? Let’s find out. 

First, you need to remember that kids will sometimes be annoying. Especially when they’re trying to figure things out or if they’re just genuinely bored. Did you just start homeschooling this year? This can be a big change, and can sometimes play a big part in their behaviour. As you and your child are both experiencing a major adjustment when they go from traditional education to homeschooling. In this situation, you can start by learning the reason’s behind your child’s behaviour by reading the ‘Why Your Kids Are Driving You Nuts’ blog. 

Additionally, there are two major categories that you should take a look at when your kids are driving you crazy. 

  1. How to keep your child entertained. 

  2. Ways to get a break as a homeschooling parent. 

Let’s start with category number one. 

How to Keep Your Child Entertained.

1. You Don’t Have to Keep Your Child Entertained. 

  Are you scratching your head now in complete confusion? The first step is how to keep your child entertained? But then step one in that category says you don’t have to keep your child entertained. How does that work? I promise I’m not trying to confuse you, or lead you down a rabbit hole. See, it’s good for your child to learn how to entertain themselves. When you are constantly planning events and play for your child, they won’t learn how to embrace their imagination. Notice how I said constantly. Because planning opportunities for your children is great, just not when you do it all the time.

The reason is because your child needs to have the opportunity to use their amazing imagination. Being the constant source of entertainment for your child will only deter their ability to entertain themselves. 

2. Encourage Imagination Play When Your Kids Are Driving You Crazy.

The beautiful gift of having an imagination. I’m sure that you have fond memories of using your imagination as a child. Perhaps climbing a dirt pile while wearing a beautiful white dress and pretending you were the queen in her castle. Some of my most favourite childhood memories are the ones where I was using my imagination as my main source of entertainment. 

How can you encourage imagination play for your child? 

  • Put the iPads/tablets/phones/video games away. 
    • Basically just anything that is electronic, take it away. Wait, you didn’t know you can do that? Surprise! You can! Because you’re the parent. So, take away the electronics and place boundaries around when they’re allowed to use their electronic devices.
  • Include free play in your daily schedule/routine. 
  • Show them how to use their imagination.
    • You might have to actually remind your child how to use their imagination, if they haven’t been in touch with it for a while.
  • Get them outside.

3. Have Your Child Help Around the House. 

Do my kids enjoy chores? Not always! But I have watched them embrace chores using the gift of their imagination. It’s actually so exciting to see. For example, my son will pretend he’s a recycling truck, when he’s taking the recycling bin to the garage. Chores provide an excellent opportunity for your child to use their imagination while building independence. Additionally, you can use chores as amazing learning opportunities also!

Turning chores into learning opportunities: 

  • Sorting laundry is an excellent way to learn and refresh the concepts of matching and colours. While also helping your child learn proper organizational skills. 
  • When your child empties a dishwasher or dish strainer, they have the opportunity to learn about ratios when stacking plates of different sizes together. 
  • Grocery shopping with a parent can help your child read out words on different products. 
  • Making their bed can help your child feel pride for doing something to their own satisfaction.

4. Help Your Child Get Creative. 

Creativity is such an amazing outlet for both children and adults. Which is why helping your child get creative can guide them to find their unique outlet. So be sure to pick up some creative items at the local craft store. Here’s a fun crafty opportunity for your child to get started: How to Make Stickers – Good to Know. 

5. Get Active. 

Are your kids feeling super tired and bored? Get active! Run around outside, play ‘Simon Says’, go for a bike ride, play some hockey or basketball, take a walk in nature, go for a hike. Getting active helps freshen up your child’s imagination. Which then helps them with their creativity. As you can see, getting active has so many benefits. 

6. Add Interest Learning to Your Homeschool. 

When you’re always focusing on Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts, your homeschool life can become very boring. Adding in some fun child led learning opportunities will help curb that boredom. And giving your child the opportunity to dive into their interests may result in hours of research and creativity. 

Not sure where to start? Check out our Special Interest Units for unique learning opportunities for your child.

7. Teach Your Child How to Sew/Knit or Crochet. 

There’s a special satisfaction that comes with creating your own designs. So, obviously teaching your child how to sew, knit or crochet will for sure pay off. As teaching your child these skills may result in your child spending hours creating. 

8. Encourage Your Child to Write a Story. 

They may need a little help with ideas on what to write. So, encourage your child to write a unique story, that they can share with friends or family when they’re finished. Remind them that it’s not always a quick event, writing sometimes takes time. 

9. Help Your Child Find Books They Love. 

Does your child not like reading? Maybe they just haven’t found the right material that interests them yet. First, ask your child what they want to read about. Second, get a library card. Third, pick up different reading materials to help them determine which style they like most. Fourth, set a time of the day for independent reading time. 

10. Listen to stories. 

There’re so many amazing kids stories out there. But chances are you’re feeling burnt out and not really in the mood to read books to your kids? You can use a story reading app like Audible. Or look up neat podcast series for kids. They will be using their imagination as they listen to the stories play over the speaker. Additionally, while they’re listening, you can encourage them to draw pictures, or write. 

11. Teach Your Child Mindfulness. 

Mindfulness is such an amazing practice for you and your child to learn. If you’re unsure where to start when teaching your child mindfulness, research mindfulness teachers for kids. Like the Goldminds program. Goldminds believes in the power of teaching mindfulness strategies to children from a young age, to equip them with the tools they need to regulate big emotions, build resilience and improve self-confidence. Goldminds offers live online classes. You can learn more about Goldminds here.

12. Play Board Games. 

Break out the Monopoly! But not just Monopoly, there are some really amazing board games available for kids. So, do some research to find the best games for your family. 

Step one of what to do when your kids are driving you crazy is now complete. Now we are going to jump into category two.

Ways to Get a Break as a Homeschooling Parent. 

Getting a break as a homeschooling parent seems like a myth. Can homeschooling parents actually get a break? You’re with your child all the time. But you’re feeling burnt out, frustrated, over-worked, over-touched, and ready to hide in the dark of your bedroom until your kids are older. Obviously you aren’t going to be able to jump on an airplane and head to a tropical island anytime soon. So, how can you get a break? 

1. Ask For Help. 

  This is number one in this category for a reason. Asking for help can often feel like a foreign concept for homeschooling parents, because we are used to doing it all. If you break down and ask someone to watch the kids for a couple or hours, it could potentially fuel their thoughts about how you can’t accomplish it all. This is false thinking on your part. You’re human, and every human needs a little extra help sometimes. Asking a friend or family member to watch the kids for just a couple hours once a week, can give you that oh so important time to yourself. 

You might feel afraid to ask for help, but you really don’t need to. Asking for help is healthy, and a part of everyday normal life. And, it’s not just for you. Getting a break will benefit your children also. Because their parent will be refreshed, and they’ll learn that it’s ok to ask for help for themselves, too. 

2. Schedule a Homeschool Break. 

During this homeschool break you can take the time you need to reset and refocus. Your child can utilize their creative skills that we talked about above. And you can spend time doing the things that you have neglected during the rigorous daily schedule that you’ve been trying to maintain. 

3. Have Mandatory Quiet Time. 

Scheduling in 20 minutes of quiet time everyday will help you have time to reset during each day. The noise and chaos of the day can become overwhelming sometimes. So being sure to have 20 minutes of quiet time will help you get back in the right mindset before taking on the next task of the day. Your kids can read, write, play in their rooms, or play outside during this time. 

4. Play Some Music. 

I don’t know about you, but music fuels my soul. When I’m feeling burnt out, frustrated, and in desperate need of a soul refresh. I turn on my music. Music has the ability to lighten up our whole house. If we’re all having a rough day, music gives us the chance to dance and laugh and find joy again. 

5. Wake Up Early. 

It might be tough at first, but waking up early is essential as a homeschooling parent. Spending time first thing in the morning without your kids in your face is hugely important to the mental peace that you will need for the day. When you wake up, be intentional about having gratitude for all the amazing aspects of your life. Along with the tough aspects that challenge you. 

6. Exercise Away From The House. 

Going for runs is my lifeline. Typically a run will be my go-to at 5am when my household is still asleep. Knowing that my husband is home with the kids, I can safely and peacefully challenge my body and refresh my mind with exercise. Run, walk, go to the gym, whatever works for you. Just be intentional, because being intentional about your exercise and alone time will benefit you in many, many ways. Including preparing you for when your kids are driving you crazy. 

7. Head to a Coffee Shop With Your Friend. 

Obviously, you are going to need someone to be with the kids. For example, I do this when my husband is home, or if they’re in a co-op/gymnastics class. I take the one hour window to chat with a friend, and just be me, the person that can get lost in the process of homeschooling, parenting, and working. 

Homeschooling is a challenge especially when your kids are driving you crazy.

You will have days in which everything goes so smoothly and you feel like you are on the right track. Alternatively, you will have days when your kids are driving you crazy and you desperately want to hop on a plane and get out. 

When you figure out how to keep your child entertained by teaching them to entertain themselves, and find ways to get a break as a homeschooling parent, you will be on the road to success. Just remember to be patient. Good things don’t come over night. They often take lots of time, and practice. With time, your family will find it’s groove and it will be smooth sailing. Keep aiming for it, and you will reach it. 

20 Don’ts of Homeschooling

Is there some magical way to become a better homeschooling parent? Well, learning the right way to do something and the wrong way are both important. We’ve compiled a list of things you don’t want to do as a homeschooling parent.  So, let’s jump to the 20 Don’ts of homeschooling. Created and approved by veteran homeschool parents that know what they’re talking about. 

The 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling

1. Don’t Overwork and Overwhelm Your Kids. 

Keep your lessons short, sweet, and simple. Many homeschoolers think that they need to cram in an abundance of ‘work’ during school time. In order to keep up with traditional education. Don’t do this. When you overwork your kids with workbooks and lessons. It can actually overstimulate them and cause them to become overly frustrated with their education. When you choose to overwhelm and overwork your kids, you are undeniably choosing stress for them. And that stress is a quick step to a learning block. So, don’t do that. 

2. Don’t Over Schedule. 

Homeschooling in itself takes up a huge part of your day. Additionally, the default homeschool parent is often the one that is also responsible for housework, and for some, working from home too. Therefore you should always aim to keep your family’s schedule light. Society has this way of making us believe that if our kids aren’t in ballet, ice skating, gymnastics, basketball, hockey or some other extracurricular activity. That they won’t be on the same level as their peers. That’s false. While it can be nice to have those extra activities, it’s vital to protect the schedule.  Perhaps your child is extremely talented in one area and you want to cultivate that – that’s totally fine. I’m not saying you should give up on all extra activities. But, over scheduling with activities that they probably don’t even enjoy? What’s the point? Stop over scheduling. Aim for a simple schedule instead. 

3. Don’t Overwhelm Yourself. 

Number 3 of the 20 Are you the type of parent that is quick to cut up your 9 year olds waffle for him? Stop. Let your child learn how to be independent. Doing so by allowing them the opportunity to actually accomplish tasks on their own. When it comes to class work, are you sharpening the pencils? Are you sitting at the table for hours while your child finishes each question of their lessons? Don’t do that! There’s a reason this is number three on the 20 don’ts of homeschooling. Because it’s important.

If your child is old enough, implement checklists for homework. This can look like ‘Today you need to complete pages 90 – 93 of your Language Arts.” If you know that it’s just practice work, and you don’t necessarily need to teach them directly. Then allowing them to use a checklist to complete these tasks is an amazing habit to get them, and yourself into. Teaching your kids to be independent is one of your greatest goals as a parent, so aim to reach it!

20 dDon’ts of Homeschooling pro tip for teaching multiple grades: Click Here

4. Don’t Compare Yourself. 

Please, please, don’t compare yourself to other parents. Don’t compare yourself to other homeschool parents. Above all, don’t ever compare your child to another child. Doing so will just create a complex in their mind and put them on the comparison path for the rest of their life. Rather you should remind yourself that your kids are unique, you are unique, and your homeschool is a reflection of that. Everyone is going to be a little different. And, every homeschool is going to look a little different. 

5. Don’t Tear Other Homeschoolers Down. 

This is just as important as being sure not to compare yourself to other homeschooling parents. You should never, ever criticize someone else’s homeschooling style. Why? Because you really never know when their style will become your own. Homeschooling changes, constantly.

As your children grow, your homeschool changes. You’ll find different ways that work best for your children. Often (most) times one way of learning will be great for one of your kids and absolutely not for your other kid. It’s easy when you first start homeschooling to assume that you are going to continue to homeschool in that specific way forever. But, you won’t. Your homeschool will change and evolve. A homeschooling style that seemed to be totally foreign and off the rails for you, just might become the style that you end up gravitating towards one day. 

It’s also just really important that we should never criticize another individual whether behind their back or to their face. It’s not kind. This is especially true for homeschooling families. Rather than criticizing, we should be supporting them while also learning from them. Homeschool families need to stick together, whether your styles mesh or not. 

6. Don’t be Afraid to Experiment. 

This is why it’s also so important not to criticize other homeschooling styles. Because it’s paramount for you to find your own style, schedule and even curriculum that works best for your family. Changing things up is a great option when things are getting messy and no one seems to be enjoying the homeschooling journey. Please don’t be afraid to change things up! 

7. Don’t Imitate a Public School Classroom. 

It’s totally fine to have a schedule, we aren’t saying that everyone should just jump to unschooling. But listen, if that’s your jam than obviously – do it! The point is, you don’t want to get tied up by an unrealistic schedule. It can be hard to wrap your mind around what an alternative educational model can look like when you’re accustomed to the public school model alone. 

8. Don’t Feel That You Need to Cover It All. 

You don’t need to jump into every subject the first day, week, or even month. Homeschooling is often a really big adjustment for the whole family. So instead, you should give your family and yourself time to get familiar with your learning content and routine. Focus on one or two core subjects, and sprinkle in something that your child really loves! This could be art, music, physical education, or even a nature study. As time goes on, you can start to sprinkle in the other subjects. 

9. Don’t Cram It All Into One Day. 

I feel like I’ve said this before. But that’s fine. I’ll say it again, especially for the 20 don’ts of homeschooling. Because it’s an important point that needs to be recognized. You do not need to do Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, French, Arts and Music all in one day. Schools don’t even do that! When you choose to homeschool in this way, your child can’t properly grasp all the concepts that they should be grasping.

It’s so much better if you choose one or maybe 2 subjects per day. Take time to really dive into them. Look up neat videos to go along with your lessons. Check out library books, do research together. Find different ways to teach a certain concept. And then reiterate the lesson using different styles (on different days). You can do this until you’ve figured out the unique way that your child learns at this time. Notice I said “at this time”, because their learning style will change. 

10. Don’t Belittle Your Children. 

This really is just a general tip for parenting. But we can cross it into homeschooling as well. If your child is trying to dig deeper into a topic, or is struggling with something and trying to tell you that they are. Don’t ignore that. Never assume that it’s just ‘them’. And belittle them into getting the work done. Never belittle your children, period. Adding onto that, just please never belittle your children in the name of getting them to accomplish their school work. It’s not worth it, and can and will have lasting negative effects on their lives. 

11. Don’t Be a Taskmaster. 

I get it. You want to get all the work done so you can enjoy an amazing winter break with no school work, just holiday music playing and cookies baking in the oven. Regardless of that goal, you should never turn yourself into a taskmaster on behalf of trying to have your children reach their goals on the timeline that you have created. You don’t want to get to the point where your children think of school as yet another chore they must accomplish. And, you don’t want your child to look at you and think ‘Now what does she want me to do?’. I know you want to aim to get it all done, and quickly. But that kind of crammed learning isn’t learning. It’s chaos. So don’t do it. 

12. Don’t Force a School Day. 

Did your kids wake up with runny noses and they’re complaining of sore throats? Are your children just really tired from a busy weekend? Maybe you’re feeling exhausted and needing a break? Then take one. You don’t need to force a school day just because you saw the school bus go by the window outside. Because your child will not fall behind because you took a breather. Forcing school on a day that you know no one will want to participate will really cause more frustration than good. 

13. Don’t Teach When You’re Frustrated. 

DON’T TEACH WHEN YOU’RE FRUSTRATED. This ‘don’t‘ of the 20 don’ts of homeschooling is really, really important so I had to write it twice. Never teach when you’re frustrated. As a homeschooling parent you will still have life to deal with on top of homeschool. Sometimes you can be teaching a simple lesson of math, the day seems to be going great. Then all of a sudden your youngest comes in with a suspicious grin.

You hear a weird sound and notice water running down the hallway. Suddenly, you come to the horrific realization that while you were happily teaching math to your older child. Your younger child tried to dump their crayons in the toilet. Now there’s a flood down the hallway and you probably need to call a plumber. Ok, Math is done for the day. The frustration you’re feeling in that moment will only come out in your teaching style.

Even if you think you can suffocate the feelings, you can’t. It’ll come out in your body language. If you know you are frustrated, avoid teaching until you’ve gotten yourself into a better headspace. That doesn’t mean you should give up on the lesson for the day. It means you refocus, regroup, and come back to it when you’re more relaxed and able. 

14. Don’t Add More Curriculum. 

It’s tempting, when you’re walking by the piles of curriculum books at Costco to think ‘Oh this would be great practice work!’. You don’t need to do that. As homeschoolers we are constantly feeling like we need to do ‘more’. Or like our kids aren’t learning or doing enough. So, this feeling of ‘adding more’ just continually pops up. Your child did their Science lesson quickly and didn’t fuss? Does that mean you should add more practice? Make it harder for them? Absolutely not! Learning doesn’t need to be crammed in there, and difficult. It should be simple, fun, relaxing and engaging. Finding that balance will make a world of difference. 

15. Don’t Fall For Homeschool Parental Guilt. 

You are doing enough. And your kids are learning enough. Also, your home is clean enough. And your kids are eating healthy enough. We love to torture ourselves with these ideas that we just aren’t enough. Or like someone else is doing it better, so why can’t I? Stop! Turn the switch off when it comes to homeschool parental guilt. It literally ally gets you nowhere. Your kids really are learning enough, and you are truly doing such a good job. There’s no room for parental guilt, because you are totally filled up with positive affirmations on how awesome you are. 

16. Don’t Assume That Your Kids Are Behind. 

They aren’t. Your kids are right where they’re supposed to be. Let go of this idea that your child needs to be in the standard for their age group. Your child is unique and their learning style reflects that. Maybe your child is 9 years old but is reading at a grade 2 level. That’s ok. Your child isn’t behind, they don’t need to catch up. Just move along at the pace that works for your child and yourself. Then all the pieces will fall into place when they’re supposed to. 

17. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help. 

It’s so good to ask for help and support when you need it. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t strong enough to be a homeschooling parent. 

18. Don’t Worry About Messing Up as a Homeschool Parent.

Life is messy! Literally everyone messes up sometimes. Some people just clean it up faster or hide it better. If you’ve messed up as a homeschool parent, learn from that mistake and move forward. 

19. Don’t Get Stuck in the Oops! 

If you did mess up, or loose your temper, or taught your kid the wrong concept. Don’t get stuck in the mistake. Look at it as a learning opportunity for you too! When you’ve mad a mistake, own it. Take ownership of your mistake, apologize, and strategize how to move forward in a positive way. 

20. Don’t Underestimate Yourself. 

You are more than capable of teaching your children. Be proud of the choice that you’ve made. Embrace the unknowns, and work diligently towards the future. Because you are capable of accomplishing some really, really amazing things. I’m so proud of you, and I hope that you are too! The very fact that you are searching out ways to be an amazing homeschooling parent, like reading the 20 don’ts of homeschooling, speaks volumes. Don’t cut yourself short, ok?

 

Did you enjoy the 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling? Stay tuned for the 20 Do’s of Homeschooling, coming soon!

Do you have any ‘don’ts’ to add to the 20 Don’ts of Homeschooling? Let us know!

 

When Homeschooling is Hard.

When you were considering homeschooling you probably heard the experienced home school moms says “We finish school in a couple hours, then the rest of the day is play time.” So, when you shifted your mindset, to actually stay home with your kids, you thought: ‘This is going to be awesome!’ But now you find yourself sitting at the dining room table, listening to your child whine about how they hate math. They literally have 3 math problems left and you’ve been stuck there for an hour. You’re probably wondering what you’re doing wrong. Wondering if your kid needs the school setting. Or if homeschooling was a huge mistake?  

Now you sit here in your frustration, your anxiety, your feelings of inadequacy as a teacher. This right here was not what you signed up for. You signed up for something that made you feel connected to your child, something that helped them learn in a one on one setting. But you’re scratching your head thinking ‘WHY DID I DO THIS?’ Then there’s the whole virtual learning challenge. Maybe you didn’t take the full plunge into homeschool, but you decided to keep your child home and do the virtual learning option. Only to be overwhelmed by frustrations when the technology doesn’t work, or your kid can’t hear the teacher over all the other children’s noises. 

You still find yourself sitting at the table with your child, as they spend countless hours sitting in front of a screen. You notice that they are beyond frustrated, but there’s not much you can do to soothe them because you also are extremely overwhelmed by this whole situation as well. 

You find yourself longing for the days when you could just put your kid on a bus and let someone else educate them. Giving you some time to work, rest, clean, shop or visit friends. Let’s face it, life is completely different for so many of us. The overwhelm that we are facing today can be overtaking. It’s hard to manage your time and patience when so much is new, and more challenging. But you need to remember that you are an incredible human being, that has given up so much to help your child learn in a safe and healthy environment. 

How can you keep calm on those days that just never seem to end? How can be a pillar of peace for your child when everything has turned crazy in their lives and yours? 

First, remember that they are struggling too. For many kids this new virtual reality and/ or homeschool adventure can be really challenging to undertake. It’s not that they’re at you. They’re mad because their life has changed. They had no say in what happened, none of us did. No one had the chance to avoid a global pandemic. Remember, that your child is just trying to navigate this new reality. So, when he gets frustrated with you, or his virtual teacher, or his homeschool math problems – that’s not your fault. 

Second, take breaks. It’s OK to walk away from the schoolwork. It’s OK to say “Hey you know what? We need the day off.” A day off doesn’t mean that they won’t be learning. Give them some Lego, let them build. Give them some paint, let them create. Get them an apron, let them bake. There’re so many ways to learn that don’t involve workbooks and schedules. There’re so many opportunities for them to learn about the world, about creating things, about having fun, and about taking care of themselves. 

Third, model good behaviour. Obviously, you don’t want to throw a tantrum in front of your child about how much you despise homeschooling and or virtual learning. But if you’ve accidentally done so. Move forward. Show your child that it’s ok to become frustrated, but that we don’t sit in that frustration. We recognize the frustration and we move forward. Nothing is normal right now, and that is something that your child is feeling also. Connect with them, tell them that you’re also struggling. Model to them that it’s OK to share your feelings, that it’s OK to be frustrated. 

Fourth, talk to your child. Ask your child whether there are ways that she thinks you both can improve this new chapter in your lives. Sit down, PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY. Talk to your child like you are talking to your friend. Not a student, not your kid, a friend. Ask them how they are feeling, tell them what you’re thinking. Brain storm ideas to move forward. 

Change is hard for everyone. We here at Schoolio understand that. Some of us handle it so much better than others. So, teach your child that even though change can be challenging, it doesn’t have to mean that you will both be miserable. There’s no instruction manual for how to homeschool during a pandemic and an increasingly changing world. Just take it day by day. Don’t be hard on yourself, don’t be hard on your child. You’re both trying, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

Jaymee Davis is a stay-at-home/work-at-home/homeschool mama. She wants you to enjoy homeschooling, even when it can be challenging. And is dedicated to helping you succeed in this new chapter.