It is amazing how quickly life can change. You hear the stories of people’s lives being turned upside down in a blink of an eye. Like suddenly we are all homeschooling moms. Or the stories of a hardworking plumber who just retired, and in a moment his life was totally changed because he won the lottery. The sad stories of someone’s life being forever altered by a tragedy. Whether happy or sad we know our lives can change in an instant, we just hope it is a happy change.
The year 2020 turned everyone’s life upside. Some for the good. I’ve enjoyed my husband working from home. Others found themselves in hard and unexpected places. But we all experienced upheaval in our lives, routines, and relationships. Our lives changed overnight, and most us found ourselves in a position we never imagined—homeschooling moms…and still working too.
To all the moms who suddenly found themselves juggling work and school at home—you got this.
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The Homeschooling Moms Club
You may feel overwhelmed and feel like you can’t do it. All I can say is welcome to the club! All homeschooling moms feel the same way at some point throughout the day. And even when we start getting a little confident and feel like “I got this,” we are quickly reminded by our darling dears that we don’t. We are thrilled to have you join the homeschooling moms club!
But to be just a little more serious here, you can do this…you really can, and we are here to help. Ask your questions, share your moments (good or bad). We are in this together!
Life may have thrown you a curve ball, handed you lemons, or whatever cliché you want to insert here. Regardless, it is up to you to have the courage to face it head on and determine that you can do this. Even if you have to fake it for a while. We won’t tell.
Tips to be Successful Homeschooling Moms
I am going to say this again. You got this. You are not called to be an expert in everything, but you are called to be an expert on your kids. And you are the best teacher they can have.
I know there is a place for pep talks and cliches, but it really helps when you are offered practical tips, tricks, ideas, and hacks. So here are few to help you be successful homeschooling moms.
1. Remember Recess
Here’s a secret. Your day should not be as long as a public school day. If you are stressing yourself out because you are convinced that your day needs to be 7 hours. Just stop. And take a deep breath and send the kids outside to play.
You are not managing a classroom of 30 kids. You are able to give your children specific, directed attention that they need on a subject. Your kids don’t have to wait for all the kids in the classroom to finish the worksheet before moving on. Your child has the opportunity to finish something in 5 minutes that would normally take a classroom 30 minutes to get through. Think about how much time you just saved. Your day is going to be shorter.
With a lot of new homeschooling moms, you put pressure on yourselves to be like an in-person classroom. It is easy to forget how many breaks kids get throughout the day. There’s lunch, and then recess. I think most kids get at least 3 recess breaks. In your homeschool day don’t forget to let the kids have recess. And you can have them take a break after every subject. For some of my more high-energy kids, this is necessary.
Take away: Your day should not be 7 hours long. If you are pressuring yourself to make it that long. Take a step back and re-evaluate what is important. Remember recess. Kids need to be active. This is still an important part of their school day.
2. Plan Your Schedule Around Your Kids
Many of us are working and homeschooling our kids. It does take some imagination to juggle the schedule. If you can, work while your kids are still in bed. Whether you get up before them or work at night. This will help you give your attention to them during the day.
Let your kids sleep in if they aren’t early risers. You are homeschooling, you get to make that decision. Think about the times your kids are the most alert, and plan your school day for those times.
Take away: Plan your day that works best for you and your kids. You don’t need to follow a “right” formula. What works for you?
3. Online Classes
There is so much available at our fingertips. If you or your kids need a break, then let them watch something that interests them. Spark their imaginations.
Art Hub for Kids has been a favorite for all my kids. Sometimes you all just need a break, so take an art class. This is still school.
My older kids discovered 3D animation, and are learning how to use a professional 3D animation program. This is what they do when they want to take a break. They are learning an amazing program, and really like what they are doing.
PBSkids also counts as school. They watch it in the classroom too. My first grader loves Wild Kratts. He is learning more information from this show then he ever would from a book.
Take away: School isn’t just textbooks. Let your kids explore what they are interested in. Or introduce them to something new through an online class.
4. Congratulations! You Made it to the Weekend
Mom, you made it to the weekend. Pat yourself on the back. Or give yourself a high-five, you made it through the week. Whether it was a good week or one you would like to forget. You made it to the weekend. Put the books away, shutdown your computer and enjoy!
Take away: Monday is always a new week with no mistakes in it. “Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.” Anne Shirley
5. It’s ok to Cry…Just Don’t Pitch a Tent There
Some days just require that we ball our eyes out. Yes, we all have those days. If you can, shut yourself in your room and just let the tears flow. But this is what you can’t do, you can’t stay there. Your kids need you, whole and rationale. But sometimes, what you need to do to get to whole and rationale is to cry for a little while.
If everyone is having a bad day (which happens occasionally) you are free to make the best decision for you and your kids. That may be power through the day and get the schoolwork done. Or it may be a day off. You get to decide what is the best decision for your mental and emotional state.
Take away: It is ok to have a bad day. It is ok to cry over your bad day. But it is important to forgive yourself, forgive your kids, and move on.
6. Don’t Forget to Relax
This is so hard for me. If you find it hard to relax because of all the stuff you have to do, we are truly kindred-spirits. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, it is important to relax. If I don’t take the time to relax, I crash. This has been my pattern for so many years, my husband and I know it well. He is very good about telling me when I need to chill. He knows me better than anyone else, and he starts seeing the signs of exhaustion.
There is no medal or reward for running yourself ragged. Everyone suffers for mom not taking care of herself. I don’t have a formula or prescription for how often you need to take a break. If you are feeling worn out and number 5 is happening more often than not, then it is time to take a break.
Take away: Read your favorite fiction author. Take a bath. Lay on the couch and watch the paint dry. Give your mind and body an opportunity to relax and recover.
7. Plan Your Meals so You Don’t have to Figure it out the Day of
I hate cooking. Yes, this is my confession. I really, really don’t like doing it. Thankfully, the kids are getting older and are happy to take a night or two throughout the week.
Since this is such a stressful task for me, I plan all my meals. Make a menu when you go grocery shopping. So you have everything you need to make the meal. And plan your meals for that week. This alleviates the stress of having to figure something out at the end of the day. You never know how your day will go, so this will help to take one more stressful thing off your plate.
Take away: If this is stressful for you, plan ahead of time so you don’t have to figure it out under pressure.
8. Write Down Your Weekly to-dos and Give Yourself a Sticker When You Accomplish Them
It is so important to acknowledge your accomplishments. And sticker rewards still work even as an adult. This is not some A for effort list. Sometimes we need to look back on our week and acknowledge what was achieved. We don’t remember everything that we did. Most of the time what we remember are the worst parts of the week. This to-do will give you something to measure your goals and your accomplishments.
Take away: Track your accomplishments, so you can see how far you’ve come.
9. Courage
“Success is note final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill
Being a homeschooling mom is not an easy calling. You will have good days and bad days, but you aren’t alone. I hope this tips encouraged you to keep moving forward on this journey.
Let me know if you have any questions that weren’t answered!
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