Help for the Frazzled Homeschooler

It is Wednesday morning. You wake up, grab a cup of coffee, get the children up and begin the day. The first thing they say to you is, "Mommy, I don't wanna put my clothes on today." You can already feel that something is not going to go right that day, and so you go ahead and let the children stay in their pajamas. They all gather around the table for class, and that is when everything begins to unravel. One child does not want to do anything. The other one is gazing out of the kitchen window at the perfect day. There is yet another who is giving you all of the wrong answers. And these are answers to questions that you are absolutely positive the child already knows. So, what do you do to keep from having a moment in front of them?

First things first, take a deep breath. All homeschoolers know that without that first deep breath, you are destined to go over the edge. Think about how the beginning of the week has started out for you. Has the past week or two been really intense for you and the kids? Have they been learning a lot, and retaining it? Have you all taken a well-deserved break? And I'm not talking about just chilling out on the weekend. Sometimes, homeschooled kids and their parents need a real break in the middle of the week. Because the children are learning at a different, sometimes quicker pace while homeschooled, there could be a week or two where the child has completely taken in all they can, and their brain has had enough.

If you take a good look at your children, you will be able to tell if they are ready for a much-needed break. And if they are ready, nine times out of ten, you are ready too. Go ahead and take the day off. Let the kids watch cartoons all day long and veg out on the sofa. Enjoy some time not schooling. Or maybe, work in some schooling without the kids even knowing it. Believe it or not, with your help, Sponge Bob or Johnny Test can teach some valuable lessons as well as some added science and math. I know that I have said this before, but teachable moments pop up at given moment. Use them. Your children will have no idea that they have just learned something.

If you do let the kids veg out for the day, do not forget yourself. Too many times, we as homeschoolers let our kids have that much needed break, and we neglect ourselves. Is that really fair? Picture it. Your kids are refreshed and ready to learn again, but you have not replenished your "stores" and still have to teach them. So remember to take your own little break. Even if it is just a couple of hours to sit and read a book that you have not gotten the chance to start. Or maybe, you need to take a walk and enjoy that perfect day. Or something that is really fun to do is playing in the rain. (Provided it is not too chilly.) My daughter and I have enjoyed playing in plenty of rain puddles during a nice down pour. Those "puddle sessions" were especially refreshing during one of those moments when both of us needed a break from our homeschool day. Your mind, body, and soul will thank you. And so will your kids.

All homeschool parents get frazzled once in a while. But just like anything, we all need to step back for just a moment and smell the roses, or play in a puddle. Everything is so much better afterwards.