First off… don’t deny it… everyone has a day where that plan, that goal list for homeschooling is just NOT accomplished. Be it sick kids, cranky, life gets in the way, it happens… we all have our days when it just doesn’t work, when we wish we could rewind and redo.
Now what to do when it does?
Well, Holy-Spirit Led Homeschooling has 5 helpful suggestions in their blog entry 5 Ways to Overcome a Bad Homeschool Day. Let’s look at her ideas first…
- Just snuggle and read. No matter the squabble or tension, a nice break on the couch with a stack of books and snuggles goes a long way. Maybe this is why our homeschool days are rooted in long read aloud times. I found during our early years of homeschool hell that we found peace in reading. Many subjects could be covered orally. We could learn and grow together. It can be as simple as snuggling and getting lost in our Dr. Seuss Story Collection for 20-minutes; this can reset our day. I encourage you to take a snuggle and reading break in the middle of stressful times during homeschool. It’s soothing for everyone, especially momma.
- Tomorrow is a new day. It really, really, is. Today may be a wash, but you can give it to the Lord and start tomorrow with new mercy and fresh hope.
- It happens to us all. Even super-homeschool-speakers have had bad days. We’re human, our kids are human, and we all need a ton of grace to make it through each day. Just know that you’re not alone and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
- A bad day doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Exactly! Because we all have been there, please hear that a bad day, or a string of bad days, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. By this radical thing you are doing, living a lifestyle of education at home, you are taking on a task that most of the world has rejected. Parenting is hard. Motherhood can be a mess. You’ll find power and stamina for your homeschool days by leaning back against Jesus’ chest and casting your care and weariness on Him. He gave you these babies for you to raise for His glory.
- Take from it what you can and let go. And finally, yes, take what you can from the off days. Does a child need a snack before math? How’s everyone sleeping? Maybe a child who has been especially cranky during morning lessons needs to have afternoon rest time reinstated for a season. Reassessment, boat loads of prayer, and moving forward into each new day are a homeschool moms best friends.
I think even without the Christian references the advice is solid. I want to add a few suggestions from my own repertoire…
- Puzzle day… when the going gets tough we pull out our puzzles… who can be sad when you can make your own Hello Kitty scene, create a superhero or even go all out and do a larger landscape? And for the bitty ones… wooden puzzles with an older sibling’s help can soothe the heart.
- Make cookies… but don’t care how messy everyone gets doing it! You start cranky, and end a flour covered mess with smiles and sugar cookies.
- Remember, Homeschooling gives you freedom… Thursday was a total bust… lets do some fun educational learning on Saturday!
You just need to take deep breaths and realize that we are not alone. Homeschooling has become a global thing, people from around the world network and if you are like me and struggling to create a local network it is great to realize that even the most organized and settled family has its days of frustration and hair pulling. I would love to hear other people’s suggestions for ways to make the frustration turn around!
You can read the whole blog entry HERE.
Some times we just have a bad day… Thanks to Lily Bean for the adorable picture!