We have just begun our 7th year of homeschooling. That sounds like madness to me. Honestly, I still feel like a newbie in many ways, though I’m currently teaching a 6th grader, a 4th/5th grader (yes, that’s one kid), and a 2nd grader.
Whether you’re a brand new homeschooler or an old pro (or don’t homeschool at all, but know someone who might benefit from this info), I want to share three ways to rock your homechool this year. (I’ll keep it brief, I know your me-time is precious!!)
1. Adjust your attitude.
Yep, your attitude – it’s contagious. Kids will have bad attitudes that come and go, but trust me when I say your attitude will set the tone for the entire day. (No pressure, right?) Maybe this isn’t news to you, but I learned it the hard way.
When my kids were younger, I was so overwhelmed with life I went through a period where I was perpetually grumpy. And guess what. So were my kids. When I came out of my brain fog long enough to realize this was the case and take action to improve my mood, the differences in my kids were night and day.
So set your alarm 15 minutes earlier, spend time in prayer focusing on what matters, and embrace the day with a smile. Start the morning with your kids doing or watching something silly together so you can begin the day laughing before anyone has a chance to get grumpy.
2. Don’t give your checklist power over you.
I used to be the worst offender of all when it came to this. I would plan our day and when things went off course (as they always do), I would get frustrated because we didn’t “get through” everything.
Here’s a secret, so listen carefully: you don’t have to “get through” everything! (You may want to read that last line again…)
Whether homeschooled or public schooled, your kids will never be taught everything in school! Take some of the pressure off yourself and rest assured – any remaining gaps get filled in as they grow up. Teaching our kids is a big responsibility, yes, but stressing about it does way more harm than good.
3. Remember your ultimate goal.
Write it on a post-it, tape it to your mirror, and re-read it as you brush your hair. My main goal is to instill in my children a love of learning. Yours may be different. And honestly, I went through quite a few of our homeschooling years being ruled and frustrated by my checklist, which resulted in the exact opposite of my goal. Now I’m fighting to undo the damage and teach my kids that learning is actually a wonderful, fun thing. Don’t make my mistakes. Stay grounded by remembering your main goal in all of this homeschooling craziness.
I truly believe: if you make sure you have a good, positive attitude, you’re willing to put down your checklist without stress or guilt, and you remember the purpose of all this in the first place, you can have an amazing year with your precious kiddos. It’s all a mental balancing act, but you can do it.
I have to remember all of these things every day too, and sometimes I fail. But the next day I try again, and you can too. Kids are resilient and God’s grace has got us covered. Just keep trying, giving your days (and your kids) to God, one day at a time. You got this.
(Real Quick…When I began this blog a year ago, I decided I would NOT write about parenting. Or homeschooling. I figured it would be doomed to become white noise against the backdrop of the thousands of other blogs on the same topics. Turns out parenting and homeschooling are pretty significant pieces of my life though — who knew? 😉 And so… the times, they are a changin’. Though my focus may shift more toward parenting and homeschooling, the underlying theme will remain: “Inspire. Ignite. Power Up.” That is what I hope you’ll feel through my posts, no matter the topic.)
I’d love for you to share your thoughts or questions in the comments below! I also welcome any ideas of parenting or homeschooling topics you’d be interested in reading more about! Thanks for reading! 🙂
One last thing — if you need support as you teach your kids (8 and up) how to embrace a living faith of their own, please check out my book, “Power Up,” which was released by Elk Lake Publishing Inc. earlier this year! I wrote it exactly for people like you and me, who want nothing more than for their kids to fall in love with Jesus. See more below.
