You’re spending more time with your kids than most parents, and it’s natural to feel burnt out and frazzled at times.
Sometimes, you might feel like you are going crazy, but there are lots of ways in which you can stop this from happening.
If you feel like this is happening to you, then you have come to the right place.
Below, you will find a guide to teach you how not to go crazy as a homeschooling parent. So read on to find out everything you need to know.
Have A Schedule & Routine
If you are homeschooling and you don’t have a concrete schedule and routine, this is going to make the experience a lot harder for you and your kids.
Having a schedule and routine helps both of you to fall into the learning pattern a bit easier.
Because you’ll be spending so much time in your home, having a clear distinction between school time and after-school time is incredibly important.
To make the schedule and routine easier to deal with, plan each day. Have an overarching plan, but focus more on each individual day to make it less overwhelming.
But Remember To Leave Room For Change
On the flip side, being too rigid in your schedule and routine can also cause you to become frazzled. People change, and this can be applied to you and your kids, too.
As your child grows and you get more experience as a homeschooling parent, your routine and schedule are going to change.
This is why it’s important to leave room for changes so you can adapt them without disrupting the way your child learns.
Having a plan is important, but remembering to leave room for change saves a lot of time and helps you to avoid burnout and feeling stressed.
Set Aside Time For Self Care
When you are a homeschooling parent, the vast majority of your time is going to be focused on your children.
Whether it is during school hours or after school, you need to make sure they are getting adequate care.
This makes it incredibly easy to forget to prioritize your own care, though. When you don’t prioritize yourself and make sure you are doing ok, it will lead to burnout and feeling like you are going crazy.
Make sure that you are carving out enough time to decompress and look after yourself regularly.
Whether it’s curling up on the sofa with a good book or the tv, having a hot bath, or just going for a walk, do things in your spare time that bring you peace.
Self-care isn’t selfish, and in this situation, it is actually a huge benefit to both you and your children.
Talk To Your Children About Their Homeschooling
Communication is another important aspect of homeschooling. It can be difficult to get your kids to open up, but when you are their teacher as well as their parent, you need to make sure they are doing ok.
Talk to your children about their homeschooling. You could set aside some time every day or every week where you go over what they enjoy and what they don’t.
Encourage them to talk about any problems they might be having and work out solutions to make their experience less stressful.
Having a happy child when homeschooling will, in turn, keep you from getting stressed and crazy. Communication is a powerful tool, so use it as often as you can.
Keep Your Homeschooling Area Tidy
Sometimes, the simplest of things can make the biggest difference. If you are feeling like you are going crazy, take a look at the space around you.
Is your house messy and cluttered? Are there school supplies out everywhere or laundry where it shouldn’t be?
Of course, it can be hard to juggle house chores and homeschooling, but keeping your homeschooling area tidy can take so much stress out of the equation.
You can even get your kids to help you with this. Teach them to put all their dirty clothes in the appropriate space.
Bring them into the kitchen to help with cooking. Make sure they tidy up after themselves after lessons.
Not only will this keep your home tidy, but it will also teach them valuable life lessons that will help them when they have their own houses to manage one day.
Ask For Support When You Need It
It can be difficult to ask for help, especially when the people you ask don’t understand your experience. But having support and asking for it when you need it can stop you from going crazy.
If you have a spouse or partner, ask them to help with lessons. Talk to your friends about how you are feeling.
See if your kid’s grandparents can take them for an hour or so while you tidy the house or take some time for self-care.
Having a support network is pretty essential for homeschooling parents. In most places, you are left to create a schedule that suits your household, so this gives you more wiggle room on those days when you are feeling frazzled.
There are also plenty of online forums where you can talk to other homeschooling families. These forums are great because they help you feel less alone, and you can talk to people who really understand your situation.
Feeling crazy when you are homeschooling is incredibly normal. It can feel like homeschooling is constant and never ends, and this is why it’s important to have plans in place on those days when you feel frazzled.
Use the tips and advice we have provided in this guide to make those days a bit easier. Lots of homeschooling is about trial and error, so don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go to plan all the time.
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