Homeschooling is not an easy thing to do. As a parent, not only do you have to look after your kids in this situation, but you also have to make sure they are meeting their educational goals.
When you have no previous teaching experience, this can be quite difficult, and it is very common for homeschooling parents to feel like they are failing.
But when you do feel like you’re failing, it is important to take a step back and reevaluate your approach.
If you have reached this stage in your homeschooling experience, read on to know what to do when you feel like you are failing homeschooling.
Take A Break
More often than not, the reason why parents feel like they are failing at homeschooling is because they are burnt out.
Burnout happens when you are overworked, too stressed, and you start to feel overwhelmed.
When this happens, it is important to take a break. Relax a little bit and take a little bit of time away from homeschooling.
Most states in the U.S. leave you with a lot of freedom to craft your own homeschooling schedule, so taking a day or two to recharge is not going to negatively affect your kid’s education.
During your break, you can take a step back and reevaluate why you are feeling like you are failing.
Revisit Your Homeschooling Schedule
There is a lot of trial and error when it comes to homeschooling. You are in charge of creating a schedule and you have to make sure that it works for both you and your children.
Sometimes, the initial schedule that you plan just isn’t viable. And that’s ok.
Sometimes, the schedule you use no longer works for you or your children. People change, and what they respond to doesn’t always stay the same.
If you feel like you are failing, it might be in your best interest to look at your schedule and work out what isn’t working.
Talk to your children and see if there is anything they would want to change and try out something new.
Ask For Help
It can be difficult to ask for help, especially when you feel like you are failing. As a homeschooling parent, you can’t ask someone else to teach for you, but you can ask for help in other areas.
Talk to your spouse, a family member, or a friend about how you are feeling. Ask someone close to you to take a look at the schedule you have planned.
Research online forums specifically for homeschooling families and see if you can find any advice.
Sometimes, a friendly face just listening and helping you can take a lot of the stress away. Ultimately, you have to do the work, but asking for that help will make you feel less overwhelmed.
Talk To Your Children
You don’t want to burden your kids with your stress, but you would be surprised at how helpful talking to them is.
If something feels like it isn’t working in your current homeschooling plan, talk to your children and ask them if they are happy with how everything is going so far.
How they answer this question can give you insight into why certain aspects might not be clicking.
But it might also reassure you that you are doing everything right. While you might think that you are failing, your kids might think the complete opposite.
Knowing how they feel about their homeschooling is very beneficial to all parties involved.
Remind Yourself Why You Are Doing This
As you get deeper into homeschooling, it can be easy to lose sight of why you even started to do it in the first place.
Taking a step back and reminding yourself why you are homeschooling can ground you and recenter your mind and emotions.
Write a list of the reasons why you started homeschooling and really take time to reflect on those reasons. Whenever you feel stressed and overwhelmed, come back to this list.
Keep it as a reminder for those days when you feel like you are failing and need some inspiration.
Make Time For Self Care
If you are not looking after yourself properly, how are you meant to be successful in your endeavors?
It can be hard to make time for yourself when you are a homeschooling parent. So much of your time is dedicated to your kids, and your self-care often takes a backseat.
But it is so important to make sure you are designating regular time to maintain yourself.
It might seem selfish, but in the long run, it benefits everyone. Make sure you are carving out enough time to do the things you love.
Make time for things that bring you peace, whether it’s doing a bit of retail therapy, gardening, or just having a long soak in the tub.
This will bring your stress levels down and keep you focused when you have to step back into the parent-teacher role.
Utilize Online Resources
You don’t have to do everything by yourself, and with the internet, you can actually get a lot of help.
There are plenty of online forums that are dedicated to homeschooling and homeschooling families, and you can find lots of solidarity and advice in these spaces when you need it.
Depending on where you live, you can also find online classes and virtual classes you can sign your kids up for that will take a lot of stress off of you. Use the resources you can find to your advantage!
Conclusion
Having moments of doubt in your homeschooling experience is completely normal. It’s a hard job, and sometimes, it can all feel like it’s too much.
But there are plenty of things you can do when you feel like you are failing homeschooling. Use the advice we have provided for you here to take a step back and reset the way you are feeling.
And remember, don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially when you really need it.
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