Chances are that homeschooling isn’t something you thought that you would ever find yourself doing, or that you are finding that easy. However, the truth is that there are ways that you can make things that little bit easier for yourself. You only need to look at those who do it on a regular basis to learn more about these top tips.
Want to know more about how you can make homeschooling easier, for the time that you are doing it? Here are the 13 things that we think can make homeschooling go by without a headache. First though, be kind to yourself above everything else. Somedays will be brilliant, and other, well not so much. Don’t bear yourself up about the days that don’t work. There is ALWAYS tomorrow.
1. Don’t put pressure on yourself
You will hear this particular tip time and time again, but chances are that you are not going to listen. The thing is, this one is really important. It is all too easy to put huge amounts of pressure on ourselves to be amazing at homeschooling, or to be able to be just as productive in your career as you normally would, whilst balancing looking after your kids. Of course, it is great to believe in yourself and think that you can try and do it all, but one of the worst things that you can do is to put any pressure on yourself or what you can achieve.
2. Think about what is really important
It is great to get as much as you can done in a day and if you, or your child, is having a particularly productive day, then it makes sense to get all the allocated work done and completed. However, sometimes, this just isn’t going to happen. Which is when the time has come to think about what is most important. The key things to focus on will really depend on the age of your child. Younger children are going to benefit more from language and maths, however, older children may need to have a broader knowledge of some other core topics at the same time.
3. Create a routine
You should never underestimate the power of a routine. Routines can really help to keep your child focused, as well as make it easier for you to plan your time. Of course, routines can change and you probably need to be flexible. But having some set ideas on how the day will flow, or rough timescales on how long certain things are going to take, that is definitely going to help you and your child endlessly.
We do have a homeschool timetable on site for you to download, so do consider adding this in to your schedule. We also have a kids planner as well, which may be helpful too.
4. Remember the positive
It can be too easy to get wrapped up in all the negatives of being a teacher and a parent. However, there are lots of positive that you can take away from this. You are there to be with your child and you are going to be able to spend as much time as possible with them, more than you normally would. Relish in this. Play with them, watch them learn and grow and remember that in these incredibly uncertain times, you are not only protecting them, but you are also helping them to learn too. You really are a superhero!
5. Research online resources
There is a real treasure trove of things out there to help you to teach your child or help them with their learning. So take advantage of this. Go online and search for the huge amounts of learning databases. You will be surprised by just what you find. Not only this, but if you are finding a particular area hard, or you need some extra support from other parents in one subject, there are online forums that are packed full of other people who are going through exactly the same thing as you and are likely to not only have the same questions but may also have the answers too.
We have done a little bit of research for you to help; here are some resources for getting access to free printables online for the kids. Don’t forget our free resources too, of course.
6. Ensure you have a decent internet connection
Another important tip is to make sure that you have a good level of broadband connection. You are going to be relying on your internet a lot, whether that is for Teams calls, homework research or consoling yourself with a couple of drinks with other parents at the end of a long week. If you are finding that your internet isn’t enough, then you may want to make some changes to your service.
For example, you could get a 5G sim from https://halfcooked.co.uk/5g-sim-deals/, which would enable you to gain access to fast, powerful and reliable internet, without having to worry about your home broadband all the time.
You could also think about using your existing phone as a hotspot or maybe even ask neighbours who don’t need their connection during the day if you could possibly share it for a short while. Check with your provider, as some are offering free data upgrades to help kids to gain access to school work through their phones with no extra costs associated with them.
7. Look at life skills too
Lots of emphasis is put on the educational subjects that children should be learning at home and of course, these core subjects are incredibly important to get to grips with. But this doesn’t mean that other skills should be overlooked. Life skills are just as important as the rest. Plus they can be fun for children to learn too. If you are finding that your child has had their fill of Maths or English, then let them take a break. Show them how to wash up, teach them some money management basics. Maybe even get them to help you with chores, or taking care of the pets in the home. It is these life skills that may not seem as important, but that can be hugely valuable in later life.
We have found that teaching the kids to cook, particularly as they get older, can be extremely helpful to you too. They can, as they get older, help with the evening meals, relieving a little bit of the pressure from you. Why not take a look at these ideas for what to teach your kids that help you longer term!
8. Have fun
It can sometimes feel that you are a teacher and nothing more, which means that you need to take the time to focus on having fun with your child again. Think about things that they love doing, think about things that they enjoy (and that you enjoy too) and do them. Not only will it give you a break from the learning, but it will allow you to smile and be silly together again, which is sometimes all we need to banish those dark clouds.
It may well be worth exploring some of the games that we have on the site; kids love to play, and learning while they do is sneaky, but works!
9. Keep the house tidy
Now we know that the last thing that you are going to want is to have another thing on your to-do list, but this one is important. You are going to be spending much more time in your home than you normally would, which means that it is going to get much messier and cluttered. Not only this, but it is going to be more noticeable for you too, after all, you are going to be there to see it. This means that it is a good idea to make time each day to give your home a good tidy up. It doesn’t have to be a huge Spring clean, sometimes just a quick blast is enough, the main aim is to make sure that it is as tidy as possible.
10. Take care of other jobs around the house
Whilst we may have just added an extra job to your list, it is important to make the household chores that little bit easier for you. Getting your kids involved and encouraging them to take part in them is one way. You can also see what ways you can make things easier with a spot of planning too. Meal prep is one of these great ideas. Not only does meal prep save you time, but it is also known to help you with saving money too. You can also try to eat healthier, or include new dinners into your family, encouraging everyone to try something that they may not have before.
11. Keep talking
You should never underestimate the power of communication. It can really make the difference in how we feel. Which means that you need to do whatever you can to ensure that you as a family keep talking. Encourage your child to share their feelings, perhaps creating a special space or time for them to talk to you. You could also make a point of coming together as a family, maybe once a week, where you can all share how you feel and what things might be going on for you.
12. Have quiet times
As much as it is important to keep talking, quiet times are also vital. You need to make sure that you set quiet times for you and your family every day. It doesn’t have to be long periods, just 15 minutes will do. The idea is that you try something out that is quiet and peaceful. This could be a puzzle, some colouring, or perhaps reading a book. Being away from a screen and having some space to simply think, well that is going to help everyone to feel better.
13. Think about self-care
Another important thing to focus on is self-care. Self-care is when you take care of your own mental and physical wellbeing and can be one of the hardest things to do. By making yourself set time for it and planning it into your every day routine, you are much more likely to do it and to then feel the benefit.
Here’s to an easier homeschooling journey!
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Thanks again for reading this, and we hope that you will be back to visit us again soon.
Helen
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!