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There are only a few more weeks of school in your planner, yet somehow your child’s math book is only halfway completed. Sound familiar?
Getting behind in your homeschool is all too easy to do. Whether a new baby, move or unexpected illness is to blame, it can cause outrageous stress levels for homeschooling parents. Trying to decide how or when you will ever get caught back up begins to take its toll on you and before you know it, you’re feeling defeated.
I’ve been there, mama. We all have.
No matter how much you plan and prepare, life is still going to happen, probably when you least expect it. The best way to deal with life’s surprises is to simply roll with the punches.
We’ve gathered up a few simple yet life-changing ideas to incorporate into your homeschool today!
Drop the Guilt:
Life happens. You can’t help it so don’t blame yourself. Juggling your normal “mom responsibilities,” as well as homeschool responsibilities is a lot for anyone. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your kids will survive this season and will be just fine. The sooner you drop the guilt, the sooner you can regroup and move forward.
Keep Moving But Not Too Fast:
When you’re overwhelmed, its’ often easier to just quit but don’t do that! Keep moving. Strive to complete school everyday until your scheduled end date. No, you may not complete your entire curriculum but you can always pick it up again next year. Other times, you may be tempted to cram an entire month’s worth of information into your child in just one week. This causes burnout and the kids don’t retain the information anyways, so don’t waste your time.
Weigh Your Options:
One huge benefit to homeschooling is the flexibility it provides. Instead of watching a movie on your road trip, have your kiddo catch up on some reading. Of course we need a summer break but who says we have to stop learning completely? Weigh you options and see how you can get caught up, while still enjoying summer. Remember, YOU are in charge of your homeschool so do what works best for your family.
There are other ways to learn than through just curriculum!
Try out one of these great ideas that will help put your mind at ease and the kids will actually enjoy:
Prioritize:
Think about what it is most important to get done right now. In our homeschool, math and language arts are at the top of our list. Concentrate only on the most important subjects so you don’t stress out or overwhelm your kids.
Think of All the Things You Learned That Weren’t on the Agenda:
Our kids learn so much every single day that it’s impossible to plan for it all. Understand that your child is still learning, even though it may not be on the planner. While we didn’t complete our Mystery of History this year (again!), we did manage to watch the entire series of Liberty Kids. While my schedule didn’t even mention learning early American history, we still did! By noticing all of the other things we learned, it makes it easier to forgive the things we did not learn.
No matter how far behind you are, you have to realize that learning is not a sprint but a marathon. While you didn’t complete everything you wanted this year, you still have plenty of time to make up for it. Be creative and teach through hands on learning, movies or experiments. This makes it easier to learn, while not overwhelming everyone. There are easy ways to catch up or deal with being behind in your homeschool. You just might have to get creative.
Not only are you teaching your children perseverance but also that learning is a part of life, not just a season.
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