Okay, okay. That headline may be a bit harsh. I love my son. I really, really love him. He is hilarious and sweet. He’s helpful and adorable. But, he also is hard to tolerate sometimes. He has these moments where he tunes me out completely and he can gaze out the window during an entire read-aloud, not hearing a single word. The thing is, he is a good kid. He really is. But, sometimes I just can’t tolerate him. So, that has me wondering how to homeschool a kid you can’t stand.
Let me preface this by saying that I’m not asking for your input. I don’t care that you think I’m a crappy mother for saying I can’t stand my own kid sometimes. I know that secretly, all moms can’t stand to be around their kids at some point. That doesn’t make us bad moms.
Guess what: I can’t stand to be around my husband 24 hours a day either. I love him and think he’s the greatest man in the world but that doesn’t mean I want to be with him 24/7! And I certainly don’t want to try to teach him how to read. 😉
I know I’m a good mom but yes, I am struggling. So shoot me.
Homeschooling can be hard, y’all. Like, really hard. We’re around our kids all the dang time. We rarely get a break from them and when we do, we miss them. Motherhood is weird. It’s easy to feel frustrated and like a failure. But with a few simple tips, even you can homeschool a kid you can’t stand.
How to Homeschool a Kid You Can’t Stand
Take Breaks:
It’s easy to lose your cool when you’re homeschooling a kid that you generally butt heads with so it’s important to take breaks. Work for 30 minutes (more or less, depending on the kid’s age) and then take a breather. That can mean just 5 or 10 minutes away from each other, to reset and breathe for a few minutes.
Use these breaks to gather yourself, release your frustrations and start over fresh. Encourage your kiddo to exercise and release energy during breaks. That way, when it’s time to start schooling again, they’ve gotten all of their wiggles out and are ready to focus, making it easier on both of you.
Have Fun:
The truth is, homeschooling can be boring. If you’re going to successfully homeschool a kid you can’t stand, you’ll have to intentionally add some fun to your day. That means, you might have to offer up surprise treats, go on more field trips or put the books away and learn through fun educational activities.
My wiggly boy loves watch educational YouTube videos, or taking our work outside to do on the trampoline. No matter how frustrated you are, try incorporating some fun into your day and it’ll help make everything go more smoothly!
Toss the Curriculum:
Sometimes the problem isn’t the kiddo or you. Sometimes the issue is the curriculum you’ve chosen. It may be too easy or too hard. It may be boring or not your kiddo’s learning style. No matter what the problem is, you need to be open to tossing the curriculum out the window if it isn’t working for you.
A tell-tale sign of the wrong curriculum is that your kiddo gets annoyed or stressed every single day when you pull out the books for a particular subject. Try taking a different approach or finding a better-suited curriculum.
Make “Me-Time” Essential:
The dirty truth is that we can get burned out on homeschooling really quickly, especially when we’re struggling. It’s a full time job, in and of itself. Add to that, parenting, housework, errands and everything else we need to accomplish and it’s easy to feel defeated.
Taking time for yourself isn’t self-centered. It’s smart. Just a few hours each week (or as often as possible!) can really help you reset and make you a better mama. Not only do you feel better but your family gets a break from you, too. Trust me, that’s just as important for them as it is for you.
When you have a kiddo that possesses a lot of the same personality traits as you, it can be hard to be with them all the time.
Homeschooling them is an added challenge. Some days, you won’t be able to tolerate them. You’ll want to send them off to public school and never look back. But that’s the easy way out. Being a good mom is facing your challenges and working through your struggles! Some days, you just have to pull up your big girl panties and homeschool a kid you can’t stand! And you’ll be thankful you did!
