Homeschooling your children can become a task that slowly takes over your entire life. It is important to remember to make time for family, simply as family. A mother should have the time to simply soak up the children’s antics, without worrying about them wasting time doing something seemingly unproductive. A father should be able to play ball, or take the family out for ice cream without worrying about disrupting the homeschooling schedule.
Set Firm Boundaries
Having fixed hours for the homeschool schedule will help. Ensure that the formal school work is done during these hours. In the rest of the time you can work on chores around the home, play in the back yard, watch videos, read out story books, or take a trip to the park. It may be daunting initially and you may wish to extend your hours when you see that the homeschool students are not finishing their school work in time. However, if you stay firm and set additional time for school work that needs to be finished that day, replacing play time, you may see them finish all that they need to do fast enough. Adding motivating factors such as allowing them to choose their midday snack, can also help the speed.
Establish Routines, but Stay Flexible
Homeschool students do better when they know what’s coming next. The pattern of a daily routine is actually very good structure for them. They will try and test your commitment to it, so expect them to push at your boundaries occasionally. In the long run, it will be good for both the students and the teacher to stick to the routine. Life does have a way of throwing a curve ball at you when you least expect it, and that’s why it is important to stay flexible. Yes they need to study three hours in the day, but if you overslept because the child was up all night with a cough, you can take the hours from the morning slot and shift them to the evening. Both teacher and homeschool student will be better rested and able to handle the task better in the evening.
