4 Secrets of Productive Homeschool Moms
November 8, 2023Every mom has times when she feels she just can’t cope with the lengthy list of tasks she’s planned for the day: paying as much attention as possible to her child, doing the grocery shopping, going to work, and maybe having some personal time during the day as well. At the same time, no one wants to suffer from this daily routine—moms want to feel rested and joyful.
The typical homeschool mom can actually deal with the above list of responsibilities with patience, love, and what’s more important, professional understanding. Such a mom is like a great combination of a schoolteacher, an amazing professor, and a coach.
Until recently, it seemed that this idea was from the realm of fantasy, and the ability to handle all of life’s challenges and teach kids at home was a privilege available to only certain people in this world. However, even though we know homeschooling is a privilege, there are still challenges that accompany it. Yet, finding personal help and seeking out encouragement is half the battle.
We invite you to try it out—you’re likely to discover your life may change for the better! At the very least, you will start to see the first steps of transformation. We’ve discovered a few useful tips or pieces of homeschooling advice that can actually help you manage homeschooling issues.
Abandon the Principle of “First the Children, Then Everything Else”
Yes, this may sound counterintuitive, but it’s actually the opposite of what you probably assume will work. You need to interact with the children when they are awake and alert, for example. When the children are asleep, you need to rest as well. When young children begin to crawl, they can begin to provide help for mom. They can be involved in chores and the household way of life, as well as homeschool family affairs. Don’t be afraid to give them small tasks from a young age. You’ll be surprised what they can do!
It’s equally important to start little by little to show your trust in your children’s abilities. They may be discouraged or think they can’t do it at first. But, encourage your children to express their emotions. Encourage them to view things in a positive light, but realize that just as we get angry they do as well. Accept these emotions, showing sympathy if needed and instruction on how to deal with their emotions. Here are four skills that can help you become fulfilled and happy at this stage in your child’s development:
- homeschooled kids spend more time with you, learning new things
- this can lead to a more active social life since you have greater amounts of energy
- it encourages you to keep your home’s surrounding space clean
- it also prepares you for learning how to set goals and reach them
Be Prepared for Surprises
In this modern life, you have to be flexible. Plans can change at any time, always remember this and take it calmly. For example, perhaps your child woke up with a fever in the morning, or did not fall asleep all night and is nervous about studying, and everything just goes crazy because you forgot to take your vitamins in the morning.
Remember, you have to know how to overcome problems or any unexpected surprises using your own methods. You should know the best ways to recuperate and recharge your energy stores, as well as where to find homeschool help. For example, if you are busy with other tasks, you can ask others for help with homeschooling or watching the children.
Tips for Better Management
First, you should delegate household cleaning to other family members—this is very important for limiting stress, especially when you are a homeschool mom. Do long-term planning (make up a list of things that you need to do for 1-2 weeks in advance). Other important points to mention:
- Timing – Determine how long it takes to accomplish a task and complete your goals-setting.
- 15-minute rule – If you want, for example, to check a social network, grab a timer and turn on the social media channel exactly for 15 minutes.
- Planning – Break your day into sections so you will not get tired as you distribute your attention, plan the tasks, and make all activities for 1-2 hours without distraction.
Search for Different Ways to Refuel
This principle means you should identify and feel more energy. You must have all four types of energy: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Therefore, during the day, it is necessary to vary your types of activities to refuel yourself. For example, cleaning the house is physical energy, studying with your child is emotional, reading and working are considered intellectual, creative/personal development and discovering new abilities are considered spiritual energy.
In conclusion, to overcome the syndrome of Cinderella (where you’re constantly cleaning up the house), it’s time to stop cleaning every minute and change your activity. Just remember, all mothers wish to become successful moms and, more importantly, happy and healthy moms. You can’t forget to rest and fulfill yourself with energy and new ideas!
More About the Author, Susan Wallace
Susan is a homeschooling mom who loves educational improvement, whole foods, and living organically. She writes blogs and brings new ideas on how to get super-mom powers. She works at home while raising her two kids, and that involves performing two functions simultaneously. With each passing day, she faces a large number of tasks, and she learns how to deal with them. Her spiritual saying is to forgive yourself, and your children, and to continue in the same spirit.
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