Dealing with Difficulties

You have started homeschooling your children, but things are not going as you planned. Take heart! I can assure you that all home educators have bad days; but try not to get discouraged on these days, there are ways to deal with difficulties.

DO YOU HAVE A ROUTINE SET FOR SCHOOL TIME?

Students do much better when they know what to expect. When you set routines for your school day, it helps your students see your expectations for the day. Try making and following a school schedule. It can be very loose or very detailed. If you like, you can include chores and extra-curricular activities along with your school schedule. When you begin using your schedule, remember that it will take a week or two before your family flows with it. Also remember that nothing is set in stone. If part of your schedule does not work, change it to suit your family’s needs. Setting routines is supposed to alleviate stress – not add more.

ARE YOU TEACHING TO YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE?  

If you’ve ever faced the frustration of trying to teach one of your students something and they just don’t “get it”, it might be because you have not yet discovered their unique learning style. Discovering your child’s learning style and then teaching in such a way as to maximize his or her learning potential can be a great way to alleviate stress.

ARE YOU ALLOWING TOO MANY INTERRUPTIONS?

If the phone rings, do you answer it? Is the TV on during school? Are you trying to get other things done while you are homeschooling? It is extremely difficult to do other things while school is in session and have success. I encourage you to keep your priorities on school. This will actually help your school day move more quickly and give you time later for other things.

It is possible to homeschool through difficulties, we just need to learn from our mistakes and be willing to try something new – a new routine , a new way of learning, and a new perspective of our priorities.