What’s the rush? Why the hectic pace in homeschool?
Homeschool curriculum options have literally exploded in the market. Instead of simplifying homeschool it seems like the huge amount of curriculum choices have complicated homeschooling.
We are constantly bombarded with more deadlines, stress and a growing list of of homeschool subjects.
Pressure to perform has mounted. Constantly expecting too much from our children and ourselves is not good.
We can’t slow down the hectic pace of this world when it comes to educating our children, but we can make changes in our everyday journey.
Is Your Homeschool Teaching a Trickle or Torrential flood?
One thing we have control over is the pace we set each day for our school.
The pace we set in teaching our children made me think about a point we learned in science.
When there is a quick down pour, rain runs off the ground because it’s too fast and the ground doesn’t have time to soak it up. Digging down the surface a bit, you can see that the ground is still dry.
However, when there is a soft, gentle, rain that trickles slowly throughout the day, the ground soaks up the water and nourishes the plants. The slow trickle saturates the ground.
Do you tend to flood your children with lots of information and busy work or is your day of teaching more like a soft gentle trickle so that your children can soak up what you are teaching?
Realistic Tips that Work
Besides understanding that a constant hurried pace is not good for you physically, here are some doable tips that will help to reduce the stress in your day.
Routine is vital.
Routine is a habit and instead of stressing each day about how to start the day, there is no pausing for thought, we just do it.
Progress and routine are inextricably linked.
Progress reduces stress and helps to slow pace down but it only comes if a routine is formed. Routine can be anything but hum drum if we allow a gentle unfolding of our day that suits our family.
Organization (the realistic kind) is a must.
I have said it many times throughout the years and that is as homeschoolers the way we organize has to be different.
We can’t follow the organizational tips given by many well-meaning books and blogs of stay at home moms who do not wear the teacher hat or who don’t share learning and living spaces. Those kinds of tips makes the already overwhelmed unorganized homeschooler run the other way from organizational tips that will breathe calm into her day.
Organization takes on a different meaning as homeschoolers.
When time is wasted fumbling for lesson plans, kids don’t have a place to put away their papers or books or when kids don’t understand their morning routine, this starts our day off at a hurried pace. We seem to spend the whole day trying to catch up.
Equally important to choosing curriculum is choosing a plan of action. Take as much time writing down how you want your day to flow and where to put away your homeschool things as you do mulling over curriculum choices.
Homeschooling and life blend together the longer you homeschool.
When you have a plan for cooking and laundry as much as you do for chemistry and language arts, then you have balance in your day. Tension starts to subside.
Breaks should be meaningful.
I love walking and physical exercise has always been a time for me to rejuvenate and be re-energized for the day.
Stepping away from the chaos and doing something physical always has helped me to put things back in the right priority.
If I am stressing that I am not doing enough, then I ask myself why? Is it because life happened like a sickness in our family that went through all five of us or was it because I was helping one of the boys deal with a lot of hormones? Then we need to bless and release it because that is part of school.
If I am stressing because I planned too lightly then learn from that lesson and move on.
Dwelling on things that we can’t control brings stress. Stress breeds chaos and an inability to cope. It’s a vicious cycle and will consume our time if we don’t break it.
Constant reminders are needed about why we are homeschooling and how an unhurried pace year after year infuses our children with a massive amount of knowledge that has time to saturate not only their minds, but their hearts.
Too, plan for the unexpected by preparing your mind for things that will come up and cause stress.
There is a cost for trying to do too much.
Take a look at your pace. Does it need to change before you hit burnout?
Also, look at these helpful tips:
- Divide And Conquer The Ever Growing List of Homeschool Subjects
- Homeschool Day: 3 Smart Strategies to Fitting It All In Homeschool
- Should You Switch to a 4-Day Homeschool Schedule?
Hugs and love ya,
