How To Keep Your Sanity While Homeschooling

Many parents are anxious about managing kids’ chores and lessons at home for the first time, and it is not because they can’t handle the kids but because the way lessons are instructed nowadays, especially mathematics or problem-solving activities. With many websites, Pinterest pins or Instagram posts giving advice on homeschooling, you might feel lost but let me tell you that you need to focus on three things to keep your sanity while trying homeschooling for the first time, and it is not math!

Focus on what brings joy

If the school is not offering classes online, and instead sends constant emails with attachments for packets to solve at home, don’t freak out or sweat about it, is not your job to teach your kids, your job is keeping them safe and provide a nurturing environment for them to learn.

So, having said that, focus on what brings joy to you and the kids first. Try some challenging chores, of course, and get some help with specialized websites for homeschooling, watch some videos, and resources to understand the lesson better.

Chunk it up, small tasks have more results than never-ending lists.

After the school time is over, please have some time to start a project you have been planning to do, ask your kids to do the same, devote more time practicing hobbies or journaling, focus on what brings joy, not anxiety.

Practice deep self-care with journaling

Staying grounded mentally, physically, and emotionally is a great way to boost your immune system and reduce stress.

Journaling helps to reduce stress, keep your mind sharp by recalling events, prioritizing feelings and matching them with words, improves your mood by expressing gratitude, and focusing on the positive aspects of your life. Most importantly, journaling strengthens emotional functions by evoking awareness and keeping perspective of the events at hand; journaling gives closure and is an opportunity for catharsis.

You don’t need to be a writer to express what’s inside your head, you can use help from other arts to help you discover the words you need to write down.

In the end, journaling is about honoring your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and create a safe space for you to allow self-love and self-care to settle in.

Connect with others

Use technology to keep your loved ones connected, especially family. Despite socially distancing and stay at home rules, we still need to communicate with each other.

Practice effective listening, pay attention to what others are saying, pay attention to the meaning of it, focus on the emotional part, and consider their perspective before replying. Remember that we are all in the same boat, be patient.

Practice empathy when connecting with your loved ones during these times of crisis. Understand the emotions and feelings and put yourself in their shoes and share their thoughts.

Homeschooling shouldn’t give you anxiety, nor complicate your relationship with your kids, remember you are the mom, not the teacher. Focus on having fun, make a small plan together and chunk it up, remember to take it one step at a time, have constant communication with the teachers and review online resources to help your kids keep up with the work.

With Love,

Gaby