Category: Organization

Homeschooling With Minimal Stress: Handy Hints

10/4/2015

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Image © Urban Hippie Love; Flickr.com

Homeschooling with minimal stress may seem like a mythical wish. However, with the right tools and tips, you can reduce the stress that goes with teaching your kids at home. Relax for a minute and go over these handy hints I’ve learned with experience over the years. Each family is different. However, we can all try new things to enhance our homeschooling experience.

Tear out and laminate workbook pages and put them in binders for each subject. Arrange the page order according to level. If you make a big one that contains all levels and areas of math, you won't have to purchase any more math workbooks the following years and you have work for all your kids. Just pull out the pages one at a time and give them to your child with a write & wipe marker or crayon. Then, when your child is finished and the work has been gone over, you can easily put it back in. You may want to take a Sharpie and number the pages in the order you want them. That way if more than one child has a worksheet, you can easily remember where they belong.

Take some relaxing time for yourself each day. If your kids nap, instead of cleaning during their nap, you could take a soak in the tub, curl up with a book, or do something else you enjoy. Your relaxing time may come after the kids are asleep, but be sure to take it. Even five minutes of locking yourself in the bathroom and praying can go a long way

Plan ahead. If you try to write or figure out the assignments while school is in session, this can stress you out. I recommend taking a weekend to plan a month or so of assignments. That way you can easily give the assignments to your child/ren when it's time.

Organize each subject for each child. Each child should have a folder for each subject. The assignments should be placed in those folders in order of when they are to be completed. Even though some assignments won't have a worksheet, there should be instructions for each assignment (even if it's just reading). All assignments should have a date on them. You can even stick the write & wipe sheets (or the page numbers for them) in the folders, too. This makes the day run much smoother.

Never ignore a question your child asks. If you don't know the answer, don't stress. Just look it up. That’s what search engines and educational websites are for. You don’t need to know everything in the world in order to homeschool. All you need are tools to learn with.

Use different methods for teaching the kids. Try various ways to instill each lesson, such as chalkboard and lecture, books, games, worksheets, drawing, writing, and more. You should use two or more strategies for each lesson. That way your child/ren won't get bored and they will also learn many different methods for solving problems.

Add family yoga or meditation to your routine. If you and the kids are having a hard time relaxing, yoga or meditation can help. Be sure to choose the right times to do the yoga, as well as the best relaxing music for everyone. For us, doing a warm-up before assignments begin and a cool-down at the end of the day is perfect. Native American songs are usually our preferred musical selections. Did you know that yoga can actually increase concentration and focus in the homeschool classroom?

Have Fun! Enjoying the process is one of the most important aspects of homeschooling. If you and your child are both having fun, homeschooling is more likely to go smoothly with minimal stress.

Back to School: Establishing a Homeschool Routine

8/31/2015

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

Back to school time! The fall season brings on new challenges for homeschooled kids, as well as those in a more traditional school setting. It's your family's first year homeschooling and you need to establish a routine. Having experienced the beginning-of-the-year dread several times over, I've learned a thing or two. When you have a basic plan, most things just fall into place as they come. Establishing a routine from the beginning makes each homeschool day much less stressful. If your children learn throughout the summer, like mine often do, then you may already have a taste of what the school year will be like.

Figure out your family's learning style. Will your family be educated primarily at home or will you be on the go? Is unschooling right for you? Montessori, classic, or eclectic? Will you be taking field trips a couple times per year or daily? We like to integrate field trips into lessons where possible. Decide what your family's main homeschool style will be as well as how and where it will be implemented. Use this information to establish your routine by working together. It's much easier to stay on track when you have an idea of the general direction you want to take things.

Consider your existing family schedule. Do the kids participate in dance, karate, basketball, piano, or other extracurricular activities? If so, then you'll need to remember to work that schedule into your homeschool schedule. Prioritize all of the existing activities, chores, and jobs. Is there anything in the existing schedule that can be rearranged or eliminated if necessary? I find it helpful to number each schedule item in order of importance. That way, if something needs to be changed, I can easily see what to start rotating or eliminating first.

Have a family meeting. This is an absolute must to get everyone on the same page. Establish the routine by discussing goals, expectations, scheduling, and more. Give everyone a chance to speak and ask questions so that nothing is left unsaid. It's easier to establish your homeschool routine when it's clear what everyone wants and needs. Take everyone's thoughts into consideration before finalizing anything. While you may not be able to give Johnny that wish of 169 recess days and one school day for the year, you can probably make sure he gets to ride his bike for recess a few times per week.

Make a schedule. It's important to do this during the family meeting so that everyone has input, as far as what's scheduled. It's also essential establishing a routine. If everyone knows how things will be from the beginning, the day to day process will run more smoothly. Be sure to allow time for getting to any destinations outside the home when creating the schedule. For instance, if one child needs to be at soccer practice at 2 p.m, be sure to allow time in between the previous class and getting to the soccer field. Remember that your schedule can be more flexible than in a traditional classroom. If necessary, schoolwork can resume after the soccer practice.

Be clear and consistent about what's expected. Talk about how the schedule will work, as well as what each person is expected to do. Every family member should know the overall learning style and methods being implemented. It should be clear that if you choose unschooling the eclectic way, everyone should stick to that. Unschooling is a bit more flexible, as far as establishing a routine. But rules do need to be laid out, such as the fact that even if the operational mood is relaxed, learning should still be taking place.

LAST UPDATED 8/24/2022

* I originally published this content via Yahoo Contributor Network: http://web.archive.org/web/20140806195145/http://shine.yahoo.com/back-homeschool-establishing-routine-190300503.html

Homeschool Tips: How to Reorganize a Failing Plan

1/12/2015

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by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Have you been busy at homeschooling, but the schedule or plan you are using just isn't providing the results you want or need? Maybe your children's needs have changed or you are finding it hard to stick to your plan. If your homeschool day doesn't go the way you'd like it to, you'll need to change your schedule or plan. Some people don't have a schedule, such as unschoolers. That's fine, too, but there will still generally be some sort of plan. When all else fails, change it.

Look For Flaws

Take a look at the way you are doing things now. Figure out which things are not working as planned or needed. Write down all of those things so they can be re-planned later. Think about why each item is not going as you thought it would. Write down those reasons and think about what can be done to reverse the outcome.

What's Going Well?

Check your schedule or plan to see which things are going well. Even in a failed plan, there will be some things that do go well. Take note of these things by making a list. Go over them and think about what is making them work. Write down those things for hints on how to reverse the results of other parts of the plan that don't go right.

Are You Trying To Do Too Much?

When examining your plan, you may find you are simply trying to squeeze too much into each day. Try breaking up elective courses or extra learning into increments of less time or alternating days between them. It's fine to have plenty of electives and extra learning mixed in with what's required. But it's not okay to overwhelm the kids with too much work. Doing this might actually decrease what is learned. Find a balance that allows the kids to expand their horizons without pressuring them.

Is Learning Time Too Short?

On the other hand, if your school day is short and your child does not seem to be processing things correctly, you may need to add more time. A child who is struggling to learn may need more time to do lessons than one who is not. Also, each child is different. Some kids will learn a great deal in a short time. Yet others may need an entire day of school-related work. Examine your children individually to determine the appropriate amount of time for learning.

Remember that a Failed Plan Does Not Make You a Failure

Remember that just because you need to make some adjustments to your plan does not mean you have failed as a parent and home school teacher. Not every plan is going to be perfect and the same would be true regardless of whether your child is in home school or traditional school. Each child is different. Part of the blessing that comes with home school is that you can change the plan.

This can occur as often as needed to custom fit your child until you get the right one. Sometimes even the right one will change as time goes on and your child's needs change. The fact that you have noticed it needs adjusting does not make you a failure or symbolize that your child shouldn't be homeschooled. It actually is a sign that you are a good parent and home school teacher.

*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network

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Homeschooling With Minimal Stress: Handy Hints

Back to School: Establishing a Homeschool Routine

Homeschool Tips: How to Reorganize a Failing Plan

Heart 'N Mind Homeschool Journal

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