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| Some of my delivery dependent homeschool supplies for this year. |
As I've begun prepping our homeschool year I've found myself relying on Amazon a whole lot more than I'm used to. I've also been thinking about some of the things I've learned from others that have helped me stay sane and productive as a homeschooling mama. I know many of you may be doing school differently this year with more (or all) schooling taking place at home. I thought I'd jot down some of the tips and tricks I've accumulated over the years that have proven most helpful to me and my kiddos.
I hope one or two or more, or all of these, will be helpful to y'all as you begin your school year.
1. Give yourself plenty of grace. Give your kiddos plenty of grace. And give your teacher lots of grace too. This is a weird time and nothing's gonna go perfectly - and that's okay.
2. Set a routine. I don't mean a schedule with exact times, but a list of things you and your family will move through each day. It really helps when everyone knows what to expect.
3. When tensions and emotions are running high don't feel like you need to push through. When everyone starts losing it over an eraser (something that's happened in our homeschooling time on more than one occasion) it's time to take a break - or even put things down for the day and come back at them tomorrow.
4. Get clarity on anything that seems if-y and is causing you all extra stress. Your teachers are making themselves available and doing their very best to support you and your kids during this time. They want you to bug them.
5. If you're having difficulty teaching a concept or your child is having difficulty grasping it, get some help. Talk to your teacher. Look up a YouTube video. Set up a Zoom meeting with someone you know can explain it well.
6. Celebrate. Celebrate the beginning of the school year, the end of the school year, finishing up all the tasks on your list for that day, the fact that you all got through the day's school time with no one bursting into tears. 😅 It can be something simple - a popsicle break or a family cheer.
7. Have a distraction ready for other kids when you need to work one on one with a child. This is especially necessary when there are toddlers and other littles in the house. Have the tablet charged up and ready to go, set up a color book station, etc.
8. Get ready for the day. This is especially helpful for us parents. Some of you are perfectly comfortable and confident staying in your pajamas all day and conquering the world. More power to ya. I am one of those people that feels a whole lot better about my day if I've brushed my teeth, put on real clothes, and tamed my mane a little. Apart from special and intentional pajama days, getting ready for the day will help morale more than you'd expect.
9. Make sure you and the kiddos are getting enough sleep. I've been guilty of majorly sabotaging myself here. I've found that my kids are way more able to face the challenges of school time if they aren't tired and grumpy. Way less melt downs when everyone is well rested.
10. If possible, make a space for learning. Even if it's just clearing the dining table or office desk and setting up what you'll need for the day.
11. Movement helps. This is especially true for my more active kiddos. Including a walk, a 15 minute Go Noodle session, or just a bit of time outside goes a long way to aid our focus.
12. Start with prayer. Spend a quick minute praying together - for the time you're about to devote to schooling, for yourself, for the kids, for your teacher. You could also simply pray the Lord's Prayer together. Below are a few liturgical style prayers you can either memorize or just read aloud before beginning your school sessions together. For those that aren't coming from a Christian tradition, you can simply spend a quick moment being grateful together or centering on the task at hand.
A Prayer for Schooling from Home
Lord God, You see where we are and all that is before us.
Grant us grace as we tackle the tasks of schooling.
Open our hearts and minds to the delight You take in us and in Your creation
And may we mirror that delight back to You.
Calm our anxieties and bless this time of learning with life and love.
A Prayer for Openness at the Start of the Day
Lord God, who has seen and knows all of our days,
May we be open to all that You have for us today,
All that You want to teach us,
All that You want us to see,
All that You have for us to do.
We offer our to-do list up to You
And walk this day open handed before You.
A Prayer for Focus
Lord Jesus, You know everything about us and what we need.
Help our minds to be focused,
And help our hearts to be open to Your goodness
and to all the learning set before us today.
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