Has your school year gotten off to a rocky start?
It's rough when we plan out a wonderful homeschool year and then the students don't love our lesson plans, or the baby doesn't sleep, or we run out of essential items for the daily meals.
One school day I had planned an exciting Roman aqueduct diorama with my children and a few of their friends.
I was so looking forward to assembling the aqueduct with my children and seeing the water run through the pipes into our miniature reservoir. I knew my kids would love it, but one of the guest students was not having it and the whole learning experience was thrown off by one disinterested child. In that moment I just rolled with it, enjoying the process for myself and letting my children see the fun outcome.
Frustrating homeschool days with children are just part of life, and every school day will not be magical, but here are a few tips that can help you have smoother days…
- Prep breakfast the night before. One of my children would wake up in a state if breakfast was delayed and a lot of energy would be consumed helping her calm down. Once I started offering a banana or some cereal first thing, and then serving a warm and protein rich breakfast, our mornings went better. (Our cookbook has a whole section of breakfast recipes)
- Have a predictable morning routine. In the Peaceful Loop we are constantly reviewing our morning routine because good mornings produce good days. We focus on having a personal quiet time, teaching children how to manage their morning chores, and starting the day with morning time.
- Short learning times. Young children won't sit still for long, so keep learning times short with movement breaks, and offer support as needed through wobble boards, workout balls, and other quiet movement helpers. See this list for a few recommendations.
- Strong parent child connection. Children won't learn from you if they don't feel loved by you, and their behavior will get increasingly annoying as they work towards more responsiveness. Download our connection challenge template and work on daily skills so your children will cheerfully follow your lead.
- Simplify your home. Too much stuff causes parent and child overwhelm, and cleaning and maintaining it all crowds out time to enjoy each other and learn. Work towards eliminating clutter and downsizing the choices of clothing and toys so that more time can be spent connecting.
Our Peaceful Press homeschool resources help you create a life giving home environment.
With the emphasis on beautiful stories, hands on learning, and family connection, your children can learn and grow in a natural way while still excelling academically.