Well. Patience helps. Having the patience to homeschool isn’t the biggest obstacle when you homeschool, deciding to homeschool in the first place is the hardest part. Let’s cover some ways to work on feeling like you aren’t losing your patience all the time.
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Do You Need Patience to Homeschool?
Having patience is going to help in your homeschool, of course, it is. But you don’t have to be overflowing with it to get started. I am not a patient person at all, but I am getting better and doing my best for my kids every day.
Instead, let’s find ways to work through what is currently stressing you, and allow yourself a little grace because you have a lot on your shoulders.
Patience is going to help when your child just can’t understand a concept. I have been there. I have lost it when my child can’t remember how to divide when they were just doing it perfectly fine the day before.
What’s Stressing you?
Your stress level and your patience level are linked. If you are stressed you are not going to have patience for your children, your partner, or yourself. I say it all the time, and I am not great at practicing it myself, but self-care is important.
I don’t care what your self-care method is, take care of yourself. I grab a book, run a bubble bath, and lock myself in the bathroom for an hour or two. If I cry in the tub, great, I totally release stress by crying. You do you.
Curriculum Stress
If your curriculum is not working out the way you planned, change it.
Whether you make it work for you by not using it the way the curriculum creator intended or by tossing it all aside and taking a more minimalist approach or unschooling.
Be Consistent
From the words of Finding Nemo, “just keep swimming”. Take one day at a time.
You can do this. So, you blew it today. Do better tomorrow. Use the method of trial and error until you find what works for your family and stick with it. Flip-flopping your homeschool routine isn’t helping anyone get into a routine.
Let Go of Perfection Gain Patience to Homeschool
Let go of your idea of perfection. Instead, strive for a new perfect. That might be just sitting down at the same time each day to read a book and do a math worksheet.
Instead of making your child sit there at the time until they get all the math questions right, strive for 80-90% right and then call it a day.
Instead of working on all the subjects each day, be happy you read a book together today.
Know Yourself
This is huge. What are your triggers? What makes you lose every bit of patience that you have mustered up? Figure out those things and avoid them like the plague.
Are you not a morning person? Then don’t plan to start your homeschool day at 8 am. Beginning in the afternoon might be a better fit for your family.
Do you despise disorganization and chaos? Take steps to ensure that those areas have safeguards in place.
The quickest way for me to lose all patience is by not having a plan for the bigger things or outings. I need to have a routine or general plan for what is going to happen.
Know Your Children
Just as important as knowing your triggers are knowing the triggers of your children, because let’s face it, when you are already lacking in the patience department, a whiny child is a surefire way to derail your day.
- When does your child work the best?
- What is his/her learning style?
- Do they have dietary issues that affect their moods?
Figuring out these things from the very beginning will save you many hours of stress and heartache down the road.
More Tips for Homeschool Moms
What to do When the Homeschool Mom is Sick