Stuck in a Homeschool Rut?
Facing a homeschool rut? It happens. Try these ideas to help you get out of that homeschool rut today.
As with anything worth doing in life, homeschooling has its ups and downs. It’s just natural.
I also know that sometimes it can cause a bit of panic in new homeschool moms or moms who are just worn to a frazzle by life in general. Ask me how I know. *ahem*
It’s important that we talk about these things so that homeschool moms know that it’s just a normal part of homeschooling and so they don’t crumble under the weight of their own high expectations.
How to Overcome a Homeschool Rut
My first and best recommendation is to take a delight-directed approach to homeschooling. It’s relaxed homeschooling with an unschooling flavor. It’s purposeful, designed to encourage a lifelong love of learning. Since trading my traditional school mindset for one that allows much more freedom and flexibility, our homeschool days have gone more smoothly. It really works!
I wrote a post at My Joy-Filled Life on this subject:
HOW TO OVERCOME A HOMESCHOOL SLUMP WITH DELIGHT-DIRECTED LEARNING
It’s a good place to start when you’re looking for something that can really change the direction of your homeschool for good — both for you and the kids.
You can also grab this free quick start guide, Spark Joy and Ignite Imagination with Delight-Directed Learning.
If what you need is encouragement, I hope you’ll find some in these posts:
Stronger: Finding Strength on the Extra Weary Days
Encouraging Words for Homeschool Moms
Purposeful Homeschooling: Keeping Your Vision in Mind
Homeschooling on the Tough Days
More Ways to Overcome a Homeschool Rut
I went straight to the source to ask moms what they do to renew and refresh their homeschooling spirit when they hit a slump. Here is what they had to say —
“I pause and re-evaluate what we are doing. Usually burn out happens because I have shifted from child-directed/child-led learning to teacher-directed learning. I switch gears and add a new project or unit exploration to get my enthusiasm going again. I then go back to following my child’s lead and partner to explore where her knowledge leads us.” Jennifer at The Deliberate Mom
“Doing any kind of outing during what would be ‘regular’ school hours refreshes me. Hitting the park, a museum, a homeschool co-op or even just taking the kids for an ice cream or shopping for a couple of things to add to their craft supplies. I think it reminds me of one of my favorite homeschooling perks – the freedom!” Jen from Modern Homeschool
“I rarely get burned out on school. I usually burn out on the rest of life: the dishes, the laundry, the squabbles. I refresh by getting out of the house—by myself. It always feels like a luxury, but for me, at least, it is a necessity. When I put it off, I always end up with burn out.” Joy at Homeschool Connections
“I would recommend planning a few hands-on activities, such as science experiments, starting veggie plants indoors to plant outdoors later, a PE Class. Anything that gets you up and moving and laughing.” Emily
“When we have burnout, I take it as a sign that we need to take time off. We take a week to just relax, and I do try to sprinkle in some casual learning. Visiting museums, watching The Magic School Bus DVDs, or reading aloud as a family are great ways to keep their wheels turning in a slow-paced way.” Jenn at Real and Quirky
“We simply take a break. The joy of homeschooling is that you can take a day or week off whenever you want to! You can simply put away the books and have fun or take a vacation. It’s a great way for everyone to re-charge.” Kathy at Kathy’s Cluttered Mind
“We do one of two things: 1. Change it up! Add something new and exciting, or change the tactic of learning, like do a unit study instead of our usual curriculum. 2. Take a break! It really just depends on how much re-energizing I need to do!” Jennifer at Chestnut Grove Academy
“We simply take the day off if we need to, and do something easy such as simple activities requiring little supervision, reading, or getting together with other homeschoolers.” Victoria at Homemaking with Heart
Some other suggestions include reading encouraging homeschool books and websites or attending a homeschool retreat or convention. All of the moms agreed that the freedom and flexibility in homeschooling can give us some breathing room when we need it.
Are you facing a homeschool rut right now? What are some ways you’ve gotten through it? Let us know in the comments!
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