5 Simple Ways to Reduce Homeschool Stress This Year
How to Have a Calmer, Happier Homeschool. Starting Today.
As summer draws to a close, many of us are finalizing our homeschooling plans for the fall. We are looking over schedules, gathering supplies, and trying to shift our brains back into the school-year mindset.
For most of us, this is a time of excitement as we look forward to another year of home education with our bright little kiddos. But for others, back to school is a time of considerable anxiety. We get stressed about having to adhere to a schedule, keep all the kids on task, and manage the household on top of it.
There are many reasons for homeschool stress, too many to review in this brief article. But I will share five simple tips that I have incorporated into my own homeschool that have made life considerably less stressful in my household. These tips don’t necessarily pertain directly to homeschooling, but more to the general environment within the home itself.
Creating a Low-Stress Environment in the Home
Environment is important! Sometimes, the reason why we are stressed and depleted about homeschooling is because we create a stressful environment in the household. We can manage our households in a way that creates unnecessary stress for ourselves and those around us. All of us do this from time to time (some more than others!), but there are some positive changes we can make in our homes to make them places of peace and rejuvenation.
1. Stop Yelling Across Rooms
This one was a game-changer in my household. Do not yell across rooms to get someone’s attention. If you or your child needs to speak to someone, you have to walk to the other room to talk to them. And you do so in a conversational voice. This rule applies to everybody in the house, kids and adults alike. Model calm behavior, enforce this on your kids as well, and soon your home will be considerably quieter.
2. Deliver Instructions In the Evening
For many of us, mornings are when we check in with our children to review the homeschool plan for the day, often while they’re just waking up and eating breakfast. But this timing can be stressful, as everyone is still easing into the day and may not be in the best frame of mind to absorb directions.
Instead, try reviewing the following day’s itinerary the night before, after dinner, after the family Rosary, or shortly before bed. Besides delivering the information at a time when everyone is calm, it gives them advance notice of what will be happening the next day, so they will not have to process new information the next morning when it’s time to start the day’s activities.
3. Be Specific With Chores
When assigning chores, give very specific tasks. Specificity will help the child know when they have completed the task. Parents often provide incredibly generalized, open-ended chores to their children. This can be highly frustrating for a child.
For example, parents will say, “Help me tidy up,” or “Make yourself available.” These are too general. Give specific instructions that a child knows when the task has been completed. “I want you to take this trash out, then put the dishes away, then sweep the kitchen. After that, you may go out to play.”
4. Practice Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement means encouraging behavior by offering positive feedback after the behavior occurs. Often, we are too quick to be critical and too slow to offer kind words.
Make a deliberate effort to shift your focus from criticism to praise. Acknowledge good behavior immediately (e.g., “I really appreciate how you calmly helped your sister”). This motivates kids to repeat positive actions and reduces conflict triggers. Also, don’t just assume your kids know you are happy with them. When they do something good, praise them for it!
5. Listen to Your Kids
It’s essential to do as much listening as you do talking, especially if you have teenagers. Please don’t assume that you know them so well that you don’t need to hear their point of view. A lot of stress builds up in households because parents and teens don’t communicate well. Teenagers are often reluctant to explain what’s going on with them because they feel like they won’t be heard.
Create positive exchanges with your kids where you show yourself empathetic and ready to listen. When your child is speaking to you, focus on simply understanding before offering opinions or solutions.
Keep Things Running Smoothly
When I offered these five points for consideration at a recent homeschool conference in Louisiana, I was overwhelmed with the number of thankful messages I received in the following weeks. Many moms shared with me how much these simple adjustments had brought peace to their homes.
I have implemented all five of these strategies in my own home with great success and would encourage you to do likewise. These are more general guidelines that will make your homeschooling run more smoothly simply by virtue of your entire household running more smoothly.
As we gear up for another homeschooling year, implementing these five simple strategies can transform our homes into havens of calm and cooperation. By fostering a low-stress environment—through clear communication, thoughtful planning, specific task assignments, positive reinforcement, and active listening—we not only ease the pressures of homeschooling but also strengthen our family bonds. These practices don’t just benefit our educational efforts; they create a more peaceful and supportive household for everyone, which in turn will make your homeschooling more enjoyable.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Join me and other homeschoolers in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group or in the HSC Community to continue the conversation.
