Ten Things You Can Do Today to Make Homeschooling Easier
Homeschooling is a big endeavor! When we homeschool, we take upon ourselves the planning and execution of our children’s entire education. It is an adventure truly grand in scope.
But like any adventure, it is the little things that make homeschooling successful. A puzzle is assembled of small pieces; the longest hike comprises thousands of individual steps. Similarly, our homeschooling journey becomes easier when we keep our eyes on the individual steps before us.
Today, I want to offer you ten things you can do today to make your homeschooling easier (and more joyful, too).
10: Build a local homeschool community
Community involvement always enriches education. Consider building a local homeschooling community. It need not be complicated; it can be as simple as inviting one or two other families to your home once a week for a playdate or a living room co-op.
9: Read aloud 10-20 minutes every day:
Besides promoting the healthy brain development of younger children, reading aloud is soothing. It has a way of calming things down. And it’s a great way to bond, relax, and build cognitive development at once.
8: Strewing
This means leaving things around the house for your children to find and engage with: leaving the colorful art books out on the coffee table, knowing your child will sit down and start flipping through them, leaving letter magnets on the fridge for your young children to arrange, or leaving a half-dismantled car stereo and tools on the kitchen table for your teenage son interested in electronics to dig into. Strewing creates structured opportunities for children to indulge their natural curiosity.
7: Memory work
This consists of having dedicated items for children to work on memorizing every day. It can be a Scripture verse, a poem, a speech, or anything. If you are studying U.S. History, have your students memorize portions of the Declaration of Independence daily until they’ve memorized the entire document. Or, for Latin class, the first lines of the Aeneid. The options are endless.
6: Narration
This is reading a story to your children and then having them tell it back to you in their own words. It is a classic method for building listening skills and literary comprehension. It is associated with the Charlotte Mason method; you can find lots of resources on narration online on sites dedicated to the Charlotte Mason method.
5: Create an atmosphere of joyful learning
This isn’t something you do so much as a state of mind you put yourself in. Emotions are contagious; children are more likely to enjoy their homeschooling experience if you are enjoying it yourself. Resolve today to demonstrate an attitude of joy towards your homeschooling. If you are joyful, your students will respond better to your efforts.
4: Dress to the shoes before the kids get up
People tend to act how they dress. If you are dressed lazily, you will feel lazy. Get dressed before the children rise and choose an outfit that makes you feel industrious. For me, I like to put my shoes on. I’ve noticed I have more of a “go-getter” attitude when my shoes are on at home. It could be anything, but the point is to remember your dress and attitude are interrelated.
3: Get outside
Going out into nature is one of the most wholesome things you can do. Spending time in nature has been linked with cognitive benefits as well as improvements in mood, mental health, and emotional well-being. Sometimes, it’s great to drop the books and pencils, load the kids in the van, and go for a walk in the woods.
2: Cook together
Do you ever think about the educational benefits of cooking? It incorporates math, science, nutrition, and even culture! Cooking with your children is an educational and practical activity—it fills hungry bellies! Bonus idea: Have your child create a meal independently, from making the grocery list to cooking it.
1: Pray
Prayer takes time; saints pray and get more done in less time! Make sure you devote time to praying for your homeschool, both on your own and with your children. Morning prayer before school starts and an Angelus before lunch are positive habits to build.
BONUS
Take Catholic homeschooling online courses from expert, faith-filled, and passionate instructors with Homeschool Connections!
The great thing about these tips is that they are low-effort yet high-reward. It doesn’t take much planning to get dressed, take the kids outside, read a book, or invite another family over. But they yield high benefits in terms of education, peace of mind, and good old-fashioned fun.
May God bless you and yours abundantly!
For more help making homeschooling easier, listen to Paola Ciskanik and Lisa Mladnich on the Homeschooling Saints Podcast episode Curing Mommy Overwhelm.
What are your thoughts on this topic? To continue the discussion, join me and other homeschooling parents at our Homeschool Connections Community or our Facebook group!
