5 Ways to Keep Your Homeschool Enthusiasm Going!

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Even the most veteran homeschoolers experience burnout some time during the homeschool year. The constant pressure that many homeschooling parents put on themselves can make the days feel like a daily grind.

Homeschooling is a tough job that not only brings joy, but also trying times. As the adage states, nothing worthwhile comes easy. Your enthusiasm will wane at times, but this is natural.

This isn’t the time to give up though. There are ways you can take charge to avoid burnout and get the whole family back on track. Use these tips to keep the atmosphere in your house exciting and inspiring for everyone, including you!

1 - Make a Checklist of What Works for Your Homeschoolers

Knowing what works for your children as far as schedule and curriculum, can help you keep the burnout blues to a minimum. Each child is different. What inspires and makes your children enthusiastic may not be the same as other children. As you progress through the school year, you’ll notice what invigorates your child. It could be anything from baking cookies to simply switching up the schedule occasionally. But whatever it is, write it down for future reference.

2 - Keep Realistic Goals

Almost nothing sabotages a school year like unrealistic goals. For starters, include your children once you begin the goal setting process. It will help them better understand what goals are and what’s expected of them throughout the school year.

Once you decide on your goals, figure out what steps you and your children will take to make these goals attainable. But remember, as the school year progresses, the steps may change. That’s okay. Simply adapt, improvise, and overcome. As your children make steps toward attaining their goals, praise their successes and if some failures or challenges occur, speak with them about how they can best meet and defeat these challenges in the future. They will feed off your positive energy and your encouragement.

3 - Take a Different Approach to Learning

Change things up and give your usual curriculum a break from time to time. Unit studies are a great way to keep things interesting while learning something new. Time4Learning offers tons of free unit studies on a wide range of topics including U.S. presidents and states. You can also learn about specific events and holidays through fun worksheets and activities.

Another option is to employ the homeschooling approach of child-led learning. Ask your child what he or she is interested in learning about and run with it. You can watch videos on the topic, check books out at the library, or try to speak with an expert on the topic. The sky’s the limit. When children have the opportunity to learn about something that they are curious about, they’ll be more excited and motivated to take the lead.

4 - Discuss Enthusiasm With Other Homeschoolers

If you just can’t get your children enthusiastic about their schooling experience, talk with other homeschoolers about the issue. They may have some ideas that you never would have dreamed up.

Sharing ideas and thoughts with other homeschoolers almost always creates new teaching methods and fun activities. It also reinforces the fact that you’re not alone in your homeschooling endeavor. There are millions of other parents who are also struggling to succeed and meet the challenges that you confront on a daily basis.

5 - Schedule a Playdate

Homeschoolers all over the country schedule playdates with friends and family. It not only socializes your children, but it also gets them excited about meeting with their friends. A playdate can be as simple as meeting another homeschooling family for a few hours at the park. The children enjoy themselves, and you get some much-needed adult time with another parent. Not only will it be refreshing to spend a few hours swapping stories and sharing ideas with another adult, but your child will feel re-energized too.

You’ve decided to homeschool your children for a reason, and now that you’ve made that decision, whether you’re a first-time homeschooler or a veteran, you want to give it 100 percent. You have the passion and you know your purpose for homeschooling your children. Once you convey your passion and show your children how enthusiastic you are about teaching them, they will also become enthusiastic. It’s a natural occurrence.

Don’t wait for homeschool burnout to set in to take action. Remember, one of the great things about homeschooling is that there are no strict rules or schedules you must follow. So, go ahead and mix things up from time to time.

Time4Learning.com is an award-winning, comprehensive curriculum for PreK-12th that makes learning effective and engaging through animated lessons and activities. You will have access to the core subjects, math, language arts, science, social studies and more! The online program teaches and grades lessons, tracks and records progress, and keeps reports to help simplify homeschool portfolios.

For over a decade, Time4Learning has helped more than 500,000 homeschooling families with its flexible and engaging curriculum, homeschool resources, and more. Our team of homeschool moms, homeschool dads, and support staff have come together to create helpful homeschool insights on subjects such as family, education, fun, and more!