Want a Stress-Free Homeschool year? Me too!
For most moms, homeschooling can become stressful, exhausting, and overwhelming. The enemy of our souls can entrap us in busyness instead of fruitfulness, turning our homeschool into a burden instead of a blessing.
Stress-Free Homeschooling is God’s Desire For Us.
Yes, homeschooling is a huge responsibility, but it’s also a divine calling. One that will fulfill us more than any career would. We are raising a holy generation, we are preparing our children for eternity, and making them true disciples of Christ.
Don’t let Satan fool you and trap you into busyness. God’s plans for us are good and lead us to peace and joy. He has called us to disciple our children and to teach them to walk in His Ways. We won’t regret doing His will ever.
2 Main Keys to a Stress-Free Homeschool Year-Round
Simplicity
Dear homeschool mom, keep your homeschool simple! Unless you manage the essentials well, without any overwhelm, do not add anything else to it.
I know, I know. We are all guilty of adding more than we can handle on our plates. It’s so easy to get excited about one more book or one more course during this year, isn’t it?
Keeping your homeschool simple and doing the essential is life-changing. The less we do in our homeschool, the more we learn, and guess what? The more peace and joy we experience too.
Flexibility
I lose count of how many moms come to me saying they are overwhelmed and feeling behind in their homeschool. Here is a major mistake some homeschool moms make: unrealistic homeschool planning!
They spend hours every week making lesson plans and have not enough hours in a day to accomplish them. Friend, if this is you, this is a recipe for frustration.
Can I tell you a secret? I never made lesson plans and I don’t use a homeschool planner! Yep! #truthbomb
I much rather write down what we accomplished then make unrealistic plans. Adding flexibility to your homeschool is key, because life happens!
Keep your homeschool plans flexible! Use a 4-day schedule and keep an extra day every week to catch up. It is totally ok not to do everything every day. What you couldn’t finish today, you can finish another day.
Homeschooling is not a race! It’s a marathon. You are making progress and your kids are learning. That’s all that matters.
Tips for a Stress-Free Homeschool With Multiple Children
Here are simple things you can do to experience a stress-free homeschool year:
- Fill the littles’ tank first. Give your youngest plenty of attention before you teach the oldest kids, this will make them feel content and not interrupt you for attention over and over again.
- Also, give the little ones “school work” to do too. Papercutting, coloring, finger painting, puzzles, whatever will keep their little hands busy and distracted works.
- Teach them all together. This has been my favorite thing about homeschooling! Why have a different curriculum for different grades when you can all learn together? Subjects like Bible, history, science, geography, literature, arts, music, and many more can be taught together and it actually makes it more fun to learn as a group.
- Teach them to be independent learners. Your goal is to help your children love to learn and become independent readers, learners, and researchers. Charlotte Mason stressed the importance of self-education. Once your child becomes an independent learner, there is no limit on what he or she can accomplish!
- Let the oldest child tutor the youngest. My oldest feels so grown up when I ask him to help his little sister. He loves being her “teacher”. This is a wonderful way to give our oldest responsibility and a sense of accomplishment while allowing you more time to help the other children.
- Above all, bath your homeschool in prayer every day. Pray with your children before the homeschool day starts and thank the Lord for blessing you with wonderful children who are attentive, obedient, and great learners. Believe me, prayers, and powerful words of affirmation work wonders. Wink, wink.
Stress-Free Homeschooling is Selfless.
When we first began homeschooling, I had no idea how much work and dedication it had involved. I didn’t know how much God was going to work on my own character though homeschooling.
Homeschooling is a heart work. It requires a mother to die to self in many ways to be able to take up the plunge daily and disciple her children.
I confess I thought about how much easier it would be to just send my children to school, but for what profit? My own? “Not my will, Lord, but Yours!”
Homeschooling requires sacrifices. For me, I choose the ways of the Lord for my children. I choose to die to my selfish desires so I can be led by the Spirit and not by my own flesh. I know the sacrifice of homeschooling is worthy.
Stress-Free Homeschooling Requires Prayer.
Only the Holy Spirit can guide and lead us to do the will of the Father. And our Father in Heaven, who has called us to homeschool our children, is the only One who can truly equip and enable us to do so.
The strength we need is given to us on our knees. “Give us today our daily bread.” I pray every morning waiting for the Holy Spirit to give me the portion of strength, wisdom, and discernment I need to teach my children.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead our homeschool, He turns chaos into order, worries into peace, and exhaustion into joy. The stress is lifted off and His love takes over.
Stress-free homeschooling year-round is possible!
