Homeschooling is a fun and great time to enjoy time with your children. At the same time, there are days when you just don’t know what to do. When those bad days hit, there are some simple things that can help reset the bad homeschool day.
Get Outside
One of our favorite things to do when the day seems to be going downhill is to get outside. Whether we are playing on the playground, or going on a walk, getting outside helps to clear our minds and help refocus our days. Just the fresh air alone helps the kids to focus better. Add in some activity and the kids are able to focus on what I need to teach them. My mom brain loves to get out and refresh myself with fresh air. Not only in the summer months, but also in the winter.
Take a Break
Sometimes you just need to put the books away and take a break. It can be for the day, the week, or the month. Just take a break. Follow the leads and interest of your kids. Let them show you what they want to learn. Find something they want to focus on and do that. Don’t have a rigorous schedule planned out. I have learned that the best learning comes when I let my kids pick what they want to learn about.
Read a Book
Do you remember when your kids were little and would cuddle in for storytime? Go back to that time. Do it with a book that fits in with what you are learning about. Take that time to cuddle with your kids and just read. Don’t turn it into a lesson, just read. Let your kids ask questions if they have them, but don’t force question and answer time on them. Go back to the fun of just reading and enjoy that time with your kids.
Grab Your Bible
This is the one thing that I love to do when the days are hard. I grab my bible. I find that taking some quiet time with the bible helps me reset, which helps the kids reset. Not only that, but we can stop our learning from the textbooks and spend some time learning from the bible. There is nothing better than time spent in the bible to help reset your day.
Move
That’s right, move. Turn on some music, your pick, and have a dance party. Go for a walk, find some stretches. Whatever meets your fancy, get up and move. Movement helps the brain. Not only can it help reduce stress, but it can help to bring focus back. If the weather is nice, move outside, if is isn’t, move inside. Find a way to move that your family enjoys, and do it.
What are some ways that you have found to reset a bad homeschool day?
Amanda Hopkins is married to Chad and mom to four. When she isn’t buried under the snow of Minnesota, she loves to be outside watching the kids learn while they play. You can find her at Hopkins Homeschool.