by Natalie L. Komitsky
Once you’ve made the decision to homeschool, done some planning and kicked off your homeschool season, it won’t be long before you find yourself overwhelmed by the things you used to do before you were spending your day as an educator. But don’t despair, we have all been there and survived to talk about it. There are many ways you can address these challenges and form a new sense of normal that everyone can live with. Let’s discuss a few of the most common obstacles.
Housework - Having your kids at home all day will most likely increase the amount of cleaning that needs to be done in your home. What can you do? Well the option that makes the most sense is to enlist your children’s help as much as you can, depending on their ages. This will help teach them a sense of responsibility and make them more conscious of the messes they create. In addition, you might want to check out flylady dot com or other organizational sites to develop a system that will allow you to do quick surface cleaning daily and deep cleaning by zones on a schedule. If it is feasible, hiring someone else to do the cleaning for you would help considerably.
Cooking - If your family has gotten used to you preparing gourmet meals three times a day, you are going to need to make some adjustments. Your time to cook may be rushed or at least limited to a specific time frame. You will need to plan well and, when possible, do some of the preparation in advance. Many busy moms take advantage of meals that freeze well, can be prepared in a slow-cooking crock pot, or taste great as leftovers. Don’t worry; you will still have plenty of time on the weekends and during breaks to make those favorites that take a little bit more time and effort.
Workload - You might find the life of a teacher to be quite exhausting. Depending on the style of homeschooling your family has adopted, you may be spending hours at a time doing research, planning lessons, preparing supplies for hands-on activities, creating worksheets and tests as well as checking your students’ work. All of this can be very time-consuming and may seem overwhelming at times. Here’s the secret to your success – don’t reinvent the wheel. There is a ton of resources online, at your library, teacher’s store and among your homeschool buddies that can lighten your load considerably. Some of my favorites are edhelper dot com and enchantedlearning dot com. They both offer printable resources that you can use to make your life a lot easier. Ask other moms how they accomplished the academic objectives you are working on – experience is the best teacher.
We hope that these tips help you tackle some of the challenges that you may face do to practical limitations. After all, you are only one person. As you grow as a homeschooler, you will undoubtedly appreciate the value of a homeschool community while you feel the weight on your shoulders being lifted by another mom’s shared experience. In Part 4 we will continue to explore challenges with a focus on social and emotional concerns that you may face. Until then, happy homeschooling!
As a wordsmith, Natalie L. Komitsky optimizes the effectiveness of text to impact readers with substance and style through exceptional research, writing, editing, and project management. For more information, or to get in touch, visit: www.nkomitsky.com
Once you’ve made the decision to homeschool, done some planning and kicked off your homeschool season, it won’t be long before you find yourself overwhelmed by the things you used to do before you were spending your day as an educator. But don’t despair, we have all been there and survived to talk about it. There are many ways you can address these challenges and form a new sense of normal that everyone can live with. Let’s discuss a few of the most common obstacles.
Housework - Having your kids at home all day will most likely increase the amount of cleaning that needs to be done in your home. What can you do? Well the option that makes the most sense is to enlist your children’s help as much as you can, depending on their ages. This will help teach them a sense of responsibility and make them more conscious of the messes they create. In addition, you might want to check out flylady dot com or other organizational sites to develop a system that will allow you to do quick surface cleaning daily and deep cleaning by zones on a schedule. If it is feasible, hiring someone else to do the cleaning for you would help considerably.
Cooking - If your family has gotten used to you preparing gourmet meals three times a day, you are going to need to make some adjustments. Your time to cook may be rushed or at least limited to a specific time frame. You will need to plan well and, when possible, do some of the preparation in advance. Many busy moms take advantage of meals that freeze well, can be prepared in a slow-cooking crock pot, or taste great as leftovers. Don’t worry; you will still have plenty of time on the weekends and during breaks to make those favorites that take a little bit more time and effort.
Workload - You might find the life of a teacher to be quite exhausting. Depending on the style of homeschooling your family has adopted, you may be spending hours at a time doing research, planning lessons, preparing supplies for hands-on activities, creating worksheets and tests as well as checking your students’ work. All of this can be very time-consuming and may seem overwhelming at times. Here’s the secret to your success – don’t reinvent the wheel. There is a ton of resources online, at your library, teacher’s store and among your homeschool buddies that can lighten your load considerably. Some of my favorites are edhelper dot com and enchantedlearning dot com. They both offer printable resources that you can use to make your life a lot easier. Ask other moms how they accomplished the academic objectives you are working on – experience is the best teacher.
We hope that these tips help you tackle some of the challenges that you may face do to practical limitations. After all, you are only one person. As you grow as a homeschooler, you will undoubtedly appreciate the value of a homeschool community while you feel the weight on your shoulders being lifted by another mom’s shared experience. In Part 4 we will continue to explore challenges with a focus on social and emotional concerns that you may face. Until then, happy homeschooling!
As a wordsmith, Natalie L. Komitsky optimizes the effectiveness of text to impact readers with substance and style through exceptional research, writing, editing, and project management. For more information, or to get in touch, visit: www.nkomitsky.com
