One Powerful Homeschool Hack that will Save your Sanity

Is your heart crying in your head, “Help! Homeschool…”

Are you, frantically searching for all the tips tricks, hacks, and curriculum for your precious kids? Their education rests on your shoulders, right?

The Secret to Being a Better Homeschooler Isn’t What You Think

As a new homeschooler I subscribed to EVERY homeschool blog I stumbled upon, spent hours and days searching for the best educational activities for my kids while they watched hours and days of tv. (cough)

I couldn’t figure out why I was sleeping less, my anxiety was on the rise and I wasn’t enjoying my kids as much as I daydreamed I would.

And then I figured it out.

DO THIS NOW:
Take a quick look at your inbox, including promotions if you’re on Gmail.
When you see any email that adds even the slightest bot of stress, pressure, or gimmicks instead of peace, joy, and useful hacks you can happily add to your homeschooling family,
unsubscribe.

I struggle with the fear of missing out too, but when we remove ourselves from ALL the homeschool lists and blogs and curriculum providers lists, we gain just enough breathing room to begin to relax.

You need to remove yourself from every single list that bogs you down, makes you sped too much money on materials your kids will never use, and makes you a grumpier version of yourself.

You know what?
If I’m stressing you out, that means unsubscribing from my emails as well.

Oh, you only need a few voices speaking to your heart from a place of calm confidence.

More isn’t better.

[Action #1]: Set a calendar reminder. Everyday sit and unsubscribe from EVERY list that doesn’t resonate with your life, family, vision. Do this over a hot cup of wonderful and close the screen when your cup is empty.

My list of “I’m never unsubscribing from your blog ever” voices is super short. Only two bloggers write in a way that make me devour every words they write:

• Jamie with Hands-on As We Grow
• Kelly with Happy You, Happy Family

The same is true for homeschooling lessons, standards, activities, units, and curriculum.

Over the course of your homeschool journey pause often and look around at your home, your family, each child, and that stack of textbooks, workbooks, science kits, history timelines, and math quizzes that haunt you and make you feel like you’re ruining your children’s education because those THINGS are left undone.
Unsubscribe from those as well.

Box up everything that stresses you out about teaching and put it away for a solid month. or forever.

Then breathe.
Inhale, then exhale.

Look at your kids.

• Watch them.
• Observe them.
• What do they do all day?

Evaluate the things that need to be unsubscribed from their lives and help them do it.

Related: Homeschooling with Grace and Confidence

[Action #2]: Set a calendar reminder. Everyday 4-6 months Set aside ALL “school looking things” for a full week. All textbooks, workbooks, tests, quizzes, and glitter. everything. Breathe. You’re a homeschooler. Go to the park, zoo, museum. Pop some popcorn and binge watch National Geographic shows or black and white movies in jammies.

More isn’t better.

• We all begin with grand expectations to read, bake the food we hear about in the stories we enjoy and dig out the glitter to make something amazing with our kids… …only to trade the adventure with a dry article in their reading curriculum about a kid named Bjazhda from Bismark.

• We all take the sidewalk chalk out of our kids hands as they spell out their name in big crazy letters, pull them out of the sun with tales of “fun awaiting on the other side of our front door, and plop them at the table (without a snack) to show them how to properly write their full name in cursive with a perfectly sharpened #2 Ticonderoga pencil.

Choose wisely.

Which side of the front door holds the BEST learning experiences for our kids? You get to choose where your kids spend less time. Inside or out. This will be different for your family and mine, but one side of the door feels more like a prison, the other feels more like an adventure. Choose adventure!

Print this free homeschool mom reminder.

This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it!

Here is a sneak preview…

Download Your Free Printable

1. Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas!
2. Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
3. Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.

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