Note: A Special Thank You to Our Sponsor at the End of This Post!
Seasons of life or homeschooling can leave a mama bogged down and robbed of her joy. If you have ever found yourself waking up every day dreading all you have to do, you know exactly what I am talking about.
Although these seasons are completely normal, and life’s circumstances can leave you outmatched and ready to throw in the proverbial homeschooling towel, there are simple things you can do to inspire joy in your homeschool week.
Whenever I am in a difficult season, I try to sprinkle our weeks with activities that fill our hearts with joy and make us thankful to be homeschooling.
Try to add something to your week that you, as a homeschooling mama enjoy! It can be anything that relaxes you and makes you thankful that you get to homeschool your kiddoes.
Take a hot bubble bath. Buy yourself a special box of flavored tea and enjoy a cup each day. Or even go outside for a walk during your prayer time before the kids wake up.
Find something that fills your heart with joy and make it a priority during the week.
Another way to inspire joy in your homeschool week is to do something your children enjoy with them. Even if it isn’t your favorite activity in the world (i.e. reading the same book for the 592nd time or stacking the blocks over and over so they can knock them down again), their sweet happiness having mom involved is so very refreshing.
Color with them, snuggle them, play video games with them, or let them talk on an on about their latest interest in coding or horses (even though you have no interest and can only half understand the terminology).
Let their joy fill you up!
If your kids are old enough, get everyone involved and make a special meal. It can be as simple as frozen pizza and store-bought ice cream, or as elaborate as letting the kids budget, cook, and host an entire holiday meal (no holiday needed! 😉 ).
Whatever will bring joy to your heart (and not make you break out in a cold sweat at the thought) will do!
There is something about sharing a special meal together that helps to inspire joy during even the most mundane homeschool week.
If you are like me, you are usually telling your children no WAY more than you are saying yes. No, we can’t go to the park. No, we can’t have brownies for dinner. No, we can’t go visit grandma right now. No, No, NO!
A yes day is simply a day when you make a point of saying yes to these requests. Set aside your schedule, and when they start asking, start telling them yes and see where the day goes!
If the thought of giving in to their requests freaks you out, start by having a “just because we can day.”
We are homeschoolers, and we have the freedom to go to the movies on a Tuesday afternoon or out for brunch on a Friday. Choose an activity or a place to visit (NOT a field trip for educational purposes, but just somewhere for fun!) and take a day off to go enjoy it together!
Nothing quite keeps me joyful like my time with the Lord. We all have “God-shaped holes” in our spirits that only He can fill.
Start every morning with some time in His Word. This can be before your kids are awake, while they are getting ready, or even while they play quietly.
However works best for you to spend this time, DO IT. Even just a few minutes can change your entire attitude and perspective!
Do you ever sing during your homeschool week? Something about singing inspires joy your homeschool week, even when you are all tired and grumpy.
If you need some ideas of what to sing, check out this Hymn Study with links to listen to different versions of the Hymns online.
Even if you aren’t the world’s best singer, starting the day with a song lifts everyone’s spirits and inspires joy!
Taking some time to get out and enjoy God’s creation is an excellent way to inspire joy in your homeschool week.
We have really enjoyed this Nature Study throughout the years.
The adventure of using your senses while in nature and enjoying the fresh air can rejuvenate any homeschooling day.
Have you ever heard that the best way to learn something is to teach it yourself? I have found this to be VERY true!
If you kids have an interest in something but aren’t very joyful about their schoolwork – try letting them be the teacher!
Let them read about something they are interested in and then teach you about it. Anything from frogs to funnel cakes will do.
They can read about it, tell you about it, then take it a step further and write a report, give a presentation, or do a project on it.
Frog catching or family funnel cake making anyone?
Are you sick of the laundry or the dishes got you down? Turn it into a game! Start the timer and see if you can fold all the laundry faster than they can scrub the dishes.
Turn up the music and change cleaning up a messy room into a dance party!
With a little creativity, even things like math or handwriting can be a fun activity.
Here are some more ideas to turn the mundane into fun!
A final idea to inspire joy during your homeschool week is to keep a journal of the moments you want to remember.
We are prone to forget many, many things. Even the special little things we get to witness as a homeschool mama can be so easily forgotten.
Write them down, and read them to yourself when your joy is gone or you feel like quitting – his baby belly laughs, the look on her face when she’s sounding out the word C-AAA-T for the first time, his enthusiasm when he finally “gets” the math lesson he has struggled with, the funny things they say – all which will be soon forgotten.
Write them down and treasure them.
*****
Tiffany is a VERY outmatched mama to four crazy amazing kiddoes, a Jesus follower, homeschooler, and blogger. She is the creator of Outmatchedmama.com. Her goal is to encourage and equip other
*****
Don’t miss the rest of the posts in the series!
4 Responses
constantly i used to read smaller articles that
as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this paragraph
which I am reading now.
Toni, so glad you found the tips encouraging. How exciting that you are going to be teaching your grandson! What a great opportunity for you to be an influence in his life. Hope you have a great year!
Thank you for these beautiful, restorative ideas . I am starting kindergarten with my grandson in two weeks and we are excited to begin this venture.