Secrets for Surviving the Home School Blues

November is halfway though – finally! I know that I cannot be the only mom/teacher that is looking forward to some breaks from the school routine. We have reached the point in the year where the kids are tired of seeing books and more school work. The past few weeks we have really pulled back and had some slower days. Lets be honest ya’ll – I am tired! Tired of grading papers, dealing with crying kids, and fighting through the daily struggle to get things accomplished.

We have hit the mid year blues. While there are days that I seriously contemplate putting them back in school, I have to slow my roll and realize why we are doing this in the first place. So I heave a sigh, and get ready to dive back in. Alright parents – this blog is for you! So listen up. While we are concerned about our kids, and their futures, you need to take care of you too. A tired parent is not a fun parent. My kids routinely point out when I am snarky, so I know that i need to pull back a little and take care of me.  BUT – you don’t want to completely ruin the day either. This is where you hit up the documentaries, and pull out the blankets. Get each kid, and yourself comfortable, and kick back. Watch those documentaries on history and science. Pull out the animal documentaries and learn about species that are in other countries. Grab a musical and let the kids listen to the different types of instruments that are present in the movies.

We have our “mental health” days. There are times that I am tired of the struggle that each of my kiddos decides to go through (cause if one kid has to poop, they all have to poop – at the same time), and the many excuses that they will find to NOT get anything done. While not strictly book learning, we are using an out of the box method of teaching. I have curriculum, but digging into the kitchen and baking (math), experiments with toys and other items (science and art), and more, we are still learning. The hands on learning can make more of a impact at times, than just reading the material. We have even had days where we do “Home Ec” all day long. This is usually their attempt to clean their room, while I work elsewhere in the house.

Parents – take some time, do art all day. Relax. When you are upset, your kids will not learn. Keep calm, have a movie day, and throw the books to the wind. This winter season is perfect for a few lazy days, and your kids will work harder to get to those days. The spring semester will be upon us soon enough, but close out the fall semester with some laughs and fun memories.

*featured photo from Homeschool Snark*