
The best tips for homeschooling. There are many challenges posed by parenting, especially single parenthood. And perhaps the biggest challenge of all right now in this time of isolation – when you are a child’s parent and a teacher too. This is a very difficult time for most people, given the difficult situation on the entire planet. And the circumstances brought us isolation and changed living conditions. It automatically means schooling as well. Best Tips For Home Schooling
Teaching at a distance or from home has become our daily routine. Most of us parents are now responsible for educating our children. It’s not easy for many to work from home and support the schooling of children.
This is the first time for all of us (I sincerely pray that it will be the last) and it’s normal, as in all other new life situations, that we need time to get used to and cope. Therefore, we understand that this is also a process and that it will be easier later. In the meantime, these are the best tips for homeschooling, based on the experience that has brought results.
The Best Tips For Homeschooling – Make It Easy For Everyone
When You Are Both: A Parent And Teacher To A Child
This is the time when you are both a parent and a teacher to a child because learning takes place around the world via TV, online, social networks, Viber, emails… Online learning for older children is a challenge, but they can mostly follow on their classes, meet deadlines, and are independent enough and ready to take responsibility and respond to the challenge. But younger children in the lower grades are not independent enough to be able to attend classes from home on their own and respond to assignments without parental help.
This sometimes for us parents means hours spent with the child or children and maximum commitment. Even if strict deadlines have to be met, if you are a single parent, have more children, the task becomes more difficult and arduous. Sometimes you think it’s too much, but there’s a way to get over it and make our kids feel like they’re not alone and have help and support at all times. We are here and that we will do our best. Sometimes that’s not enough, but there’s a solution to that too.
In the following lines, I will try to share with you a part of my personal experience and some of the best tips for homeschooling that help us, parents. Sometimes we are under pressure, unaware of the options that are offered to us, so it’s good to think about everything with a cool head and try to organize yourself in the best possible way.
The Best Tips For Homeschooling
– The most important thing is to create your “working” environment
Give children (no matter how much space you have) their work environment. It doesn’t matter if it’s a kitchen, living room, balcony, yard … But it’s important that the environment is suitable for the child and learning and that the child knows that it’s a place to work. Experiment until you find out which space suits your child best and where it’s most productive. Of course, make sure you have internet access and that your child can follow the lessons.
– Determine which type your child is – visual, auditory, night, morning.
If you can do that, you will help your child a lot. Of course, according to the appropriate way and time of learning, everything will be easier. Because having an important tool in your hands helps in creating the learning process.
– Treat homeschooling as regular schooling
Wake up the child at the same time every day and organize the time and daily schedule according to the curriculum. It’s good to know in advance the time for monitoring classes, homework, learning, lunch, breaks, games … This is good because following the schedule will lead to the improvement of self-organization.
– Organize daily, weekly and monthly plan (routine)
A detailed organization of time is very important. It gives a sense of confidence and protects you from stressful situations. Some free tools like Google Calendar can also help us a lot here. Even if some unforeseen situations occur, they are transient and you will return to your predetermined schedule again. This will greatly reduce stress and frustration.
– Avoid casual approach and relaxation
It’s also very important to forget casual behavior and relaxation, such as allowing a child to study in pajamas, lying down, or sometimes not doing homework out of whim. That way, you are not doing the child or yourself a favor. Try to remove from the environment everything that can disturb the child’s concentration and distract him from his focus.
– Remove anything that interferes with work
There are many ways to distract – Mobile phones, TV, Netflix, clutter in the workspace, toys, pets. Work in one room, try to have fast internet access, prepare all work materials, notebooks, books, spare pens, crayons…
– Eliminate physical and mental fatigue
Both types of fatigue are different but at the same time-related. Isolation is an ideal opportunity to work on healthy habits such as a healthy and regular diet, enough exercise, sleep, drinking enough fluids. Many, in isolation, deviated from the healthy path, indulged in eating and laziness, and that cost them a lot. Of course, sometimes you and your child have treats, but most of the time you take adequate care of your health. This is important because of the focus and readiness for mental effort. Introduce yourself and your child and exercises for better fitness, because it helps both immunity and mental work.
– Interference within us
This is difficult, but not impossible. Internal distractions are related to our thinking, feelings, body. A lot could be said about this because it is natural and we all have moments when the distractors work and disrupt our functioning. As long as the disruptors take precedence, there is no cause for concern. That is why we need to be aware of our thoughts and not allow ourselves to give in to the bad ones. If it’s a bad day, that’s fine, but if most are like that, then a problem arises. So, don’t go through this alone if you don’t have to, because it’s least easy when you’re a child and a parent and a teacher.
– Accept help if you can’t do it all yourself
We all sometimes run away from asking for help from the people around us. And that is a big mistake, because it’s important for both us and the children that the result is good, and there are situations in which we cannot do everything alone. That is why there are people around us who are ready to help and their help should be accepted. You will be surprised how useful and refreshing this can be. Because sometimes we are most tired of the thought that we have to do everything ourselves. And we don’t have to. Because each of us has at least one person from the environment who is reliable, responsible, and ready to be with us and our child.
– Encourage your child on this difficult journey
Do not allow yourself to put extra pressure on the children, as this will slow you down. No matter how hard it is, try to relax difficult situations with your clear but gentle attitude. Remember that sometimes just a few words of encouragement, praise, and conversation are quite enough to give children the necessary strength and wind in their backs. And physical tenderness, like a kiss and a hug, is sometimes our biggest help.
– Talk to the child
This is one of the universal tips, which does not need to be explained. And certainly one of the best tips for homeschooling. Why? Because talking to children is calming, in this way we can pass on more knowledge to them in several different ways, which no task in this world and learning can (at least at this age :)). And situations for talking and learning this way are common, and it only takes a little creativity.
Advantages Of Learning From Home:
– the teaching process can be adapted to oneself and one’s individuality
– cooperation and monitoring the work of others
– combining one’s own and others’ experiences
– saving funds intended for learning
– building a personality that is built on self-discipline
Disadvantages Of Learning From Home:
– lack of socialization
– lack of motivation
– loss of communication skills
– a feeling of self-indulgence
It’s The Hardest For The Children
As hard as it is for us as parents, it is the hardest for them, the children. Again, of course, I mean the dependent children from the lower grades who cannot meet this great challenge on their own. Locked up in houses and apartments, with parents who are sometimes impatient, nervous, and under too much stress, children do not easily cope with the new situation.
Even if they had the misfortune to have over-ambitious or confused teachers, things get worse. There are no meetings with friends and teachers at school, no feeling of belonging to the environment from which they were torn… Therefore, there is no adequate motivation and the feeling that everything is normal and natural, which is very important for children of this age.
Also, there are no outings, socializing, playing, running, especially for children (like mine) who do not have a yard, where it’s normal to relax at least a little and enjoy the air and outdoors. The tasks are lower, I have a feeling that there are more of them than ever. It’s not a feeling, it’s a fact.
Because when schoolwork and homework merge into one day when there are deadlines that must be met, pressure arises. And looking at screens has taken off more than ever. First, online learning, then online books, then online with friends, then online for relaxation. And there are additional contents, again online, which children after spending hours learning, don’t want to watch. And who could blame them for that?! That is why the best tips for homeschooling must come to our aid, and then it is easier for us to help our angels as well.
An Important Message To Parents
Dear parents (sometimes we are like octopuses, our name is multitasking), it’s up to us to take responsibility and succeed in our intention to organize ourselves and our children. It’s difficult for everyone responsible because no one will tell you how, but only what you need to do. Except for this text which through the best tips for homeschooling, brings the answer to this question.
It’s clear to us that there is too much work (much more than when we were going to school regularly, I responsibly claim that because I followed) and that all this is hard for both our children and us. The hardest thing for me was when my son was crying tired of writing and suddenly, I felt like crying along with him. But then, I count to 10, we talk, hug and move on. And it works. Every time.
I can’t say he enjoys it, but I don’t ask him to. We satisfy the form and then talk again because I think this kind of schooling brought a lot of work and little knowledge. Knowing that this second thing is more important, talking to him at any available time, I try to teach him through situations, stories, games, jokes …
What cannot be changed is best to be accepted and adapted to. Also, let’s not be strict with children and ourselves, let’s give each other time to get used to the new situation. And let’s try to stay normal… In addition to all this, we should remember that these are temporarily difficult times and that we need to endure. This will not last forever, and then we will all appreciate freedom and socialization a little more.
What Can Be Good (Result)
In the meantime, let’s pay attention to some good things that can happen in this situation. For example, all together, children and we will become more disciplined. Also, the child will learn to set goals at an early age, which can help him a lot in life. And then with that, the child becomes more independent, and we less upset and burdened. Besides, we will get to know our children even better, as well as they’ll get to know us, and that can only further strengthen the closeness and connection. Of course, the feeling of success, happiness, and satisfaction will not be absent.
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