Understanding the Need for Boundaries:

Homeschooling blurs the lines between home and school environments, creating a situation where work and personal life can easily overlap and become awkward for kids and parents. This overlap can lead to burnout, stress, and a feeling of being constantly “on duty.” Recognizing the need for boundaries is the first step in maintaining a successful homeschooling experience.

How to Set Boundaries with Homeschooling:

Establish Clear Daily Routines:
Define specific times for homeschooling activities and stick to them as much as possible. This helps maintain a sense of structure, which kids thrive on, and communicates to kids and parents when it’s time to focus on academics and when it’s time to relax or engage in other activities. 

Designate a Homeschooling Space:
Create a dedicated area in your home for homeschooling. This space should be free from distractions and equipped with all necessary supplies. When homeschooling time is over, leave this space to signify the end of the school day.

These labels can make your homeschooling space feel special

Schedule Breaks and Free Time:
Breaks are essential for kids to recharge, and recharging helps kids maintain productivity, just like recess in a traditional school setting. Add breaks into the schedule and use this time to unwind or attend to personal tasks and chores on your to-do list too.

Communicate Expectations:
Clearly communicate with your children about balancing homeschooling and life you aim for and why it is important. This helps manage expectations and reduces conflicts related to homeschooling and personal time. Keeping the family on the same page about the difference between school and life can eliminate tension.

Prioritize Self-Care:
As a homeschooling parent, it’s easy to neglect self-care amidst the demands of teaching and managing a household. Make time for activities that recharge you, whether exercise, hobbies, or simply quiet time for yourself. You must get out of the house regularly; changing your environment can help recharge you.

Seek Support:
Don’t hesitate to seek support from other homeschooling parents or join communities where you can share experiences and tips. If possible, delegate some homeschooling responsibilities to others in your household or consider co-op arrangements with other families. This eliminates a lot of the burden, gives you great opportunities to get ideas from other families, and of course, gives your kids a fun experience also!

Make sure you label your kid’s stuff for days out to avoid lost, mixed-up stuff!
Setting boundaries is not always straightforward, and challenges may arise along the way. Be prepared to adapt your approach and remain flexible in scheduling and expectations. Remember, the goal is to create a balance between homeschooling and personal life, fostering learning and well-being for everyone involved. 

After all, you likely started this journey to find the values in academics and home life and create a good-quality, rewarding life for you and your kids. Finding the right balance is a process that evolves over time. With patience, perseverance, and a commitment to your family’s well-being, you can create a fulfilling homeschooling experience for everyone involved.

Check this out for more homeschooling tips.

The post Balancing Homeschooling and Life; How to Set Boundaries appeared first on The Mabelhood.

Because, you know, we’re living in a pandemic and it’s back to work and trying to keep things ‘normal’ and not panic our faces off and do all the things while worrying about our jobs and waiting on the vaccine / worrying it will give us rickets (it won’t, don’t @ me) and not letting our eyes roll right out of our heads when someone says they’re doing ‘dry January’  and constantly answering questions like ‘hey mom, is a hot dog a sandwich?’ or ‘hey mom, would you rather fight a bear-sized duck or a duck-sized bear?’

It’s a lot.

Texting someone a random word instead of adding it to your grocery list is super minor in the grand scheme. And on top of everything else, there’s school. ‘What’s going on with school?’ the grandparents ask every time we chat.

‘Pancakes’, I’ll tell them.

My kids’ schools keeping emailing us surveys regarding our “intentions” with regards to remote and/or classroom learning, as if we have a choice. And I keep filling them out saying YES! ABSOLUTELY YES! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SEND THEM BACK! But then nothing happens until the next survey comes home.

And this got me thinking: imagine if the schools started asking us truly honest questions about how we are managing. Imagine if the school boards started admitting they are as clueless as the rest of us in terms of what the future holds. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?

I imagine those surveys would go something like this:

Dear parents and guardians,

The purpose of the following survey is threefold:

1. To bury you in useless paperwork because we miss doing that and it makes us seem proactive
2. To collect random data we have no intentions of acting on
3. We’re genuinely curious as to how many of you have completely lost the plot

Kind regards,

The institution formerly known as your child’s school (IFKYCS)

1. If in-school learning becomes possible, will your child return to class?

1. Oh f**k yes
2. Oh hell no
3. How quickly can I drop him off? Are you open now?
4. Where is the school again?

2. If you plan to send your child back, what are your reasons?

1. I’ve had enough of his shit
2. He got new clothes for Christmas so….
3. Um, I already have a job
4. Math is hard

3. If you plan to keep your child home, please share your reasons

1. Her legs have atrophied
2. The house isn’t going to clean itself
3. I haven’t emptied her lunchbox since September
4. I’ve given up

4. What subject is your child currently enjoying the most?

1. YouTube
2. Social isolation
3. Toe lint removal
4. Making hamster mazes

5. How would you describe your child’s learning style during the pandemic?

1. Mostly sobbing
2. No pencils, only crayons.
3. If it ain’t on the iPad it ain’t happening
4. Learning?

6. Where does your child prefer to work when she is at home?

1. Hanging upside down off her bed
2. Splayed out on the couch, watching soaps
3. Under the dining room table, in the fetal position, next to me
4. Remote learning?

7. How prepared are you for your child to learn from home for the rest of the school year?

1. I hope you’re joking
2. Yes I’m prepared but his teacher will have to wear a mask when she comes over
3. How much does it cost to move to New Zealand?
4. Just kill me now

8. Which of the following aids would help your child learn at home?

1. Reliable high-speed internet
2. A crayon sharpener
3. Anyone but me
4. We are beyond help

9. Which of the following aids would help you support your child’s learning?

1. Alcohol and/or cannabis
2. A panic room
3. Toilet Paper
4. Essential Oils

10. Who is your primary source of emotional support during these trying times?

1. Amazon
2. My pajamas
3. Simon from Bridgerton
4. Siri

11. How often do you feel completely overwhelmed?

1. Hourly
2. Daily
3. Only between midnight and 11:59 pm
4. Since approximately 2007

12. What, if any, non-academic interests is your child currently pursuing?

1. Among Us
2. Extra-loud YouTube videos
3. Roblox
4. Annoying the ever-loving crap out of me

13. What is the most serious challenge facing your family over the next several months?

1. Coronavirus
2. Climate change
3. World Peace
4. Bathing

14. What are your goals for the upcoming semester?

1. Not to get fired from my real job
2. Not to kill anyone
3. Transition teaching duties to Big Bird
4. Remember the passwords to all forty-seven of my kids’ online learning portals

15. What has been the most rewarding part of supporting your child’s learning?

1. Day drinking
2. Spending more time with the dog
3. Rewarding? Hahahahahahahaha
4. Pancakes

The post The Real School Survey Every Parent Should Be Filling Out Right Now appeared first on The Mabelhood.