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5 Ideas to Turn a Bad Homeschool Day to a Good One

by Tina von Hatten

Having a bad homeschool day? Here are some simple ideas to turn it into a good one! 

Idea #1: Stop and pray together

Prayer always works. It may not work in the way we imagine it to but it works every time! 

How does prayer help?

  • It helps with mom’s attitude first. “But I’m not the one who needs help? It’s the kids!” I couldn’t agree more! Kids can be really lazy and unmotivated at times. But mom’s attitude can change the environment in the house.

When we respond in frustration with already frustrated kids, it becomes a war! Moms, we need help with patience. And most of the time, it’s impossible to get it all on our own. This is why prayer helps. We need the Holy Spirit’s help. Remember the Fruits of the Holy Spirit? Patience is one of them.

  • Prayer can help calm a kid down.
  • Prayer can change a kid’s attitude in the same way it changes ours.
  • This is a great opportunity to teach your kids about praying for others and its importance. If you are homeschooling siblings, you can ask the siblings who are not struggling to stop and pray for the kid that is struggling. Powerful!

Idea #2: Take a break

Sometimes kids just need to take a break. A 30-minute break will help calm their minds from feeling overwhelmed. 

Make sure they know that you are only taking a few minutes break. If you don’t, they will think that school time is over and would not want to do more. They will throw a tantrum instead. 

You will be surprised how much you needed that 30-minute break yourself. 

Here are some tips on taking a break:

  • Give them the option of how long the break is to be. For example, “Would you like a 10-minute break or a 15-minute break?” Kids love it when they get to decide. So when the 15-minute break is over they can happily return back to work. It works in our house all the time. 
  • Give them options on what to do during the break. They can either choose a snack, play outside, lay down to rest or play with a favorite toy.
  • Snuggle time! Sometimes, kids just need extra love from mom. They need to feel secure and loved especially when they feel like they are not smart enough to finish their work. Mom’s hugs are powerful!

Idea #3: Grab more coffee

A nice cup of hot or cold coffee is your treat. Say a little prayer on your way to the kitchen for wisdom and patience. 

Make yourself a coffee and tell yourself, “I can do this!” 

A little motivation with coffee goes a long way. 

Make it special. Put extra whip cream on it. Use your favorite cup. Imagine yourself somewhere else as you take that first sip. And then go back to teaching. It works! 

Idea #4: Change the plan

Don’t be afraid to change the plan. Especially if you’ve already done ideas 1, 2 & 3 and it is still a bad homeschool day.

Here are changes you can make:

  • Turn it into a park day. Bring a picnic and a few books. You can do homeschool at the park! This is one of the reasons why homeschooling is great. You can take your classroom anywhere! 

My kids loved this idea every time. They helped packed for the picnic and they gladly chose books and worksheets to go along with them to do at the park. They instantly felt more relaxed and happy to learn. 

  • Forget the worksheets or homework. Spice it up with arts and crafts time instead. 
  • Play a board game. There are a lot of board games you could get that will teach kids fun lessons. We’ve used Candy Land to learn colors. We played Uno to learn numbers. We used Jenga for learning balance & coordination. 

Idea #5: Do homeschool under the dining table

Wait, say what? Yes, you can make homeschooling a little bit more fun and childish by creating a different environment. You can use your dining table to expand your kid’s imagination. They will love it! 

You can put your kids in charge of decorating. Everyone will have to agree on “location.” They can choose it to be a castle, the beach, a restaurant or the zoo if need be. 

Don’t forget to remind them that after the decorating is done, school will have to be next. They love doing school with a little bit of imagination involved. They can pretend to be a princess learning the ABC’s or a pirate learning how to read. 

It doesn’t have to be under the dining table of course. You can choose a different spot that is easy for everyone, including you. 

I hope that these ideas will help your bad homeschool days turn into good ones. Please follow my preschool – kindergarten worksheet Pinterest boards. Thank you!

Tina von Hatten

Tina von Hatten is a homeschooling mom, author, and blogger at http://underthreeacres.com. She and her husband Sascha run a small homestead with their 8 children in rural Alberta.

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