Ten tips for home school

Do you need some home school tips?

1. Do what you can with what you have. It may take a couple of days to ease back into a schedule after the holidays, so take the pressure off, and know your best is good enough.
2. Remember outdoor time. The fresh air can clear the mind, and the physical activity is great for overall balance.
3. Steer away from junk food. It is easy to give in to the kids, but opt for baking together and/or limiting sweet treats to the morning. This will help them sleep better at night.
4. To teach isn’t always to know (thank goodness). Do your best. If you don’t understand some of the work, tell your child that you will figure it out together, or get them to be the ‘teacher’ and ask them to tell you what they already know.
5. Your schedule. If you are busy with housework, or with your own work, get your child to be your ‘manager’ or ‘assistant’ and include them in your tasks – as long as they are reading, writing, creating or doing math, then you are winning at home schooling. They will see this as a game and will have fun. For example, if you are filing your tax – give them an old receipt to add up, or they can make their own receipts. For the older children, teach them about bookkeeping as you go along. Including a child in a task can be a way to keep them occupied, and avoids them craving negative attention.
6. Take a moment for YOU. If you have to schedule shower time, or a few moments to play an instrument, or have a daytime nap – and this is possible, then do it. Do not ignore the signs that your body tells you because they can save you from burning out.
7. Prepare everyone. Make sure the children know that they will be returning to school soon – check the dates on the News page! Ensure you remind them in a relaxed, gentle way each day, so they will welcome the change. Ask if they have any questions or concerns so you can be prepared too!
8. Focus on your child’s needs: If you know your child needs to work on their reading, or maths, then ensure you dedicate time to this area each day. This will be more important than anything else because it will help with their confidence when they return to school.
9. Enjoy October. Let’s face it, we will miss the kids when they return to school. We may not feel this now, but it’s a rare time to see how the children learn, to grab a few extra cuddles during the day and to spend more time growing together. Enjoy some of those moments before we swing back into a new routine again.
10. Growth spurts. Check your child’s uniform fits and they have their sock drawer in order. This is a job they can do – sorting, and pairing, and even mending the holes. If there are any spare or old socks use them to create fun puppets.

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