11 Smart Hacks for When You Need to Reset Your Homeschool Day
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Get practical tips and suggestions for when you need to reset your homeschool day.
Find out why you may want to restart your day - and how it can actually help you enjoy a more successful homeschool experience for all 🙂
Feel Like Your Homeschool Day Is Getting Out of Control?
When you're having "one of those days" in your homeschool, that yellow bus probably looks pretty tempting.
There are SO many reasons why you may feel like throwing in the homeschool towel! If you've been homeschooling for a few days or years, you're probably familiar with at least one of these scenarios, like:
- You wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Everything seems off and nothing seems to go your way.
- Your kids are not listening. You've called them to your homeschool area about 53 times but they're off playing with toys.
- You keep getting interrupted. Either by your kids, someone at the front door, or a distracting notification on your phone.
- Someone (or everyone) can't focus. It's like you're in your own little worlds, without a clue or care as to what's going on in your homeschool.
- A big "episode" occurs. (Meltdown, freak out, tantrum - whatever you call it in your family).
- Your kids want to keep jumping down rabbit trails of learning. But, you want to stick to your checklist/plans/curriculum. (Or vice versa - mama wants to wander and kids want structure).
A quick look at all of those examples and you can easily understand the frustration and overwhelm.
But, there's light at the end of the tunnel! You can reset your homeschool day - and still enjoy a successful learn at-home experience 🙂
It's perfectly normal to occasionally need to reset your homeschool day. In fact, it's actually quite smart. Because all of you are humans and have "one of those days". When you're working with a group of people, even if (well, maybe that should read especially) those people are family, you're going to have times when emotions boil, energy sags, and everything seems off.
Let's look at when you should reset your homeschool day, when to power through, and smart hacks to help you push that reset button, if necessary.
5 Questions to Ask Yourself If You Should Reset Your Homeschool Day
When I feel our homeschool with 5 boys getting out of control, I find it helpful to ask myself these 5 questions to help me determine if we could all benefit from hitting the reset button. I use these questions to gather information and figure out if we actually need to reset our homeschool day.
**Feel free to tweak these questions to best fit the needs of your family 😉
1. Is there an energy situation going on?
Often, our #1 reason for needing to restart our homeschool day is energy levels related to sleep or hunger.
First, I ask everyone when they last ate and what they ate. Our responses can help me gauge if a healthy snack or meal is required. (And also give me great input in terms of our nutrition and growth spurts for the boys!)
The next question focuses on sleep. We chat about what time we all went to bed, how we slept that night, and how we felt when we woke up.
2. What types of moods are we dealing with?
With 2 teenagers and a tween, the mood roller coaster can have some steep dips and sharp curves. And mama can get quite moody herself 😉
No matter what ages or stages, we all can get moody. Instead of ignoring those feelings, it can be helpful to identify and sort them out.
Without judgment or sarcasm, openly talking about your observations (and listening to your kids) can help you determine if moods are an issue.
3. Is someone not feeling well?
I have a few boys that aren't always aware of when they aren't feeling well. They're just like their mama!
They will just keep pushing through, even if it means laying their head down on the table or nodding off during a read-aloud.
At those times, I need to make some smart observations and go with my gut 😉
4. Is frustration tolerance at a low?
Perhaps it's just one of those days when nothing seems to go right. A pencil point breaks. A paper rips. Water spills on books.
5. Are distractions getting in the way?
Depending on all of the above, it doesn't take much for distractions to get in the way of enjoying a successful homeschool day.
A tree branch hitting the window. The dishwasher swishing water. Your dog barking at the leaves rustling around your yard.
After you ask yourself these 5 questions, it's time to figure out if you could benefit from a reset to your homeschool day.
A reset doesn't have to take a lot of time or energy. And it can be an awesome self-awareness activity!
To Rest Your Homeschool Day or Not?
Before we chat about those smart hacks to reset your homeschool day, you may have this important question that I'd like to address:
Should you ever just power through?
Sure! If your gut (intuition) is telling you to power through your day, give it a try. If you continue to experience resistance, back off and try one of the suggested hacks.
If you think it will be an important life lesson for your kids (and you) to power through (like working on growth mindset skills like resilience), go for it.
Or maybe you have scheduled time off in your homeschool due to a vacation or new baby. You may find it better to keep working if it will help you relax for those special events.
**You know your kids and yourself best. I'm merely offering these ideas as inspiration for your homeschool success 🙂
11 Smart Hacks to Help You Reset Your Homeschool Day
Before you reset your homeschool day, I suggest that you:
- Get centered (grounded). It's time to calm down and focus on what needs to be done at that moment. (If you need a few ideas for this type of quick self-care, check out this list).
- Get clear on why you're resetting your homeschool day. Talk with your kids about why you're using one of these hacks - what your goal is and how it can help.
- Remove the materials when the issue started, if possible. Clear away anything you can that sparked the problem.
1. Change where you are
Move to a different room or area of your house. Sometimes, simply picking up your next homeschool subject in a different area can turn things around.
2. Get some fresh air
If at all possible, go outside. Breathe in some fresh air and feel the sun (or whatever weather you're experiencing that day) on your skin.
3. Get up and move
Sitting still for too long isn't good for anyone!
Put on some music and have a dance party.
Or you can use this super fun fitness game with cool prompts.
4. Enjoy a snack or meal
Take a break from homeschool work for some food and drink. Great ways to recharge and feel refreshed!
5. Try a hands-on activity or project
Work on a jigsaw puzzle or craft. Take out some Thinking Putty and give your hands a fun workout.
6. Watch an educational video or show
It can feel so nice to sit back and just soak up some amazing learning. My boys and I switch between Amazon Prime Video and Curiosity Stream for cool ways to reset our homeschool day.
7. Listen to an audiobook
Another Milcic family favorite is to turn on an audiobook that we can enjoy together. Such a fantastic time to engage in an activity to help us feel better at that time, like cuddling on the couch, stretching out on the floor, or working on an invention.
8. Play a game
There's something so special about taking out a card or board game. Old favorites can work wonders when you need to reset your homeschool day. But, it's also a fabulous time to break out a new game to figure out. and enjoy.
9. Pick out a homeschool fun activity
Bookmark this Ultimate List of Homeschool Fun Activities for whenever you need creative and easy ways to boost your day 🙂
10. Brainstorm homeschool fun activities
Start working on your homeschool fun bucket lists! Use this break to brainstorm a list of all the homeschool (and family) fun activities you'd like to do this year.
11. Get something done
Sometimes, you just need to feel productive, especially when it feels like nothing is going right.
Do a chore. Get a small project done. Pick something simple like making a bed or putting away laundry.
You'll feel a sense of satisfaction that sparks a renewal of interest in your homeschool day.
Remember: it's perfectly natural to have to reset your homeschool day from time to time.
What's important is that you do it with awareness and intention 🙂
I truly hope that these suggestions and smart hacks help you successfully reset your homeschool day when necessary. It's absolutely no fun to have "one of those days". Sending you positive vibes that these hacks work for you 🙂
Please share your ideas and hack in the comments area!