Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, then again the same is true of conventional schooling. Regardless if your littles are homeschooled or not, these 7 homeschooling hacks will benefit you! Also, some of these homeschooling hacks are relevant even if you don’t have kids at all. 😂 Read on to see what I’m talking about.

 

#1 Have the atmosphere do the teaching

Whenever Cam and I are doing mundane things, like folding clothes or preparing food, we generally have some audio on. It’s not just any audio, but intentional audio. Be it NPR or a foreign-language radio station, we always have something that can increase Cam’s education on.

 

#2 Constantly educate yourself 

As parents, we all want more for our children than we had; and I’m not just talking about physical things. In an attempt to help cultivate little people who are better versions of ourselves, we as adults should constantly be increasing our knowledge base. There are two main reasons for this. This first is to obviously pass on the knowledge that we’ve acquired. Children are sponges who soak up everything and often imitate what they see us do. The second reason why we should constantly educate ourselves is so that they can witness and imitate us fostering the habits of curiosity, discovery, and the love of learning.   

 

#3 Have predictable morning and evening routines

This area is one of my biggest pushes for me and Jo. Because Camille doesn’t go to daycare, it’s so easy for routines to fall by the wayside. It’s pretty common knowledge that routines can significantly reduce stress but there are other benefits as well. Young children’s security and comfort is really tied to having structure and predictability in their lives. Having routines can help teach our littles time and time management – skills that will prove to be exceptionally important to them later in life.   

 

#4 Simplify meal times

It might be the New Yorker in me but I really cannot commit to routines that are not efficient and quick. As much as I enjoy the act of cooking, I do not make large meals regularly because the cooking and clean-up time can be too time consuming. I spend about three hours on Sunday to batch prep my meals and snacks for the entire week. This same concept can easily apply to parents as well. If you are someone who enjoys cooking but perhaps the shopping for ingredients is time consuming, subscribe to a meal subscription or grocery delivery service. I have friends that have not gone grocery shopping in months and it saves them so much time.   

 

#5 Develop a Homework Hub

One of my co-workers and friends has a three-year old daughter who recently started receiving homework from her daycare. I absolutely live for the photos that she shares with me of her cutie doing her homework. 😍 Homework hubs are great for corralling materials and holding kids accountable for work completion. I suggest having a whiteboard in your homework hub where assignments for the week can be documented. This serves as a visible accountability tool and to-do list for kids. I also suggest having a homework caddy at your hub. This is a total time saver because it cuts down on the time it takes in searching for homework materials, while simultaneously keeping everything organized.   

#6 Read to your kids

We all know to do it, but how easy is it to get burned out and let the consistent reading with our littles whittle away? You’re intelligent and can do the research, but the quick and dirty on this is that there are so many benefits of reading to your kids, ranging from the obvious increase in academic and language proficiency to relationship building, self-confidence, stress-relief, and even potential decreases of some mental illnesses. Make this a priority each and every day. Schedule regular library days to increase the exposure of content and increase their engagement in the reading process.

 

#7 Take breaks to build productivity and creativity

This may sound counter-productive, but the science shows that when we take regular breaks our focus increases and our exhaustion decreases. The World Health Organization recently recognized that burn-out is an official “occupational phenomenon.” One way that burn-out can be combated is by taking regular breaks. Although our little ones aren’t clocking in at a 9-to-5, kids need regular breaks too. Taking time away from formal schooling can increase their social-emotional skills, boost brain function, lower stress, and increase creativity. 

 

These 7 homeschooling hacks aren’t the be-all end-all of homeschooling hacks, so take a moment and share your fave. homeschooling hacks that aren’t here! I wanna know what I don’t already know!

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