Cultivating Calmness in Your Homeschool
When I decided to homeschool my children, I was excited by the prospects of this new adventure. I filled my days with planning, reading, and researching the best things to use so my children would have “everything they needed.” I quickly learned that my idea of “everything” did not match what my children truly needed. This led to anxiety and chaos in our homeschool atmosphere.
Since then, I intentionally evaluate myself and our homeschool throughout the year. If I’m not cultivating calmness in our homeschool atmosphere, then how much learning is truly taking place? Here are some practical things I’ve found helpful in cultivating calmness in all areas of homeschooling.
Find Your “Why”
Has your vision changed for your homeschool since you embarked on your journey? I know mine has. While my large vision has not changed, my paths have. Certain seasons of life cause us to change the course of direction in our journey.
Let Learning Happen
Whether you’re new to homeschooling or not, chances are you’ll face the temptation of trying to do everything. Sometimes we can force learning without realizing that we’re doing that.
Stop Doing Everything
Once I established why I was homeschooling, my methods and practices changed too. In trying to accomplish all the pages and activities, I was cultivating a spirit of anxiety and dislike for our homeschool. So, I sat down and listed the priorities and then let everything else rest.
Commit to Pray
We can do nothing apart from God’s strength, and that includes homeschooling. Spending time in the Word each day will cultivate calmness in our souls. Committing our homeschools in prayer will give us the freedom to relinquish it all to His control. Over time, we’ll experience a deeper understanding of who He is in our unique homeschools.
Learn to Rest
I giggled the first time I heard the term “restful homeschooling.” I have two children and work three jobs from home while conducting school lessons. I don’t rest. Here’s the encouragement I want to share with you.
Homeschooling from rest is a mentality, an approach. It’s also a process that we cultivate over time. We need to rest so we can refuel our hearts and pour into our family.
Purpose to Reflect
Reflection is an essential part of cultivating calmness in your homeschool. While we may not always have large chunks of time, we can carve out small blocks here and there. It’s important to reflect on what’s going well and not so well. When we do this, it forces us to slow down and maintain a peaceful atmosphere for learning.
When I began homeschooling, I wasn’t aware of the comparison traps. People around me and on social media were more experienced in this homeschool thing. Comparing myself to other seasoned homeschoolers filled my spirit with anxiety and unwarranted guilt.
This also led to reflection on who I was homeschooling for. It wasn’t for the momma next door, and it wasn’t even for myself. My task was to point my children to Christ from penmanship to nature study and everything in between.
Cultivating calmness in your homeschool takes patience and practice. Each step is well worth it for the glory of God. What steps do you take to create a calmer atmosphere in your homeschool?
Danielle is a former classroom teacher turned “work-from-home” and homeschooling mother of two. She now spends her days teaching her children, reading numerous books, and sharing her gifts with others. She blogs about her adventures at DanielleHope.com.
