Keeping Your Child Motivated During Homeschooling

As social-distancing measures continue and with no end in sight, children all over the UK continue to rely on homeschooling as their main learning experience. This has meant that many children (and parents) will start to experience some form of ‘homeschooling fatigue’.

In this article, we offer ideas which will allow you to freshen up learning and keep education easier on your children, resulting in a more productive learning experience.

Take breaks

Taking breaks is essential to maintain focus and learn new things. It’s best to schedule breaks throughout your homeschooling day to avoid overwork or fatigue (every 30 minutes to 1 hour is likely to work well). It’s also important to factor in days (or even a week) off into your homeschooling calendar. At school, children are used to working towards the next half term or 2-week holiday, which increases their motivation as they have something to ‘look forward to’. Try to mimic this feeling at home by working towards your next day off.

Prioritise

When homeschooling, we may need to lower our expectations for how much work will be completed. Prioritising key areas to work on and focusing on quality rather than quantity can help prevent fatigue.

Try relaxing learning ‘rules’

There may be certain boundaries which were set up at the start of homeschooling which could be relaxed at certain times to keep things fresh and enjoyable. For example, would your child like to listen to music whilst they work? It may even be useful to have certain times when your child has total freedom to learn what they like, as long as they show you something they have learnt. Allow them some independent time to research what they would like to, with the only instruction being that they need to tell you what they did.

Have confidence in yourself

Teachers do a wonderful job and they’re experienced. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot to offer, too.

You might well have acquired teaching skills in your work without realising, for example by explaining protocols and procedures to your colleagues. Moreover, you know your children better than anyone else. Chances are you already know what motivates them and what excites them. Use this to your advantage and tailor your approach accordingly.

Buddy up with other parents

Join forces with other parent friends to share any online learning discoveries you make. Start WhatsApp groups to discuss schoolwork questions and concerns, or, if you've decided to continue with home education, check out home education groups online or in your local area. They can be a great source of information, provide learning and socialisation ideas for kids, and even share resources and equipment to support your new venture.

It’s OK to have bad days

Finally, remember that homeschooling is hard for both parents and children. Everyone is likely to suffer from stressful days when they’re not quite at their best, and that’s OK. It’s best to accept that this is part of homeschooling life and simply lower expectations on these days.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected], we will be more than happy to help.

Sharan (JS Tutoring)