You might be feeling rather lonely right now. Finding yourself way behind in the middle of the school year isn’t something you really want to share with others. Or if you do, they probably don’t understand how off track you really are. But you know it. Your children are depending on you to keep it together and get it done right. What are you going to do?

 

Well, you’re going to face the situation, make a plan and get through this.  😍  You can do it! Here are some suggestions.

 

Identify your problems and challenges

 

In order to correct your current course, you’ll need to identify your obstacles. You can use the “think sheet” (above) for help with this. Clarifying these challenges won’t instantly fix them, but it can get you thinking about what to do from now till the end of this school year. It will also help with planning in the future.

 

What are your main challenges?

 

• Too tired/exhausted most days?

• Can’t keep up with curriculum?

• Children won’t settle into study mode?

• Unrealistic goals?

• No concrete goals?

• Life gets in the way?

• Family hardship?

• Not organized?

• Other?

 

Possible remedies

 

Once you discover, recognize and/or admit the cause for getting so far behind, then you can come up with solutions and start getting back on the trail.

 

Here are some ideas for the above challenges:

 

Too tired:

 

Do you need more sleep? If so, what is keeping you from sleeping?:

 

• Does sleep need to take higher priority (sleep instead of watching Netflix, reading an extra chapter of that luscious novel or grazing in the kitchen)? For some (ie: me!) this takes extra discipline. Once the kids are in bed you’re finally free from questions, needs and distractions. Sometimes late night is the only time available for working on projects or just plain relaxing. But if staying up a little too late becomes a habit, chronic tiredness will probably be the result.

 

• Do you need more exercise during the day? Exercise can be fun (think dancing or walking with a friend) and nearly always makes you feel better and improves sleep.

 

• Do you have trouble relaxing at night? Can you find solutions for that (yoga, no blue light  1 hour pre-sleep, calming bedtime routine, black out curtains, natural sleep supplement)?

 

• If a baby or child wakes you each night, can you and your partner troubleshoot/share the burden? Can you find ways to help your baby acclimate to day and night? Here’s a helpful article about that.

 

Your health:

 

• How’s your nutrition? If you are tired all the time, you may be low on essential vitamins or minerals. You may need to revamp your food consumption (less processed food, for example).

 

• Do you need a health check up with your health care provider? There could be underlying issues causing your tiredness (such as iron deficiency or decreased thyroid function).

 

Can’t keep up with curriculum:

 

Since you are behind in your homeschool studies, curriculum choice could be a reason. Why is it difficult to keep up with your set curriculum? Is it too complicated? Too many resources or teacher manuals to get through? Is it too vague and you’re not sure what to do each day? You’d like to explore a different method?

 

 Go over to the Lost in the Forest page for a long discussion about curriculum and what to do about it now that you’re in the middle of a school year.

 

Children won’t settle into study mode:

 

 Well, they are children, so you have to expect some of that. There’s always that fine line between discipline and drudgery. For instance, we can tell our children it’s time for math, and if it’s completed by 9:30, there will be a snack break for 20 minutes. OR, we can tell our children it’s time to do math whether they feel like it or not, and if it’s not done by 9:30 they’ll get an additional assignment. Each scenario includes leverage, but if I were a kid, I’d take the first example. 😉

 

Maybe your children are geared for a more hands-on approach to education than you are currently employing. Or conversely, perhaps they find hands on education to be tedious and would thrive if using workbooks instead. Understanding (and accepting) learning styles can make a big difference in your homeschool experience.

 

As your children grow older, there is more work and self discipline required. Your child might need your help with strategies on how to accomplish this. It can be frustrating to continually hound your scholar to do the work, so perhaps some creativity in rewards/consequences need to be employed. If you Google “how to get your kid to study,” you will find lots of suggestions. Try some!

 

I’ve discovered that my goals/plans aren’t realistic:

 

 There are so many fantastic resources and opportunities available, it’s difficult to make choices and we often choose too much. If you are trying to do too much, figure out what can be omitted for this year. At this point, if you are adhering to a set school year schedule, your options are limited. You probably need to stick to basic skills (reading, writing, math) and look forward to next year for enrichment.

 

I didn’t start off with concrete goals:

 

If you don’t know where you’re headed it’s easy to get lost. If you didn’t start off with firm goals, you could wander through the whole school year with little to show for it.

 

When you think about how far “behind” you are, what bothers you most?  Write these things down to help guide you in setting some goals.  For instance, if you feel badly about your child still not knowing their multiplication facts, write this down and set a goal as to how that can be accomplished this school year.

 

Do you have a set curriculum to follow? If not, do you have an idea of what your child ought to be learning this school year?

 

Figure out what you wish to accomplish this year, then make a plan and follow through. Even if you’re 3/4 through the school year and have accomplished very little, it’s still not too late. There’s no time like the present to find your way back to the trail.

 

The point is, you don’t have to feel lost anymore. Once you decide what you want your children to learn (goals), you can make some plans and get going to attain them. If you can’t reach every goal this year, next school year, you can pick up where you left off and continue to make progress towards your destination.

 

Life gets in the way

 

I think we can all relate to this sentiment!  The key here, however, might be that “school” and “life” should blend. A lot. After all, homeschooling is a lifestyle. So I guess it would be good to think about what you really mean when you say that “life” gets in the way.

 

If you are going through an unusual time in your life (an illness, moving to a new city, etc.) then, yes, plans will be altered and education might take a back seat. However, if “life” means you never have time to educate or facilitate the education of your children, then you might need to take a hard look at your priorities. And you might need to make some important adjustments. Either take some things off of your to-do list, or take home education off of your to-do list, or rearrange your days so that you can do it all. It’s up to you to make those decisions. But the….excuse….that life gets in the way may be a signal that you need to make a firm decision: will you homeschool or not? Homeschooling isn’t for everyone in every season. Maybe homeschooling isn’t the best choice for this year? That’s ok! Just decide one way or the other and make the needed adjustments.

 

Family hardship

 

This is really tough: illness, difficult pregnancy, loss of employment, psychological crisis…..all of these things can bring disruption to even the best plans. If something major has caused homeschooling to disintegrate, this is understandable. A question to consider is will it be best for your family to start anew and get back on track together? Or is that pressure too much and alternatives should be looked at. Only you know the answer (and it might not be a clear answer, unfortunately). Some families will fare much better if they all hang through it together at home, while others will find benefit (emotionally and educationally) if children are educated in a different setting. It doesn’t have to be forever: just until you are through the crisis.

 

Not organized

 

Oh baby!  Organization might be the biggest challenge in homeschooling! Fortunately, there are lots of “born organized” moms who have figured it out and have advice to offer.

 

First, I invite you to read chapter two (Chaos Prevention) in my free e-book, Five Essentials of Homeschooling for ideas that have worked for me. Beyond that, go online and find organizational tips from someone you can relate to. Find suggestions that seem doable and then……do them!