Wow how crazy is it right now.
I have gone from being a mum ready to build an online business with the extra time I have with my kids at school to one having to homeschool! And parent full time again.
There are so many things that have changed and so much I could write about being at home all together as a family for maybe the first time ever. However, the main thing on my mind right now is homeschooling.
Trying to homeschool
I’m trying to homeschool but it’s tough.
As someone who was a teacher, I feel like I should have an advantage but I don’t.
We are given work from the school which sounds like it should make it easier, but it doesn’t. They give us a ton of work! So many activities and it is a full-time job making sure just one child gets it done. Add in another child, usual parenting work and me trying to work and it’s a nightmare.
I’m finding it very stressful.
I also feel like it’s not socially acceptable to complain about this. Like I’m not being a team player. It also seems like no one wants to admit out loud that no one can actually do this and work at the same time. And that being with family 24/7 with no escape is like being a weird type of prison where ongoing torture is ok.
Things I am trying
I am trying as many things as I can think of to try to make this work for my family.
I get my kids to help me plan schedules for our time. They read through the school work with me and work out when we should do what. We have enrolled in some online classes that they are interested in (although this mostly seems like a fail at this point as they are frustrated with having to do them when they come around).
I have tried us all sitting together versus apart. The kids keep fighting over my time. They ask for help when I don’t think they need it as a way to “win” against the other one.
Honestly, it was so much easier teaching a classroom of kids my own materials. Especially as it’s much easier to get other people’s kids to listen to me!
So what’s next?
I am not sure. I dread how long this will go on for.
On the upside, my kids are young so I am not too worried that they will get badly behind. My main worry is that we will all end up traumatised from this experience.
I feel like I just keep trying different variations of activities, times, how I manage my time and hope that somehow it will work out.
Although in the back of my head I keep hearing Einstein say “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”. So I’m probably acting insane by trying to make things better.
But if I don’t try, I lose hope and if I lose hope that we can get through this ok?…..
I’m finding this is also a great time to get the kids involved in some chores around the house and help teach them the value of money Click here links to read my tips.
Suze is a stay at home mum who works on building her own business while making a side income from surveys.