Episode 128

This is an episode for homeschoolers who feel stuck! It’s all about what to do when you feel stuck in homeschooling. And that just might be ALL homeschoolers at one time or another, right?!

What does feeling stuck look like for you? Here’s what it looked like for me…

Sometimes it would be feelings of disappointment in our homeschool.
Sometimes I would be trying to do too much and things would fall apart.
OR it would be feeling unprepared and uncertain about where to begin.
AND sometimes I’d feel behind with no way to catch up.

Inevitably, I’d get stuck in spinning thoughts of feelings inadequate as a homeschooler.

How about you? What are you thinking and feeling when you’re stuck?

Here you’ll find five ways to get UNSTUCK and find the peace that’s available to you right now!

Listen in, follow along with the show notes, and check out the additional links and resources. I’m glad you’re here!

Identify the Trigger

First, let’s start with identifying and naming the trigger when you feel stuck in homeschooling.

If you can identify the thoughts making you feel unmotivated or uninspired , you can intentionally choose more motivating thoughts to help you feel like you’re making progress.

Here’s an example: If you planned a map drawing activity to go with your geography lesson and your child moans and complains, this might lead to feelings of discouragement. Your thoughts might be something like “Ugh this always happens. What’s wrong with my child?” or even, “What’s wrong with me?”

Instead, maybe try on this thought: “I can think of other ways to make this work.”

You could try making a map outside in the dirt in your yard. Or drawing it with chalk on the driveway or on a chalkboard.

Instead of getting stuck, be intentional about your mindset and flexible with your expectations.

Break the Monotony

The second way to overcome feeling stuck is to break the monotony of your daily routine. Sometimes when I’m feeling bored, my brain interprets that boredom as a permanent problem and state of being. Do you ever feel this way?

A little refresh or reset can work wonders when we’re feeling stuck in homeschooling.

Here are some ideas:

Change up your environment by taking your lessons outside.
Rearrange your study area.
Incorporate a new subject.
Bring in a surprise.

Sometimes, we need to mix things up a little bit just to awaken some new energy for learning.

Find Your Inspiration

My third suggestion for when you feel stuck in homeschooling is to seek out inspiration from others on the homeschooling path.

Reach out to homeschooling communities, join online groups or forums, or listen to podcasts and read blogs from other homeschoolers.

Seeing and hearing about the successes ~ and even the challenges ~ of others can be a great motivator and help you realize that you’re not alone on this journey.

Focus on ONE Thing

My fourth tip is to set small goals and focus on ONE thing at a time.

Choose ONE thing to focus on for a month at a time. Just give it a try!

You could focus on reading or writing only for a month. Or perhaps painting or poetry or movement. Just choose one.

For me, the more stuck I feel, the smaller I need the goal to be in order to get unstuck.

Sometimes the goal might be as simple as finishing a chapter book we’ve been reading. Or completing a main lesson book entry. Or learning a new song or poem.

I often say to homeschooling parents: Scale back until it works and then build back up from there.

Celebrate What You HAVE Done

My last tip is to be sure to celebrate each little win you achieve along the way.

This will help keep you focused and motivated, and give you a sense of accomplishment as you progress through the year.

As I’m recording this episode, it’s the beginning of April. And I hear from so many homeschoolers at this time of year about their concerns that the homeschool year is coming to a close and they haven’t finished everything.

Here’s a question I got on a recent coaching call inside the Inspired at Home community:

“Another school year is coming to a close in a few months, and I’ve run out of time. Again. Do I push through in order to keep my kids on track. Or let go?”
INSPIRED AT HOME MEMBER

Here’s the interesting part of that question to me: Does pushing through even work?

No! So it’s a moot point really.

A much better alternative is look at what you HAVE done this year. Because you have done some learning!

Look at that and celebrate ~ ALL of it.

Then decide what you want to do with the time you have left. That’s it.

No beating yourself up, no wishing you were superhuman. Just take stock of where you are now. And celebrate what you have done.

What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Homeschooling?

As we wrap up, I just want to say that the truth is, feeling stuck and unmotivated in homeschooling is a common challenge.

But it’s important to remember that you have the power to overcome it. There is a way out, I promise you.

By breaking the monotony, finding inspiration, and focusing on one thing at a time, you can reignite YOUR passion for learning.

Your kiddos will pick right up on that. So you’ll be able to better connect with each other and let the learning unfold without so much stress and anxiety.

More Support

If you want loving support from a community of homeschoolers just like you, join the Inspired at Home community. Here you’ll find training, coaching, and community all in one place!

As homeschoolers, we simply CANNOT improve by feeling bad about ourselves. But how to let go of the guilt? Check out Episode #104: Let Go of the Guilt to find out how to shift the narrative.

And there will be times when our children resist! Our little loves may not say yes to every homeschool lesson we plan. There are 3 scenarios and solutions to consider in Episode #77: When Our Children Resist.

What about overthinking your homeschool plans? Welcome to Overthinkers Anonymous! There are 3 ways to stop overthinking your homeschooling & embrace ease in Episode #47: Overthinkers Anonymous.

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