So much busywork – for mom!

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Note : This is to encourage those who are thinking of homeschooling their pre-schoolers but are feeling overwhelmed with so much busywork – for mom!
Take heart, you don’t have to fill every waking moment with educational activities. 

Over planning → Too much busywork

Lesson Plans, Circle Time, Flashcards, Reading Aloud, Phonics Lessons, Lapbooks, Arts & Crafts, Bible Memory Verses, Field Trips….. The list goes on…..

Some homeschooling moms I have come across, through emails or chit chatting, put in a huge amount of effort to ensure that their homeschool is a success. They feel the need to pack every moment in the day with educational activities. And in the process, they wear themselves out and give up on homeschooling.

Don’t be intimidated

In the beginning of my homeschool journey, I used to be so intimidated with the huge amount of stuff other moms are doing with their children that I would avoid them. Obviously, it was because I was not doing all that with my children. I felt that I was short-changing my children by not signing them up for all the educational field trips and classes.

“Oh no! they are doing all that for their 2 year old?! I am not even doing half of what they are doing with my 6 year old!”

UPDATE … Even today (2017), after graduating one homeschooler, and in the process of graduating another, I still feel intimidated by these moms and worry about short changing my children. 

It isn’t sustainable

But experience tells me that the huge amount of work these moms put in is often not sustainable in the long run. For those with more than two children, it isn’t even sustainable in the short term!

Mom ends up running herself ragged trying to fit everything into the day, on top of daily stuff that needs to be done. And soon mom feels like giving up since it is just too overwhelming. And we are talking about just the pre-school, kindergarten years!

Why the busywork?

Mom needs to ask herself WHY she is doing all these things. Is she trying to replicate school in her home? Seriously, that is just not possible. Schools have an army of teachers, each specialising in one or two subjects. We have to teach all the subjects. Plus, teachers do not need to worry about meal planning or wiping up after a toddler. But mom has to juggle many roles.

Or is mom trying to follow some other homeschool mom whose family situation and/or dynamics is different from hers? Perhaps in that family, dad or even grandpa is very hands-on, so that she has someone else who can help to send the child to and fro from the activities while she tends to the baby?

And honestly, does the pre-schooler need to have so much cramped into his day?!

My advice to those who are contemplating homeschooling your pre-schooler but are feeling overwhelmed?

Focus on the basics and then add in the extras when you can

Decide what YOUR basics are.

Psst … Mine are being able to read and being able to do simple maths.

Sure, plan for the extras (arts and crafts, field trips….) so that you won’t forget to do them but don’t worry if you just can’t.

Once you get the hang of having your child at home and teaching him the basics, you will find that can add in the extras easily.

But don’t try to do everything at the get go. Both you and your child need some adjustment to the homeschooling lifestyle. You also need to give your child a chance to practice what he has learnt instead of being bombarded with new stuff all the time. The brains need time to process things through. And repetition is very helpful.

Give your pre-schooler plenty of free time to be bored!

Yes, let him be bored so that he will learn to find things to do on his own. There is no need to entertain your child all the time. If he has siblings, then he needs to learn to play with his siblings. That is educational too! Getting along with people is a very important life skill!

Please, I am not saying do not do all these fun and exciting stuff with your children. If you love doing all these stuff and more importantly your children enjoy them, then please continue and go ahead with what you are doing. You are doing a great job!

But if you are feeling the pressure to perform and do a song-and-dance each day just because you think that is necessary just because some other people are doing it, you may want to re-think how you do your homeschooling.

Have structure but be flexible

Personally, I have tweaked and tweaked and am still tweaking our homeschool. It has been challenging to add baby #6 into the mix last year and teaching 2 in primary level. I have reduced my expectations and cut back their work load (which was already very light to begin with!) while we adjust to a baby that is crawling everywhere and needs to be near mom all the time. No point to pile on the work when I can’t clear it fast enough. We are doing more real alouds and being more relaxed in our homeschool.

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(UPDATED July 2017)

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