Surviving the Homeschool Slump

During the gloomy months of winter, many homeschool parents describe a period that some call the homeschool slump. The excitement of the holidays has long since fizzled out, and depending on where you live, the cold may be keeping you inside and making you go a little stir crazy.

No matter if you are a first-time homeschool parent or if you’ve been doing it for years, you may struggle with finding motivation during this slump, so here are a few ideas for how you can bring new life to your homeschool!

1. Take your schooling to-go.
Depending on where you live and what snow-pocalypses you may have to endure, this one might look a little different, but the idea is the same: get out of the house! Schedule field trips to museums, local service organizations, or even just to the library. A change of scenery can do wonders for inspiration during a slump.

2. Embrace independent work.
If you find that you are struggling more than your kids during a homeschool slump, embrace the wonder of independent work. To encourage the natural love of learning, consider your child’s passions, and depending on the age, assign a project that requires a little bit of work over several days to cover a topic in-depth. You can also assign independent reading to nurture a love for a particular subject.

For younger school-aged children, consider implementing mandatory alone time for play. It’s amazing the creative things children can come up with when they are given the time to become bored.

3. Find strength in your community.
As more and more things go digital, it’s easy to convince yourself that you are part of a community just because you follow a certain Facebook group, blog, or Instagram account.

While we love when our homeschool families connect with our community on social media, it is no substitute for good, old-fashioned fellowship where hurting and struggling and real humans gather together to give support, even if that means just having a moment where yours aren’t the only eyes that need to watch your kids.

Make time to connect with other homeschoolers in your area or invite family members, especially older family members, to be a part of your homeschooling. Intergenerational learning is an incredible blessing for those who have that availability.

4. Remember and refocus.
Take some time—maybe when your child is doing independent work—to remember why you’re doing this. During the homeschool slump, it’s easy to question if homeschooling was the right choice or even to give up on yourself as a teacher. Remember that you have everything you need to be the best teacher your child could ever have. You chose to homeschool for a reason. What was it? Remember that reason and refocus on the bigger picture.

If you need some encouragement or assurance that homeschooling is the best option for your child, check out our recent workshop from HSLDA’s Mike Donnelly as he makes his compelling case for homeschooling.