10 Common Homeschool Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Homeschooling is an incredibly rewarding journey filled with flexibility, creativity, and learning. But let’s be honest, there are a few common homeschool challenges you’ll need to overcome.
Since we’re homeschooling an only child, we don’t face sibling rivalry challenges, but we do have to think about socialization, independent learning, and dealing with burnout. The good news is that it’s totally possible to keep homeschooling fun and engaging whether you’re teaching one or many.
The important thing to remember is that you’re not alone. We all face many of the same struggles and find ways to overcome them. Let’s explore common homeschool challenges and find practical solutions to make the journey better for the whole family.
Common Homeschool Challenges
Let’s break down common homeschool struggles, find ways to navigate them, and overcome our challenges together. Here are 10 of the most common homeschool challenges and how I navigate them.
Staying Organized
There’s a lot to juggle when you’re homeschooling! Housework, lesson plans, activities, and more. It can quickly become chaotic.
One way I stay organized is by embracing the flexible chaotic life that is homeschooling and focusing on our routine rather than a strict schedule. For example, we aren’t morning people, so I don’t schedule challenging tasks in the morning. We always follow an interest-led approach to homeschooling, so having flexible homeschool planners with a checklist format makes it easy for me.
Following a strict schedule would be too rigid. I’d go crazy. That’s why we follow a loose routine that fits our natural rhythm. Check out our homeschool routine to see a day in our homeschooling life and get ideas for your journey.
Dealing with Burnout
We often invest so much time and energy into homeschooling that we forget to take care of ourselves. That’s why finding time for self-care is a common homeschool challenge. If you’re dealing with burnout, I want to encourage you to ditch the homeschooling mom guilt and make time for practical self-care.
Grab my comprehensive guide to self-care to get tips on prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical self-care so you can be the best version of yourself. Plus, grab a printable list of 100 simple self–care ideas for homeschool moms. It’s filled with some of my favorites including affirmations, dancing it out, and coffee breaks.
Lacking Motivation
If you’re lacking motivation to tackle homeschooling right now, you’re not alone. We have all been there. Sometimes it’s because we feel burnt out and sometimes it’s because we’re trying to homeschool when mom is sick. Whatever the reason, there are ways we can keep learning together as a family even when all we want to do is lie on the couch.
Don’t miss these tips for interest-led learning when you lack motivation. If you feel like ditching the superhero mom myth and embracing a more relaxed version of homeschooling, my tips will help you adopt interest-led learning in a whole new way!
Managing Screentime
Screentime isn’t all bad. Screens often get a bad reputation in the homeschooling world, but embracing them can lead to amazing discoveries! However, if you’re struggling to manage screentime, I recommend trying a few of these homeschool mom hacks:
Socialization
Socialization is a common homeschool challenge. Many times, there’s nothing to worry about. If we’re talking about socialization versus connection and what matters most, I always choose connection.
Sometimes socialization can be a real concern. Whether you’re worried about creating opportunities for your children to socialize with peers or trying to find ways to prioritize connecting with other moms, it can become a homeschool challenge you’ll need to overcome.
If you’re homeschooling an only child like us, try a few of these resources for socialization opportunities:
- Co-Ops
- Library Activities
- Online Classes
- Homeschool Days
- Girl Scouts / Boy Scouts
- Parks & Recreation Sports
Balancing Homeschooling and Housework
Balancing homeschooling and housework is a homeschool struggle that’s difficult to overcome. When your living room and kitchen table double as classrooms, things can quickly get out of hand. I’d be willing to bet this is a homeschool challenge we’ve all dealt with!
Getting everyone involved in housework can help. I’m a big fan of turning on music, setting a timer, and having everyone do a quick 10 to 15-minute power clean together. It’s the perfect brain break to sneak in a little extra cleaning time.
Another way to stay on top of housework is to encourage independent learning throughout the day. When our kids are engaged with independent learning, we can sneak into the kitchen to empty the dishwasher or fold a load of laundry. It’s an easy way to stay on top of daily household chores.
Lack of Independent Play
If you’re homeschooling an only child like us, you might be challenged by a lack of independent play or study. Since our kids don’t have siblings to naturally encourage them to engage in activities independently, they gravitate toward us to be their playmates and study partners.
Independent play is something you might be struggling with if your kids have an age gap too. They may need extra encouragement to practice. Check out my list of the best single-player games for your homeschool to get some ideas for activities that encourage independent learning and play. As a bonus, many of these games encourage logic and critical thinking skills.
Facing Criticism
Another common homeschool challenge is facing criticism. Homeschooling families sometimes face questions and criticisms from friends, family, and even strangers. Facing the pushback can be stressful, so it’s important to remember your reason why.
Remember the reason you chose to homeschool and keep it at the forefront of your mind when you’re facing any of these homeschool struggles. Then, remember that it’s all about your child’s education and keep following their interests, passions, and curiosities. Finally, reach out to other homeschool moms for support and encouragement.
Curriculum Overload
Do you like looking at new curriculum and resources? It’s easy to get sucked into the latest homeschool curriculum email or catalog. Be careful, sometimes all the window shopping can lead to curriculum overload.
Remember to choose resources that work for your unique child. Skip bright shiny all-in-one curricula filled with promises if you know it’s something that won’t work for your family. Finally, don’t be afraid to switch off the social media feed filled with shiny new curricula if it’s stealing your contentment.
Preparing for High School
We all want to prepare our children well for high school and higher learning. Sometimes the thought of planning high school credits and college admissions can feel overwhelming.
I recommend trying not to get stressed out too early on and doing research to prepare. If your child is in kindergarten, you don’t have to worry too much about preparing for high school just yet.
If you’re close to homeschooling high school years, research the topic and talk with other homeschool moms to gather information and educate yourself so you’ll be prepared when the time comes. Grab the ultimate guide to learning year by year from preschool through high school to get ideas and a checklist to help you navigate your homeschooling journey.
Homeschooling comes with a few challenges, but we don’t have to navigate them alone. Every family faces obstacles from planning to managing household chores to answering the socialization question. With the right mindset and helpful resources, we can overcome these common homeschooling challenges.
If you’re looking for more encouragement and support for homeschooling parents, check out The Waldock Way Facebook community to connect with other moms and find more helpful resources to manage homeschool challenges along the way.