11 Tips for Homeschooling Through Life’s Challenges

1. Lean into your support system or create one. For me, this started with my faith. I did what felt impossible and carved out time each day for reading God’s word, for prayer, and often for journaling my struggles to God, using my journal as a written log of communications with my creator and savior. These times of writing often brought me comfort and clarity, and helped me to process a lot of what was going on inside of my heart and mind as life’s challenges continued to hit. I called on believing friends and asked them to hear me and to offer prayer and encouragement through each difficult situation I faced. As a family, daily scripture readings and prayer were pivotal to staying connected to each other and to the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts and guides our steps. I also called on friends to take my kids to events, or to watch them while I worked or attended appointments. I found people who could support me through what we were dealing with, who could answer questions and point me in the right direction. I started working with a counselor who could help me process and deal with and learn from all that was happening both in and around me. I stayed connected with friends and family who held my hand through it all. Having all of this support helped keep me from falling apart as the world we knew fell away, and it gave me a solid base to stand on to support my children through all of the change.
2. Make life’s moments count. This goes for both school and “non-school” activities. Look for the teachable moments in everything, and log those as school. Doctor’s visits and illness can serve as a basis for conversations and teachings in health and science. Handling big feelings, thoughts, and emotions offers opportunities to teach healthy mindset, communication and behavior practices, a great lesson for health, social studies, and language arts. Lessons don’t need to be structured or be a certain length of time to count; it is amazing how much information can be shared and absorbed in as little as five minutes. Make it a priority to be present with your children when you are in their presence, as much as possible. Whatever you are doing, be there, with your whole self, and not lost somewhere in your mind pondering over your troubles. Make it a point to spend at least a little bit of time each day with each of your children alone, enjoying their company, investing your time in what matters to them, and giving them a safe space to bond and connect with you. Try to work fun outings into each week as you can, even if it’s just a ten-minute walk together as a family after dinner.
3. Remember that “this, too, shall pass.” As life’s challenges are upon us, it can feel like life will be this way forever. Some challenges can be all-consuming and leave little room for anything else. Some can seem to swallow you whole and bring you into a great and dark abyss. There will be light on the other side. You will get through this. Better days are ahead. Hold fast to that belief and have confidence that you can get through this, no matter how impossible and difficult and painful it might be.
4. Use screens wisely. I think we have been trained to believe that screens are bad and that allowing our children to be on them is a badge of guilt and shame, at least that has been my experience. What I have learned through this season is that when screens are used wisely, they can offer a large degree of learning that feels like a treat to children. Yes, in general there need to be limits and boundaries, but screens can also be a valuable tool. Science can be covered by watching Wild Kratts on PBS or Mark Rober on YouTube. “5-Minute Crafts” videos can spawn creativity and launch your kids into creating all sorts of cool art projects. Other shows and movies can teach children how to process feelings and navigate relationships. Still more shows can teach bible verses and biblical concepts. Websites can offer free online lessons and give you “written proof” of completion of certain subject matter. Apps and games can build skills and enhance concepts. Yes, one on one teaching and reading and playing offer some of the best scenarios for learning for our children, but sometimes that is just not available for various reasons. If you can come to peace with knowing that this is just for a season, and allow screens to help you and your family, they can be a huge blessing. And be sure to let your kids know, this is just for now, during this difficult time, and when we can, we will be easing off the screen time as we find a new normal on the other side of this.
5. Create social opportunities and outlets for your kiddos. As it fits with your family and your circumstances, try to create times for your children to socialize with other children. Afternoons at the park, sleepovers or playdates at friend’s houses, weekends with cousins, outings to trampoline parks, children need opportunities to “just be kids.” These momentary escapes from the current challenging situations offer young minds a chance to heal and recalibrate, and give them a sense of normalcy that will help them continue to thrive. (ps- these are almost always full of countable school credits, too!)
6. Seek out educational field trips. There are often free or low-cost classes, tours, workshops, concerts and events that create incredible opportunities for children to both learn and socialize. Check out your local library, homeschool Facebook pages, museums, non-profits and other resources for upcoming events and happenings.
7. Get out in nature. Picnics in the park. Hikes in the woods. Summer mornings at the beach. Camping. Nature walks in your backyard. Tidepool exploration. Anything you can do to get yourself and your children outside and in nature can bring a healing and grounding effect while bringing learning opportunities.
8. Get moving. Never underestimate the power of a 3-minute dance party to transform your day. Whether an impromptu dance break, a formal exercise routine, or simply parking further from the grocery store entrance and enjoying the walk, moving gets your blood flowing and can create a sense of invigoration and life. Movement counts towards P.E. and allows for better concentration and memory.
9. Carve out time for yourself. Whether it is a hot bath, tea with a friend, or exercising, you need time on your own to take care of you. Filling your cup gives you what you need to pour into your children. It’s not selfish, it’s necessary. Give yourself moments to just be you, to care for yourself, to allow yourself to be nurtured by God, by friends, by family.
10. Keep routines. As much as possible, try to keep or create routines, rhythms and traditions in your day, your week, your month, your year. Children thrive in structure and in knowing what is coming. For us, this meant keeping our daily schedule of dinner at 6:30. Bible and school had been at 9am, that had to move to later in the day when I started working from 3-11am, but we kept the routine even as the time moved. Each week the children had been enjoying special “date” time with each parent alone, and we continued that even through all the changes. Traditions like baking Christmas cookies, making vision boards on New Year’s Eve, and watching the SuperBowl with junk food gave us footings to help get through all the hard that we were facing.
11. Keep breathing. Sometimes all you can do is just breathe. You’ll mess things up. Your house may be a mess. Your life may be a mess. Just breathe. The simple act of deep breathing can help calm your nervous system, help you feel grounded in the moment, create space in your brain for problem solving and better emotional response, and give you time to pray, even if the prayer is simply to utter the name “Jesus” in your mind. Breathing is free, and is available to you right now, wherever you are. So, as life’s challenges pour upon you, will you join me right now for 3 simple breaths? Breathe deeply in through your nose, hold it for a quick moment, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Breathe in... hold... breathe out. Breathe in... hold... breathe out.

May God bless you and keep you and guide you through whatever circumstances lie on your path.

Brandi Schunk

Homeschooling, Jesus following mama of two in Ellsworth, Maine