What To Do When You Feel Discouraged As A Homeschooler?6 min read

Homeschooling is one the most challenging jobs but, at the same time, it is a brilliant educational choice one can make. Moreover, it has plenty of benefits. But, kids can usually get discouraged due to even minor problems.

Sometimes, what happens is even after everything is well planned, things just don’t work out the way they were planned. So, therefore, we are here to tell you about some things you can perform or practice which would help you to cope with the feeling of discouragement while being a homeschooler and would also help in lightening your mood.

One of the most effective strategies to get through difficult times and feelings of discouragement is to reconnect with your sense of meaning. This is known as “The Bridge of Resilience”. Consider the Bigger Why for whatever it is you’re working on and finding difficult.

However, we have come up with some of the best tips for you to cope with the feeling of discouragement as a homeschooler or when you start finding your homeschool boring.

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE FEELING DISCOURAGED AS A HOMESCHOOLER

1. Learn something new

Learning a new skill is one of the most effective ways to keep your brain away from the feeling of any kind of discouragement. It presents you with fresh and fascinating tasks that will not only help you improve your critical thinking, problem-solving, brainstorming, and other skills but will also keep you engaged all the time. You’re always on your toes because your neurological pathways are active and operating. We don’t know what else may be a valid incentive to learn new talents if this isn’t it.
Learning new things can never be unworthy and boring. There are many such things which you can explore and learn that can be fun as well as productive at the same time such as learning a new language, learning a new skill, and many more. Learning new things keeps your attention strong and prevents you from being discouraged as easily. Doing the same things over and over again can easily get tedious, but acquiring a new skill breaks the monotony cycle and keeps boredom at bay.

2. Take a pause

Pause for a moment. Take a day off. Sometimes it is beneficial to be forced to take a break from climbing the success ladder. Put your teacher mindset on hold and focus on being present with your kids. This would help you as well as the kids in getting encouraged despite the feeling of being exhausted. Whenever you feel like you have started getting the feeling of discouragement, stop and consider taking a day off to gather up your thoughts and get back on track with all your energy. Putting your schedule aside for just a day would not cause you anything but keeping yourself busy while taking your mental health for granted can affect you and your children both.

3. Adopt a new hobby/pastime

Because a homeschooled student’s life revolves so much around completing duties and tasks on time, he may neglect to communicate with others. Hobbies will not only provide him with a break but will also encourage him to interact and socialize with others from all backgrounds.
The fact that your child goes to the park and makes new friends with other children will help him develop compassion and empathy for others. Also, there are plenty of productive hobbies out there that would encourage your kid.

4. Start playing games

There are numerous amount of board and card games that can help the kids with math and language. These games would not only increase the productivity but would also increase their creativity level and would also encourage you towards studying your subjects. Some of the most fun yet productive games for the kids are puzzles, snakes & ladder, go fish, memory, bingo, and many many more.

5. Take a walk

Sometimes all we want to do is go out of our homes, leave the work and enjoy the scenic view outside while gathering our thoughts. So, go for walks. Either it is early in the morning or late in the evening or whenever you get the urge of coming out of your home, just go for a walk and you will feel a difference after coming back. Your heart would feel a little light and your thoughts would be more organized and this sense of feeling would lead you the path of feeling more encouraged and less discouraged while being a homeschooler.

6. Do not be afraid of failure

The first and foremost reason for being discouraged while being a homeschooler can be that you have a fear of failure. Almost everyone strives for success while avoiding failure. That said, many times the road to success is paved with lessons learned from previous mistakes. It wouldn’t be wrong to suggest that in order to be successful, one must be willing to fail.
However, for some people, the fear of failure becomes such a powerful psychological threat that it outweighs their desire to succeed.

7. Create something for yourself to look forward to

It has been agreed by many experts that having something to look forward to is one of the major keys to happiness. It can be in any way like, scheduling your future plans on the calendar beforehand, planning a vacation, planning a social gathering, or anything that makes you happy. This way you will be able to neglect the feeling of discouragement even while being a homeschooler and you yourself would feel the difference within you and would feel happier.

8. Do not compare yourself

Never compare ourselves with others. I repeat NEVER. Focusing on other people in a comparing manner is a surefire, 100 percent definite method to become discouraged. This is because we are USED to seeing their achievements, successes, and strengths. We examine what others possess and what we lack. We can see why they are superior to us. We become discouraged and feel sorry for ourselves when we do this. We don’t perceive their challenges, worries, setbacks, or failures as easily as they do. As a result, don’t do it. It isn’t motivating. Don’t make comparisons. We’re on a one-of-a-kind journey. It’s GREAT to be inspired by others, but if hearing someone else’s tale makes us feel inferior, we should just focus on our own journey.

Above, we have compiled a list of the greatest strategies for you that would help you in dealing with the feeling of discouragement as a homeschooler or when your homeschool becomes monotonous. It is okay if you start getting discouraged while homeschooling because you have so many tasks on your plate to complete and when things do not work out, there is a sense of discouragement that comes from within. Therefore, these activities would definitely help you in feeling encouraged enough to get back on track.