Raising Happier Homeschooled Siblings5 min read

Perhaps when you first started homeschooling, you pictured your children cheerfully participating in activities such as reading, cooking, gardening, and learning. In your imagination, your children would be ecstatic to have more time to spend together, and your family would become a model of connection.
Your bubble will eventually burst. Children are children, and most siblings fight at least occasionally. Depending on gender, personality, and personal circumstances, some siblings fight more than others. It takes time and hard work to teach your children to get along, but you may gradually guide them toward harmonious living.

However, we have provided with some tips that may help your children get along really well while being homeschooled and hence, would help you in raising happier homeschooled siblings

Allow breaks

Since homeschooling can be chosen by those families that prove to be dissatisfied with standardized school settings, allowing children frequent breaks would let them learn at their own natural pace, thus lessening the academic stress that plagues pupils and students worldwide. Socialization should also be a priority for parents of homeschooled children, considering that schools are the prime example of a socializing environment for young people. Encouraging children to play sports and the like would compensate nicely for that.

Favor hands

On approaches over mere theoretical lectures. It should be the private teacher(s)’s choice, but, in case a parental figure or a relative is, in fact, also the teacher, pondering over what kind of learner the child is and their general aptitudes can drastically improve the overall homeschooling experience. An example would be conducting basic science experiments to explain chemistry, and a walk in the park would allow children to experience biology or geology concepts first-hand. More theoretical approaches should come into play only after the child has the gist of it all, rather than force-feeding notions and expecting immediate understanding from them. Involving the community would also have a good impact on the child: learning from the masters, for example, interviewing a lawyer, an architect, a baker, and so on the specifics of their job could help the child gauge what their preferred career path could be in a more organic way than, say, in public school.

Designated learning space

This suggestion is related to establishing a structure for your children’s learning routine. Your children will be able to enter into a learning mentality faster if you can find an area where they can work on homework together every day.

Create spaces dedicated completely to your children’s tasks if at all possible. If you don’t have the necessary space in your home, any table or desk with open space will be sufficient. What matters is that you use the same location every day. This would help the kids to build a happier relationship with themselves with fewer fights and more understanding.

Daily schedule

Because of the devastation, it may cause your mind and body, stress is sometimes referred to as the silent killer. While a timetable won’t completely eliminate stress, scheduling your plans will assist.
A schedule assists you in defining your priorities so that you can spend the appropriate amount of time on the appropriate chores of homeschooling. It also serves as a reminder of any upcoming deadlines for your schoolwork or assignments. Knowing this, you can schedule enough time to meet with them. Furthermore, it keeps your task from becoming a gigantic and overpowering roadblock that you fear you’ll never be able to overcome.

Stress is also contagious. When you’re frustrated, it’s easy for your feelings to transfer to others, such as your kids. If not handled, this can lead to a toxic homeschooling relationship with your kids. Having a timetable for all of your duties will allow you to focus your time on the ones that are most important to you, in which your children should be your first priority.

Parental alone time

When children’s parents’ eyes light up for them, it is obvious to all the children. It is a priceless moment to them that tells them how important they are in a single glance. The reality is that in a family with autism, a parent’s eyes are more often drawn to their sibling’s urgent demands. Brothers and sisters are aware of this and are learning, but they may secretly wish that more attention was paid to their interests, accomplishments, and problems.

There are a few things you can ask your children so that you can pay attention to those things more carefully from now onwards, such as:

Inquire about your child’s favorite moments to spend with you during the day. Is it when they first wake up, after school, or as they prepare to retire for the evening?

Make time for a unique activity that you and your child can do together that will become a “regular thing.”

Avoid boredom

One of the most common causes of conflict among children is boredom. Plan your day so that your children have enough to do to keep them occupied. You may have scripture study, housework, and schoolwork in the morning. Afternoons, on the other hand, are more open for many families, and this is when fights frequently erupt. Keep a range of craft supplies on hand, as well as a large library of books. Encourage your children to participate in board games, bake cookies, or do a unique activity. Don’t forget about free time. When boys are cooped up inside for an extended period of time, they are more likely to fight. Every day, they should go outside to let off steam and get some exercise.

Take a break from the grind of homeschooling. Take a field trip, pay a visit to friends, or even go on a trip. Getting out of the house can lift everyone’s spirits. Hence, your kids will become even much closer and happier than before, which would lead them to a happy homeschool.

So, the above mentioned points were some of the tips and tricks that would help you in raising happier homeschool siblings without causing any grudges or conflicts among your children.

Conclusion

In the end, I would just like to tell you all homeschool parents to be present for your kids whenever they need you, or even when they do not because children love it when they see their parents being supportive and caring for them. They get even more motivated to work hard as both homeschooled students and as siblings to make their parents proud.