Do you often find yourself wondering how you can homeschool as a single parent? You may have scoured the internet for a single parent forum that advises you on the same, to no avail. Well, you’re in luck.
Here’s an easy and succinct guide on how you can achieve homeschooling as a single parent. Remember that no guide is a substitute for your own knowledge and experiences. Molding this guide to your own benefit is something only you can do.
Here’s how single parent homeschooling can work out;
1. By Going Easy on Yourself (and Your Child)
There’s a reason many parenting blogs emphasize positive parenting. Positive parenting styles allow you to get down to the child’s level and try to understand their emotions. It helps you go easy on the child and cut yourself slack if you make mistakes.
Being a single parent is already hard. You don’t need the added burden of perfectionism. Understand that you will make mistakes. This can help you return to each homeschooling day or activity with new gusto.
2. By Planning Ahead
Single parent homeschooling works just as well as homeschooling done by two parents. However, the better you plan, the easier it is for you to homeschool. Any single parents forum would tell you to arm yourself with everything you need before diving into homeschooling.
Don’t worry! You are just as well-equipped as any other parent. All you need to do is define a curriculum and gather everything that you require to teach your child at home. You may also need to plan the timings and set aside some time for homework.
3. Through Positivity
It is important to understand why you are homeschooling your child. Once you understand your aim, such as ensuring your child gets the best education, you can begin to set yourself apart from other parents.
Stop comparing! You have your own set of hurdles that you need to deal with. Try to compete with yourself by improving your own techniques without unnecessarily comparing yourself with other parents.
4. By Visiting a Single Parents Forum
There’s a reason parenting blogs are so popular with parents and why some parents spend a considerable amount of time on parenting forums. Here, they can brainstorm ideas with other single parents and understand where they are going wrong.
Visiting forums that include other parents struggling with the same issues is important. This can help you find solutions to unique problems or share your advice. It can also give you the confidence you need and a sense of community.
Parenting Questions can be that silver lining you need. With their never-ending list of parenting blogs and a space for interaction, you can find a solution to all your parenting problems.
5. By Asking for Help When You Need It
It is important to ask for help when you need it. Help doesn’t mean giving up. It means rising to the occasion and attempting to make the best of a situation with your limited resources.
If single parent homeschooling is getting too hard to handle, it is always a great idea to get some help. This can come in the form of a mother, grandmother, or any professional who can guide you on the same.
6. By Creating Your Own Rules
Trying to do everything as it is done in the classroom is a recipe for failure. You must recognize the power of homeschooling and how it is different from the classroom for a good reason. You don’t need to copy the classroom curriculum to win!
Most parenting blogs will advise you to get rid of those old classroom techniques and adopt many of the new ones becoming popular nowadays. You might also need to get creative as a single parent as you may not always be able to give time to your children.
Take advantage of how convenient it is to homeschool your children. Have a fixed amount of classes you need to take in a month, but feel free to switch it around at your convenience (or your child’s). Take a mental health day, or let your child take one if required! Education should be something they want to return to, not a forced activity.
7. By Getting Creative
Start getting creative with the curriculum. There’s no one way to teach your child everything they need to survive in the world. You can teach a child sums by having them bend over a piece of paper, or you can take them to the local market and have them calculate the final bill.
You could also hold classes outside in nature as often as possible. In fact, combine your classes with physical activity as that can trigger muscle memory which helps them remember with much more accuracy later.
Help your child discover the wonder of education and how it exists all around them instead of confining them to a restrictive space.
8. By Quitting Everyday
Okay, so we don’t mean quitting homeschooling altogether. But there is great fun in giving up sometimes and giving in to exhaustion. Some days, you may not want to feel like homeschooling, and your child might be too drained to continue.
It is important to quit for the day, wrap up everything, and do something different. Allow your child the break they need, and allow yourself to kick back and relax. You deserve a break every once in a while and the chance to do something outside of homeschooling. Seize the day!
Final Thoughts
Single parent homeschooling can work if you put your mind to it. In fact, it is often much more straightforward than homeschooling planned between two parents. This is because there is just one cook, and they definitely can’t spoil the broth!
