Five Ways to Recover from a Bad Homeschool Day

We don't like to talk about our bad days. It's not uplifting. We see all too clearly how desperately we need grace. Bad days poke at our insecurities. But bad days there are. Here are five ways to recover from a bad day of homeschooling.

1. Laugh
One of the best ways to rebound from a bad day is to find the humor in it. We may never giggle about certain situations, but Jane's photo about how some homeschooling days are made me smile. It's rarely fun or funny in the moment, but it may be hilarious in the light and mercies of a new morning.

2. Seek Forgiveness and Forgive
When I lose my cool or say something I shouldn't, I find I want to stay there. I sulk for two reasons: 1. If I let it go, it reminds me that I should have done that in the first place, and 2. I have to ask for forgiveness. I hate that part. It knocks my pride and is awkwardly uncomfortable. But it's also the best way to resolve conflict. It gives us opportunities to reconnect with the people we've wronged.

By the same token, if one of your children wronged you, forgive them. Forgiveness lets us move on. Don't let bitterness ruin another day. As one who is still learning to forgive, I know how this can be hard.

3. Take Advantage of Your Homeschool's Flexibility
In other words: Take a break. You control your schedule so if a subject has you pinned to the floor, just stop. Don't do it today. Pick it up again tomorrow... or next week. You can't do this forever, but walking away for a spell can work wonders. Some days require that you go outside and play.

4. Look to the Future
Your kids will not remember any of this.

That's good news. If they learn, from you, how to forgive and move on (see #2), they won't bother to keep memories of the bad days. In fact, they're not likely to remember most of the details you teach them. This initially feels disheartening! But one of my high school teachers reminded me that the big ideas, life lessons, and habits of thought are far more important than all the facts and figures I would forget from his class.

Today, I don't think I remember a single detail he taught me. But I'm absolutely better for his teaching.

The daily lessons aren't nearly as important as how your children develop. There will be gaps in their education. But if they have learned to love learning and are growing into the person God wants them to be, the meltdown over spelling words snaps into perspective.

5. Don't Believe the Lies
It's easy to get burdened by a bad homeschool day because we believe things about homeschooling that simply aren't true. Take a moment and revisit the five myths homeschool moms believe. We know these are myths, but the false messages can still creep into our minds. It's good to be reminded of the truth.

How do you recover from a bad day of homeschooling?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Guardian