The way to make sure schoolwork gets done

Written by Purva Brown of The Classical Unschooler

Our family falls off the homeschooling wagon sometimes. I know that might come as a shock to you.

Homeschooling moms have an innate ability to assume that everyone else is more disciplined than their own family. So let me disabuse you of that notion immediately.

Everyone falls off the wagon sometimes. (There. I feel better already.)

It happens for different reasons, of course. Sometimes family outings intervene. At other times, it is just someone being sick. These are things we cannot control.

But sometimes, school does not get done for reasons we can control. That’s what I’m here to talk about.

The B-word

Boredom is real. Most of the time, it’s a good thing. It motivates children to truly find things to do that they like and it helps to be grateful for times of rest as well as work.

However, boredom can strike homeschooling moms as well. And this “b-word” can be a hindrance to ensuring that we make progress in our homeschool on a regular basis.

It’s that season when many of us tend to think about buying curriculum for the upcoming school year. Can I encourage you to consider boredom as you do?

You may think that getting schoolwork done is a matter of discipline and, sure, there’s some of that, but I think most of us have a handle on discipline.

What we forget as moms is to temper that discipline with passion.

So before you buy any curriculum, ask yourself these questions:

• Does it excite you?
• Do you really want to learn more?
• Do you think you will look forward to opening this book and learning – right along with your children – two months, five months, a year from now?
• Does it draw out something from inside you?
• Does it entice you? Or are you just buying it because it fits?

If any of the above is a “no,” put it back and look for something better.

I remember that as a child, I always got a thrill from my new books each school year. I would lose myself for the next several days looking through all of them (well, all except math!).

Now I realize that the rush I felt as a child was not just at something new that smelled divine. I was truly excited by the promise of learning something.

It was my passion for learning that had me undoing the strings on the brown paper wrapped textbooks and opening them up months before school began. That was the key. 

It wasn’t about discipline. It was about excitement and passion.

If we let those guide our homeschool planning, the rest will fall into place naturally!

If you’re considering creating your own curriculum for the upcoming year–so you can maximize excitement and passion–check out my new book: Create Your Own Homeschooling Curriculum: A Step by Step Guide.

A passion for learning and discovery is the only surefire way to get school done. The only way to know that you will come back no matter how many times you stray.

Don’t give it up – not for your children and not for yourself.

How do you stay passionate and excited while homeschooling?