Have you ever had a good case of the homeschool blues?  I don’t mean the kind where you have a bad day.  I mean the kind of homeschool blues that make you want to throw in the towel and quit altogether.  Please tell me I’m not the only one who has been there!  For me, the blues seem to multiply during the winter months.  It seems like we are constantly snowbound or sick, and the lack of adult interaction makes me a little crazy!  However, I have developed a few tricks to beat the homeschool blues so I thought I would share those with you today.

Learn to Expect Them

This is my number 1 tip.  Know that the homeschool blues will come and be prepared for them! For example, I know February is always a REALLY bad month for us.  What do I do?  I schedule an entire week off school.  I know some people will say that they don’t “waste” their weeks in the winter, and while it’s true that sometimes the weather is less than stellar, this is a mental health week for me.  We spend the entire week just having fun.  We might take in a movie, visit a museum, or just make lots of slime.  Whatever we do we STEP AWAY from the actual work for the week.  I KNOW it’s coming so I make a plan long before the homeschool blues arrive.

(Related Reading:  Managing Homeschool Chaos)

Break Out of The Routine

I thrive on routine, but sometimes it can be my downfall.  Doing the same thing day after day can easily make you insane.  The homeschooling life is routine by nature, but that doesn’t mean you are stuck with the same ole same ole.  Change things up a bit!  Add in a new subject, rearrange your schedule, or change your school location.  Maybe you could have backwards day, hat day, or get dressed day.  (You know, the opposite of pajama day, haha.)  The idea is to just do something different.  If you are bored then it’s likely that your kids are too!

Change your Outlook

How about instead of seeing time stuck inside as a curse we see it as a blessing?  For example, “man think of all the work we can get finished, this really puts us ahead for summer.”  Maybe even “I love all this family time, it gives me time for all those extra fun things we have wanted to do for so long now.”  The truth is, we live in a fast-paced world, so MAYBE the slowdown time isn’t such a bad thing.  It’s all in your perspective.

Know that this too shall pass

I know it SEEMS like it’s never-ending, but eventually, spring will come.  Sometimes it’s good to visualize the end.  What do you plan to do for summer?  Maybe make a visual that keeps everyone going.  How about a countdown to spring?  Pinterest is FULL of super cute countdown ideas that you can make.  At least that way you can see the time ebbing away.  It won’t last forever!

So there you have it, my top tips for beating the homeschool blues.  Do you have anything to add?  Are you looking for a community to spend those long days with?  Come join us at our Facebook group, Happy Healthy Homeschool Moms.  We host challenges, share great information, and seek to encourage one another on our homeschool journey.  You don’t want to miss it!