Last week we started my 12 tips on handling those “less-than-perfect” homeschool days. Since it’s near the holiday season, I am following my own whimsical rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas with “The 12 Days of Homeschool.” If you missed the last post, click here. Also, enjoy the fun printable of my little ditty that’s at the bottom of this post.

Today we are covering days seven to nine.

Seven Kids in P.J.s

Sing with me, “On the seventh day of homeschool my children gave to me, seven Kids in P.J.s, six missing textbooks, five pot-ty breaks! Four messy room, three toddler tantrums, and a headache that lasted ’till three.” Ok, we’ve all had those days where everything runs behind schedule, including the simple act of getting dressed.  I wouldn’t worry too much about this one.  Call me a softy mom, but during the cold winter months of homeschooling in Ohio, I allowed the kids to stay in their warm pajamas until mid-morning. We enjoyed being snuggly through our first few subjects, which included a lot of reading anyway.  After that, real clothes were required. (This rule went for me, too! No robe past 10:30 am. You never know who’ll be at the door.)

And in the fall and spring, when it wasn’t so cold, I would include “getting dressed” on our chore charts.  Speaking of chore charts, though I ran a fairly relaxed homeschool, I also married a man who liked our home neat and tidy. So, I did my best to stick with morning chores, and a 5 o’clock pick-up time at the end of the day. To prevent chores from becoming too mundane, I found that I needed to rotate our approach to chores frequently.  About every 3-4 months, I employed a new method.  Be it a sticker list, a whiteboard, or a scribbled list from mom, we mixed it up.  My favorite method was a pictorial chart by “Choreganizers”, which you can still find online. It’s great for elementary-aged children.  (Click here for “Choreganizers.”)

Eight Dawdlers Dawdling

“On the eighth day of homeschool, my children gave to me eight Dawdlers Dawdling . . . ” Every family seems to have that one child that works a little slower than the rest. Despite the apparent inconvenience this adds to your day, a dawdler may have other strengths that you really should commend.  For example, some dawdlers are dawdling because they are bored with routine and bursting with creativity.  Allow this child to work outside of the box! Give them a whiteboard instead of a piece of paper, or chalk for the driveway instead of a 3-ring binder.  Other dawdlers are dawdling because they’re working below grade level and find their work pointless. Keep that child challenged with more work (not less.) And then some dawdlers are dawdling because they are pacing themselves for the long run. I had one of these. We nicknamed her our “crockpot” student. She took a long time to warm up for school in the morning, but once she got going, she outperformed the faster students who rushed through their work.

Of course, some dawdlers are simply lazy or guilty of manipulative behavior to gain some attention from you. Take notes about when and where your regular dawdler is dawdling to determine if the situation requires discipline, a timer with consequences, or some creativity on your part, as described above. Most dawdlers are not dawdling to push your buttons. But they do with their snail-like reflexes to your instructions! When mere patience is required, be encouraged by Revelation 2:19.  The Lord said, “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.”

Nine Gals a Prancing

“On the ninth day of homeschool, my children gave to me nine Gals a Prancing . . .” I say, let them prance! And dance! And move! Squirming and fidgeting is part of being a child. On more than one occasion, my son dribbled basketballs while I drilled him on spelling words. He also hung upside down from the kitchen counter overhang while doing math facts!  Kids want to move.  Kids need to move.   We do better to work with them than against them on this one.

However, I did break my own rules with one of my children.  You see, there was one of the three who liked to roam as a tactic for procrastination! (This is the one we nicknamed our “crock-pot” student.) So, there was a time or two that I laced a “seatbelt” strap across her chair in the kitchen, just to keep her put! Now, this was done with fun and love. She agreed to it because she knew it would help her focus and get started. And at any given time, the seatbelt was easy to unbuckle and something she could do herself. It was more of a mental reminder to sit and get busy, and it worked! She still talks about it today–and is a healthy adult who is studying for a Master’s Degree!

So, let them prance and dance and squirm when you can throughout your homeschool day. But have some fun, healthy guidelines to help the roamer stop roaming and the prancer stops prancing – when he or she needs to focus.

 I’ll be back soon with my last three tips!

Enjoy my free printable!