Managing Everything & homeschooling?

There is two ways of looking at this. The first way (which you will hear many people say) is that you don’t differentiate homeschooling to your everyday life. You don’t isolate homeschooling as something separate from your daily duties. That sounds fantastic doesn’t it? How does that work practically? This is why homeschooling isn’t one fit for all.

On occasion this can be applied but not for everything. For example, some may incorporate English and Maths when going to the shops or reading signs etc. This does not work for me as my main source for teaching. They are great opportunities to consolidate learning but I prefer following a curriculum as for certain subjects I would like internationally recognised qualifications should we migrate. I also find that writing, using visual aids and focused learning is needed to reinforce certain points when learning. There are many parents who do not do formal or focused learning and that is their choice but it may not work if you plan on qualifications or with the Local Authority. This is also age dependent!

So one of the challenges for many of us is having more than one child and homeschooling. When you have multiple children it can be very hard to focus or actually be able to physically teach. This can require some planning and effort. Here are some ways you could try to manage this:

• Occupy the other children with an activity or perhaps even a basic version of what their sibling is learning. If they are all being homeschooled then you would just be teaching each child in accordance to their age and ability.

• Try and save toys or things that excite them when it’s out and that way you can use it when you really need to focus.

• If you have different rooms or a garden, try and take the learning elsewhere to make it distracting or exciting for the younger ones to be focused on their own thing.

• Ask for help - if you have access to friends and family who can help then try and see whether they will step in to teach the odd occasion or look after the younger ones.

• Homeschool groups/co-ops - they can be great to take the pressure off you and that way you’re guaranteed learning on those days.

Wife & Household duties

This can sometimes be on hold or a struggle for many women. After spending all day with the children, cooking, cleaning and teaching you then feel too exhausted to be a wife. However, as Muslims we know that this is also an important duty. This is why managing things before we get to exhaustion is important. It is important to note that some days will be exhausting no matter how hard we try. We just have to communicate it.

Here are some ways to manage the household duties:

• Batch cook or make meals that will last a few days.

• Get the children to help with chores, use timers and make it fun.

• If your husband is able to help then share some of the jobs.

• Allocate a day or time for deeper cleans.

Not getting household chores done sometimes is ok. The children aren’t small for long and the older they get the more time you will have for chores! Chores will always be there but how much they need you in the early years is important and eventually they won’t need you as much!

Self Care

This is a separate topic in itself but it helps with all of the above. To be able to perform your best you need to be at your best mentally and physically. We should strive to eat well and exercise to keep ourselves healthy. We need all those feel good hormones and vitamins for our mind and body. This should be a priority for us, Allah gave us our bodies and we should not abuse it. It will help us to worship Allah.

Self care can also be allocating some me time where you do some skincare, read a book or go out for a coffee. It doesn’t have to be every day or every week. Even once a month will do you good. The last thing we want is to burnout and it impacting everyone around us.

Seeking Knowledge

Seeking knowledge is an obligation for us and as homeschooling mums it’s more pivotal that we keep on top of this. You have to take small steps with this and build a routine or look for opportunities. You also have to avoid things that drain the brain of energy and focus. For example, if you’re scrolling on social media all day then your brain can become sluggish and you may not feel motivated. You may even have easy going independent children which gives you some “free time” and it can be tempting to waste that time.

Here are some ways to incorporating seeking knowledge:

• Learn with your children. When they are doing their Qur’an, do your portion of reading. When they are doing their Islamic studies, read up on the subject or allocate a subject you’re going to study. Perhaps read a beneficial book whilst they are doing some work.

• When they are asleep you could do at least 15 minutes of something and gradually increase the time if you need to.

• Have things handy. Sometimes children get engrossed in certain toys or activities and that can be an opportunity to learn.

• When you’re cooking or cleaning play a lecture - there are tons on Salafi Sounds.

This is a very brief overview of what I went through in my workshops. Being a homeschooling mum is rewarding but also hard work. You have to find realistic ways to manage things and look for opportunities even if it’s not how you imagined to do things. Use a planner or whiteboard if you find planning helps you. Try to teach them to do independent learning and getting involved in household chores. This will you aid you in the long run in sha Allah!