2015-5-CE-Seton-'Girl-With-Book'-728x90
Catholic Homeschool Articles, Advice & Resources
how to homeschool better immediately

How to Homeschool Better… Immediately

There are myriad distractions that can disrupt the homeschooling process: the decibel level of little children who are competing for your attention, the inexplicable disappearance of pens and pencils, or the dog demanding to be re-admitted to your home.

But as we parents sit down to help our children with their homeschooling, I think we would have to admit that some of the biggest distractions are often the ones inside ourselves—the ones that keep popping into our minds as we attempt to teach.

I became aware of this the other day during a conversation I had with my sixteen-year-old son, Demetrius.

That afternoon, Demetrius informed me that he had asked me a question earlier that morning, and I took about ten seconds to answer it. The problem was during that ten seconds, I was thinking about a lot of other things. When he asked me a question, my mind had to “clear the queue” before I could address his interrogative. When he told me that he had actually counted to see how long it would take for me to answer him, I felt really bad. Because no parent wants his or her children to feel like they are competing for their parent’s attention.

It is pretty obvious that mental presence for your children equals mental presents for your children. Children are frustrated when we parents are distracted, but are appreciative when they know they are getting our full attention. So maybe the best way to homeschool better immediately is to clear the queue.

Specifically, here is an idea that we can all try.

It seems that each of us has a list of at least five things we have been putting off for too long. Whether it’s cleaning your walk-in closet, getting a cavity filled, filing your taxes, going to Confession, helping your son fill out his college application forms online, sending an overdue thank-you note, or fixing an appliance—we all have a mental “to-do” list. And it tends to drag us down. But there is a way to solve this mental bogeyman.

Write down these items on a piece of paper.

And then go do them.

Not tonight after you watch a Columbo re-run.

Right now.

We create a lot of stress in our lives by thinking about all the things that we have to do. These things become ogres in our minds. We may sit down with our children to help them with their history or mathematics, but we’re really thinking about other things. That’s not fair to our kids. It’s not fair to us, either. Ironically, stress and worry are only increased by further pondering—but they can be eliminated by doing.

Clean your closet, schedule an appointment with your dentist, drop by your parish church.

Clear the queue, and become present to your kids again.

(Enjoy John Clark’s writing?  Have a Kindle?  Take a look at the Kindle version of John’s book Who’s Got You? Observations of a Catholic Homeschooling Father.)

About John Clark

John Clark is a homeschooling father, a speechwriter, an online course developer for Seton Home Study School, and a weekly blogger for The National Catholic Register. His latest book is “How to be a Superman Dad in a Kryptonite World, Even When You Can’t Afford a Decent Cape.”
Learn about Homeschooling with Seton
School Pre-K through 12 at home. A quality, Catholic education. Online learning. Accredited and affordable.
Request your Free Info Pack

Pin It on Pinterest

2015-5-CE-Seton-'Girl-With-Book'-728x90
Seton Magazine
subjects
Counselors picks
Journey
How Homeschooling Saved My Children
Laugh With Me
write for us
Abby Sasscer
Mary Ellen Barrett
Emily Molitor
Mary Kay Clark
Ginny Seuffert
contributingavatar
John Clark
Kevin Clark
bob_wiesner
m-kalpakgian2
Important question
Catching Up:
Keep Trying
St Christopher
StElizabethAnnSetonClark
Seton Magazine Saint Poster Collection
hs with seton
how to homeschool better immediately
InfoPack
hhssmkebook400
The 5 Most Popular Quotes from 'The Screwtape Letters' - Kevin Clark
Why Does Coffee Always Get the Blame? - by John Clark
Survive High School with These 8 Life Hacks - Philomena Kelly
4 Tips to Teach Your Children to Obey Out of Love – Not Fear
The Ballad of the White Horse: An Introduction and Analysis
subjects
Seton 'All From Home' Ad 300x250
My Son Won't Pay Attention to His Studies: How Do I Keep Him on Track?
St. Thomas Aquinas on Virtue and Catholic Homeschooling
Getting Back on Track When Homeschooling Falls Apart
5 Ways I Got Homeschooling on Track after Chronic Illness
The Home School Advantage - Flexibility to Steer Our Own Way
The 6 Secrets to Rescuing a Derailed Homeschool
4 Ways Bite-Sized Goals Can Help Students Catch Up
7 Strategies to Stabilize the School Year
How to Catch Up on High School When You Are Dreadfully Behind
4 Study Strategies to Work Smarter this Semester
My 8 Secrets to Success with Math! Yes, Math!
A Freshman's 7 Tips to Staying on Track in High School