What If This Is Too Hard?

9 Steps to Take If You're Feeling Overwhelmed

Everyone has felt overwhelmed at some point in his education. Whether it’s a groan from you as you pull a giant textbook out of the box or the despair from your child when he’s read the directions 5 times, and the STEM model still isn’t operating as he wants it to, you will almost certainly hit a moment this year when you realize that an aspect of homeschooling is harder than you anticipated. So what do you do now?

1. Take a Breath

Just knowing that everyone faces this should help you relax a bit. This feeling will not last—you’ll get through this!

2. Jump In!

Ask yourself why you are stressed right now. Is it because something is so intimidating that you have been avoiding it? If that’s the case, jumping in and getting started is the simplest solution. Could you read just the first page together before lunch? What if you have your student find all of the pieces for step 1 today? Sometimes, it’s better to muddle through a lesson together than to wait until you’re ready to teach it perfectly.

3. Step Back

Perhaps you’re too close right now. If you’re mid-project and totally frustrated by how it’s going, try the opposite approach. Close the book for 30 minutes (Set a timer!) and go grab lunch, hit the playground, or swap to a more hands-on project. When the timer rings, you and your student will be ready to try again with clearer heads.

4. Time This

Timers are an invaluable learning tool. If you’re becoming distracted, try setting a 10- or 20-minute timer during which you’ll do only one thing. Or tell yourself you definitely need to tackle That Dreaded Subject, but only for 30 minutes a day in two 15-minute chunks. When the timer rings, close the text and move to the next thing. Dividing your day into blocks of time can make a remarkable difference in your efficiency level.

5. Level Down

Did your student take the math pretest before jumping in this year? If not, perhaps he is just on the wrong level! If moving to an easier level freaks you out, it may help to remember that you and your student are not defined by his skill set in any field. Faking his way through by blood, sweat, and tears does not help his future self. However, taking the time to back up and fill in the gaps will benefit him forever!

6. Simplify

If you are trying to do every possible activity in every course, it’s no wonder you’re exhausted. By the time your student is in high school, he will need to complete 75% or more of the work in each course to get full credits. We’re not advocates of doing the work in name only, but it’s OK to watch some experiments online rather than completing each one yourself. It’s also appropriate to do only every other math problem in a section if your child is bored to tears with yet another page of addition. Doesn’t that feel better?

7. Make Accommodations

What exactly is stressing your student (or you!) out right now? Is it the pen-to-paper writing component? Why not let him use the computer and type his work instead? Or perhaps he can dictate to you and you write for him. Make sure you’re doing whatever you can to engage his best learning style. Encourage Mr. Auditory Learner to read aloud. Or break out all of the favorite fidgets and let Miss Kinesthetic work at a standing desk.

8. Ask for Help

Ask another teacher/parent to work through the issue with you. You may be surprised by how much clarity you gain with a fresh perspective. (Our Facebook groups can be great for this!)

9. Get Professional Help

Check the publisher’s website, the book’s teacher page, or the kit’s manual for contact information. Most of the authors and manufacturers we work with are fantastic about helping and coaching those who get stuck. Not getting the help you need from them? Contact mail@Timberdoodle.com or call us at 800–478–0672, and we’ll work with them to get that answer for you.