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How to Survive Homeschooling Teenagers

homeschooling-teenagers

Are you starting to see changing in the ease of homeschooling as your child gets older? Maybe it’s a struggle to get him to do his lessons, or even just to listen to you!

Thankfully, there are some tips and tricks you can use to survive those years of homeschooling teenagers.

How to Survive Homeschooling Teenagers

Raising a teenager is hard enough! Add homeschooling to your lifestyle and you may feel like you are in way over your head. Before you lose your cool, keep these tips in mind.

Change your attitude regarding your teen

Sometimes, the struggle with homeschooling your teen is from the connection – or lack thereof – with your teen. Maybe he has become unruly, questioning and pushing your authority. That’s normal for any teenager, but it certainly makes homeschooling a struggle.

Try to change your attitude and mindset when dealing with your teen, and you may see that your homeschool set up with him changes for the better as well.

Strengthen your relationship with your teenager

If you are finding it difficult to get your teen to cooperate while homeschooling, devise ideas that the two of you can spend quality time together outside of the teacher-student setting. Take her to the mall and let her purchase a new outfit. See a movie together.

This time together shows your teen you still love her, despite how difficult she can be. It just may bring her around to cooperating during your homeschool lessons.

Give your teen the freedom to pursue his passions

The great thing about homeschooling is that you can tailor the curriculum and material to your teen’s needs. While you still need to incorporate the basic “reading, writing, and arithmetic,” the additional subjects covered should reflect your teen’s interests.

Maybe your teen would like to take a piano lesson once a week, or learn American Sign Language. Allowing him to pursue his own interests can make homeschooling much easier!

Pursue various homeschooling methods

As your child gets older, his homeschooling needs are likely to change. No longer do they need Mom to pass out worksheets or read to them from a textbook. Plus, the concepts they learn in high school may be beyond your scope of knowledge anyway!

To remedy these issues, find other ways for your child to learn. Try an online homeschool curriculum, or research co-ops in your area. No matter how your teen learns best, the fact is they ARE learning. Just make sure you are supplying alternatives to traditional homeschooling so he gets the education they need.

Provide a flexible learning schedule

 When your children are young, you typically set their schedule. They can’t go anywhere without you and you make the rules. As they grow up, however, they are going to want the freedom to go out and do things on their own. Providing a homeschool schedule that works with their own makes things easier for you and your teen.

Maybe they have a part-time job or participate on a sports team. Allow their homeschool lessons to work around these things so they don’t feel stifled by their education. That is a perk of homeschooling, after all!

The key to surviving while homeschooling your teen is freedom and communication. Keep an open mind as your child gets older, and be willing to change and adapt your schedule to make things easier for everyone.

Amber Louchart
Author: Amber Louchart

Amber is the proud mother to four beautiful children, Damian (27), Rosaleigh (14), Carlyn (11), and Naomi (8). Her family also includes four cats. She loves being a stay-at-home mom and feels blessed to be able to care for her children full-time and provide them with so many opportunities through Metro Detroit Mommy. In addition to Metro Detroit Mommy, Amber has a passion for hosting karaoke with Malibu Entertainment.  She enjoys the metro Detroit nightlife especially, singing, dancing and meeting new people.