As Muslims, first and foremost we rely on Allah and ask him for guidance. Here are some tips some of our homeschoolers have compiled to better your education at home.

1. Homeschooling is 90% parenting and 10% is academic.

The most important thing we can do is model how we want our kids to behave. Know that behavior (especially negative behavior) is a symptom - not the real issue. It is our job to decode it and get to the root of the problem. To find great tips, head over to www.ahaparenting.com for advice in each age group. As you teach your kids at home, know that this is a special time you can learn more about them and have an opportunity to strengthen your relationship.

2. “I want you to know that children are resilient creatures and they are learning machines,”

says Caitlin Fitzpatrick of My Little Poppies (Suddenly, unexpected, homeschooling…and enjoying the ride!). If you spend the next two to three weeks together and you do absolutely nothing that would qualify as educational-with-a-capital-E, your kids will be fine. Better yet? They will still learn new things! Sure, it might not look like something they would learn in school, but they will learn this week.

3. Keep the calm.

Ladan Rashidi from Baby Gizmo offers this: “Keep in mind, while you’re struggling with everything that’s going on, your child has had their school close down, and they’re most likely hearing words like “very sick,” “hospital,” and “death,” so this can make it a scary time for them too. Our children, even the older ones, look to us for calm and guidance through any emotional storm. Let’s do our best to be that for them.”

4. Sometimes, ditch the busy work.

If you’ve been sent home with work to complete with your child, try to determine if this is a true challenge for them and material they need to learn or if it’s just busy work. (A large) part of homeschooling is knowing what your child knows and moving on, and knowing what they don’t know and spending more time on that topic. Busy work will drive you and your child crazy, don’t do it! You are responsible for their education for these next few weeks so make it enchanting, lively and worth it. (A Cup of Home)

5. Self-care is the secret sauce.

It is not selfish to take care of yourself. Eleanor Brown said, “Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” It’s important that you find ways to take care of yourself and mental health so that you will also be able to take care of your family. This could be reading a book, taking a nap, drinking tea before the kids wake up, letting go of a self-imposed expectation, calling a friend, taking a walk or drinking more water. Whatever fills your cup… do it more. Because the last thing we want is to feel is burnt out, stressed, or feel convinced that we aren’t measuring up. Taking care of yourself will give you clarity, focus, and motivation to be successful through this turbulent time.

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