How to Mentally Prepare Your Family for Homeschooling
Originally, I was going to create a blog post to help families navigate the new journey of homeschooling that many families are now taking on. Through talking with other parents about the transition to homeschooling their children, I have realized that I am not alone in the struggle. We all seem to agree that our main priority is everyone’s mental health. Without our mental health intact, it is very difficult to learn and teach. There is so much uncertainty happening in the world right now and this causes a lot of big emotions in both adults and children. We must prioritize our mental health so that we can take on this new hurdle. When we take care of our mental health first, we are better equipped to manage the extra stress that homeschooling puts on our families. I have put together some information that I hope will help families boost mental health, so you are all ready to take on the school day. Also check out my next blog post to get more tips and tricks from other parents for homeschooling.
Physical Activity Before You Start Your Day
(outdoors if possible):
Benefits
-Boosts brain function such as concentration, memory, ability to understand, etc.
-Promotes a more positive attitude, which is important to be open to new ideas.
-Reduces anxiety and depression symptoms and improves overall mood
-Improves self-esteem and confidence
-Promotes better sleep
Physical Activity Ideas:
Go for a morning walk: This will get your brain and body ready for the day. It is also a safer time to be out in the sun, early morning sun exposure promotes a natural circadian rhythm. There are also likely less people to avoid while social distancing is still in effect.
Use family interests to keep children engaged: Ex. Last week we went for a morning walk as a family dressed as Paw Patrol characters as requested by my youngest. My oldest wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about it but our neighbours sure were! They were coming out of their houses to cheer us on. It was nice to be able to make some peoples mornings just by putting on some masks and capes. Find something that excites your family and put your own spin on physical activity.
Offer choices: If a morning walk is not your families thing, you can’t get out, or you just don’t like to do the same thing all the time offer choices. This option for me is a little bit harder because it comes with more planning. If I don’t plan my physical activity it is too easy to forget about it. So, gather some ideas from your family and get those bodies moving before you get to work. Dancing is a family favourite here!
Use equipment: Such as balls, skipping ropes, bikes, light weights. Some equipment requires a lot of space. Work with what you have where you are. The important thing is to get your heart rate up and get good and sweaty.
Use technology: This one may seem a little counterintuitive because we often associate screen time with being sedentary but if it helps get your family active use it. There is a wide variety of workout videos for everyone. There are workouts, yoga, dance tutorials and challenges for even young children for free on the internet. We have also used smart watches to track our progress and challenge each other and of course mp3 players to play our favourite playlists. This all adds to the motivation to get moving.
If you can’t get outside, try being active near an open window: This way you will be able to benefit from the vitamin D from the sun and elevate your mood and promote a healthy circadian rhythm for better sleep which is next on the list!
Getting a Quality Sleep:
Benefits
-Reduces anxiety and depression symptoms and elevates your mood
-enhances cognitive function such as problem solving, creativity, concentration etc.
-improves impulse control, self-regulation, attention, etc.
-Increases energy levels
-improves immune system
How to create good sleep habits:
Build a sleep routine: Try to make sure that you are going to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Give your family enough time to wind down before bed. Schedule your physical activity for earlier in the day so you don’t get an energy boost right before bed. Nearing bedtime try to keep the lights low, voices quiet, and move slower. Have clear guidelines such as music off and lights-out times. Reading, meditation, some essential oils, baths, and massage are some examples of ways to promote a great sleep. Having trouble getting to sleep early? Try forcing yourself to wake up early so that you are tired by the end of the day.
Avoid blue light: I know, I just became very unpopular. So many people use the time right before bed to watch TV or scroll social media but the blue light that comes from your phone, laptops, and TV increases suppresses melatonin and not only makes falling asleep more difficult it decreases the quality of your sleep. If you have to use technology late at night, try using a blue light filter to help reduce your exposure. (You can usually do this in your phone/laptop settings or download an app)
Create a sleep friendly environment: Make your rooms as dark as possible. This helps our body recognize that it is nighttime. You can use blackout curtains or even a garbage bag over the window. Even the little blinky lights from your electronics can disrupt your sleep cycle. These devices also give off strong EMF (electromagnetic fields) that decrease the quality of your sleep. Try to have electronic free rooms and shut off the WIFI for the night if possible. Keeping your bedroom cool can also help with quality of sleep.
For the parents: Alcohol and caffeine can also affect our sleep. If you choose to drink them try to limit caffeine to before 2pm and aim to have your drink with dinner or at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Eat Healthy and Stay Hydrated:
I am not an expert in this area, but I do know that it is important to feed your body with good quality whole foods. I also know that it is easier to eat healthy when you have a plan and/or prepare meals in advance. Make sure that you are eating healthy fats, proteins, and fiber with most your meals and snacks. Talk to your doctor/nutritionist if you think you require supplements (there are test that can detect deficiencies).
Drinking water is also very important. Start with drinking half your body weight in oz. Ex. If you weigh 160lbs Drink at least 80oz. of water. If you consume caffeine or alcohol drink 2 cups of water for every drink because these beverage will dehydrate you. Room temperature water is better for you because your body does not need to use its energy to regulate your body temperature.You can also drink caffeine-free herbal teas or infuse your water with fresh fruit, cucumber or mint to switch things up.
Meditation and Mindfulness:
Meditation and mindfulness are so beneficial to those experiencing anxiety. Anxiety is when your body is in fight or flight mode due to looping thoughts either about what has already happened or what you think may happen in the future. Meditation and mindfulness can help you live in the present instead of worry about these things we are not able to control.
You can be mindful anytime anywhere just by using your senses and being aware of the present moment. Whenever you catch yourself looping thoughts try using your senses to come back to the present moment. (Ex. Pay attention to your breath, look around for a specific colour, listen for the sounds around you, feel the chair underneath you, etc.)
There are many apps, podcasts and videos that you can access online for free. We use Bedtime explorers on Spotify for the boys they have night and day meditations for kids, and we have also used the headspace and calm app which is great for beginners because it eases you into the practice. Sometimes we listen to Nothing Much Happens; bedtime stories to help you sleep on Spotify.
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