Homeschool Motivation Exercises: How to Keep Your Kids Motivated to Learn at Home?

What homeschool motivation exercises can I use to keep my kids motivated to learn at home?

There are many ways to keep children motivated at home. At AllDigitalSchool we have thousands of homeschool motivation resources available that you can use. We have games, lessons, puzzles, home activities, and physical activities that you can download through the links we’ve provided on the resources page.

Motivating people is a tricky task. You’ll have to know what makes a person tick before trying anything to ensure that it works. Using the wrong approach could lead to resentment or worse backsliding into bad habits like slacking off or creating disinterest.

Children, like older people, are driven to do things because of their personal interests. You need to find what they like exactly to ensure that you can lead them to do things. This is what homeschool motivation is all about.

Distractions At Home And How To Effectively Deal With Them

You may not realize it yet but your home is chock full of distractions. Chores, toys, TV, electronic gadgets, other people in the house, even pets can be a distraction to young children. Recognizing these and knowing how to deal with them effectively can help you and your child learn better.

Let’s list down some of the most common distractions that affect homeschool motivation and how to effectively deal with them.

Chores

Doing chores is part of most homeschool curricula. There’s just no way around it.

Although it is considered a distraction, doing chores is essential to a child’s personal and educational growth. This prepares them for taking on more responsibilities later on in life. The simple act of washing dishes and making sure it is thoroughly clean does wonders to a young child’s mind.

So how do you reduce the risk of this becoming a distraction?

Three things:

• Schedule chores in between lessons.
• Make it an integral part of their studies.
• Do it during downtimes.

Schedule Chores In Between Lessons

Chores can be done in between lessons if you plan it well enough. You are allowed to take as many breaks as you want as long as it doesn’t deter you from completing the school day.

The most obvious times would be after breakfast and before the start of the school day, and after lunch before the start of the afternoon session.

You need to ensure that these tasks are easy enough and provide value to your child’s personal growth. The simple act of clearing the table and washing dishes can do wonders for any young mind’s personal growth and sense of responsibility.

You also need to ensure that the tasks they are asked to do are not energy-intensive as they may make exhaustion an excuse why they can’t continue studying after doing their chores.

Make It An Integral Part Of Their Studies

Believe it or not, you can also make chores an integral part of your homeschool motivation tactics and their studies. Math comes to mind. You can wash dishes with your child and ask them how many are being washed and how many are left after every plate is cleaned in the sink.

Shapes and colors can also be included if they are still at that age. They can segregate certain colors or shapes into one pile, say those shapes out loud, or queue it according to how they classified it.

Reciting things they’ve learned or using it as an opportunity for them to ask questions and discuss ideas is also a good thing to do while performing their chores. This puts you and your child in a separate environment that lets them open their mind. This also gives you a good idea of how to proceed with the day.

These are simple things, but they can add value to the school day in terms of learning. Think of it as hitting two birds with one stone. You’re getting their learning on while getting some cleaning done.

Do It During Downtimes

Homeschool motivation can take a sharp dive during downtimes. When there’s absolutely nothing else to do because of a power interruption or because it is an off day for school, do chores. Once again, you can include little lessons along the way.

Teaching children how certain things work like a refrigerator or a laundry machine prepares them for more responsibilities.

Showing them basic repairs around the house will give them life skills that prepare them for adulthood. Teaching them carpentry, sewing, ironing clothes, and other household chores will give them a bigger sense of responsibility.

Weekends are perfect bonding moments for parents and children because they can tackle a room, clean it up, and discuss certain things they’d like to learn in the upcoming days. This is a great way to show them the importance of keeping their surroundings clean while giving you a chance to pick their brains.

Chores may seem simple and non-school related but therein lies their inherent value. Children who are taught to do certain chores around the house develop a sense of ownership over their achievements. This also develops their sense of responsibility preparing them for more as they grow up through the years.

The Importance Of Pets

Children who grow up with family pets often grow up to become well-rounded individuals. Pets just bring out the goodness in people. It doesn’t matter what kind of pet you have as long as there are responsibilities attached to it. That means feeding, exercising, and cleaning up after your pet.

This interaction teaches kids how to interact with another living object in a mindful manner. Caring for pets gives them that sense of caring that will manifest in their dealings with others.

Still, you can’t deny that pets can be distracting if they’re always around. So, lock them up while school work is being done and let your child have time with them during specific times of the day. Schedule this time around feeding and walking time so that your child still gets to bond with their pet without cutting into their studies.

TV Time Can Be Learning Time

Now that children and adults are staying home more often than in the past couple of months, the TV is one of the most used appliances in the house. Now if you’re homeschooling, this can be a distraction if someone in the other room is watching something and it’s loud enough to hear.

The good thing about TV time is it can be part of the school activities as an entertainment and educational tool.

You can load documentaries, watch the History channel, or find movies that have a good moral at the end as part of your teaching tools. You can also hook your mobile device to the TV so you have a bigger display when you teach them through select apps found in our resources area.

Last but not least, make sure TV time is supervised at all times to ensure that the content they watch is age-appropriate and provides some value to their young lives and minds.

Mobile Device Screen Time – A Great Way To Reward Tech-Savvy Children

Using mobile gadgets in school is strictly prohibited. Why? Because it can be very distracting. Not just to the person using the mobile device but also to the others around that person.

Since your child is basically studying alone, this shouldn’t be much of a problem right? Wrong. Too much time spent on mobile devices can lead to unproductive moments. This piles up and ends up demotivating a child from continuing what they should be doing which is studying.

And since you’re homeschooling your child they will always have access to mobile devices. This is especially true if you’ve integrated the use of mobile devices into your homeschool plan.

Toys As Teaching Tools

Homes with children will always be full of toys. And that can be distracting to any child.

But, you can always use toys to your advantage. You can use it to motivate children to complete tasks so they can have access to their toy after it is done.

This means that you don’t necessarily need to take their toys away during the school day. You can use the toy as their makeshift classmate during the class as long as it is not too distracting. Some children are also too emotionally attached to their toy that it provides a sense of security.

So let them keep their toys nearby as long as they promise to focus on their studies with the explicit promise that they can play with it after the work is done.

You can even use toys as a teaching tool. Shapes, colors, how points of articulation work, parts of a toy that are similar to their real-life counterparts, these are just some of the ways you can use toys as teaching tools. This is one way to keep your kids motivated to learn at home and still have fun at the same time.

I’m sure there are more distractions out there that derails motivation, if you have any, include them in the comments section below. Sharing that information can help other parents on these posts. Maybe they have solutions that can help other parents like you too.

Tips To Increase Motivation In Kids To Learn At Home

Okay, now that we’ve identified those distractions, it’s time to discuss how to increase your child’s motivation throughout the school day.

Increase The Interest In The Subject Matter Or Task At Hand

This will always be the first in any motivation list. Without any interest, there is no drive.

So, you need to increase the interest to increase the drive or motivate people. Children, especially. Children are motivated when they are truly interested in the subject they are learning.

Are they interested in numbers? Teach them math. Are they interested in storybooks? Teach them reading and writing? Animals and plant life? Teach them science.

This initial interest in certain subject matters can lead to a career in the future. Nurture their initial interests first. And then build on that by including other subjects that are related to their interests. This will form part of a basic set of skills that can lead to a career in the future.

Lay The Plan Out

One of the key things in effective management is planning. Right now, you’re not just the teacher, you’re also the school administrator, maintenance, food supplier, and manager all rolled into one. Having all of those roles as part of your daily life is going to take its toll on you if you don’t plan it well.

What you need to do is lay the plan out for everyone to get involved.

Your plans should encompass both long-term and short-term goals. That means not just focusing on the daily activities but also what’s planned for the week, month, and year.

Be Flexible So You Don’t Crack Under All The Rigidity And Pressure Of Homeschooling

There’s no one way that works for everyone when it comes to homeschooling. You have to find what works for you and have the flexibility to adjust your routine.

Schedules can always be changed if the mood isn’t right. Make room for adjustments on the fly.

If a routine gets too boring for your child, change it up so the interest in other subjects brings their motivation back.

Although having a schedule is good, having the ability to change it is also a good thing.

Don’t Isolate Yourselves. Connect With Others Who Can Relate To Your Situation.

Human beings are highly social creatures. The saying “No man is an island” is true. People need people and we can’t grow in a vacuum.

With that being said, isolation can definitely put a damper on your homeschool motivation.

There will be times when you and your child will need to get out and connect with others. One way to do that is find classes your child is interested in and allow them to participate.

Find Classes For Your Child To Participate In

There are many classes out there that can enhance your child’s learning. You can find these online, through word-of-mouth, or through the local papers. Check with your child to see if they’re interested in the subject matter and enroll them in it.

Go To A Local Library

The rise of online resources like Google has diminished the value of local libraries. Although they are still pretty much a part of local schools and cities, towns, and other locales, libraries have been slowly disappearing. Increasing patronage is the only way to reduce that from happening.

Libraries are great places to connect with like-minded individuals. A quick look at their selection of books can give you a good idea of their interests. Children can also interact with other youngsters who have similar interests and build relationships that can motivate them to learn more about the subject matter.

Parents can also benefit from going to a library with their child because there are books dedicated to homeschool motivation they can learn from. Libraries are also excellent places to meet other parents who homeschool their children which can lead to the next method of connecting with others in the list.

Create A Connection With Other Homeschooled Children And Parents

Opening your homes to other people who practice homeschooling can be a great way to increase homeschool motivation.

Getting together with other people can increase your child’s interest in certain subject matters because now they have someone they can relate to who is in the same situation.

Parents can also learn from each other to find out which best practices work and incorporate it to their own homeschool motivation tactics.

This initial interaction can transform to a co-op leading more parents in, a social media group where parents can bounce ideas off of each other, or just a group to share their feelings with and ask for advice.

There can only be positive things that come out from interacting with other like-minded individuals.

Establish Trust With Your Child

No one likes a micro-manager.

And no child likes it when they’re doing something that’s important to them while their parent is hovering over them.

Trust your child to do what is right. Allow them the opportunity to figure something out themselves. Wait for your child to come to you when they’ve reached an impasse.

Trust me, when you do that, you’ll have a less stressful time throughout the school day.

The upside to this is that your child learns to also trust their own instincts as they try to work through problems on their own. This has a profound way of accelerating a young mind’s problem-solving skills.

Teaching from a safe distance also allows you to have a bird’s-eye view over the entire process. by taking yourself away from directly manipulating the lessons based on your learning, you’ll see it done from a different perspective.

Lastly, by establishing trust that they will be responsible about going through their lessons, you’ll remove a lot of things that cause stress from meeting deadlines or hitting strict goals. Your child learns at the pace best suited for them and you’ll have a less stressful time managing their education.

Maintain A Space Conducive For Learning

Homeschool motivation can also be affected by the space where lessons take place. No one likes a messy room. It’s just way too distracting, not to mention unhygienic.

A dark room will make it hard for children to focus much less see what they’re supposed to be doing.

So, section off a room in your house where lessons can take place and learning can be done with maximum results expected.

This can also be a learning and bonding experience between you and your child, which circles back to doing chores.

A nice open room with colorful walls is one great way to open your child’s mind to learning.

Use Everything At Your Disposal

The world is your classroom. And everything in it is a potential teaching tool.

Children respond well when they have a point of reference to relate to. Anything from simple home appliances to toys can be used for this purpose.

And if your child is particularly interested about a certain object or teaching tool you use, this can lead to very productive lessons.

Find the materials you and your child love and you’ll see them perk up and take notice.

Make Sure You Still Have Enough “Me” Time

The one thing we most often ignore in our bid to motivate others is ourselves. Yes, “me” time is very important. After all, how can you hope to motivate others if you yourself are not, right?

Even though you’re taking on a role equal to a superhero’s (principal, teacher, guidance counselor, school maintenance worker), that’s no reason to look like a haggard, beaten down  supervillain.   

Okay, maybe that’s a bit too much, but think of it this way: your child is at a reactive stage right now. Whatever they see, they’ll most certainly reflect back at you. Stress, hunger, exhaustion, or lacking any sort of motivation won’t lead to anything productive at this point.

Once again, trusting your child to do what they need to do is key to having some “me” time. Since you’re freeing yourself up from the tedious task of hovering over your child to get things done the way you want it done, you now have time to pamper yourself.

Take a nap, read a book, take up yoga, these are just some of the things you can do that will benefit you in the long run. Have a glass of wine or a bite of chocolate, these have beneficial properties to one’s health, too.

Things You Can Do

Make sure you can do activities away from your child, go to your garden, sit out on the porch, take a short walk around the block or simply lock yourself in the bathroom for a few minutes. These are things that can help you maintain a semblance of good mental health as you go through your daily life.

Put yourself before your kids, so you can achieve more things in the long run. Your happiness will come out as an infectious source of energy for your kids, and you’ll see great results when this happens.

Trust your kids to do what they need to do and go have some “me” time for yourself.

Success Comes In All Shapes And Sizes. Celebrate It.

Everyone thinks success is one big moment that is defined by big results. On the contrary, that level of success is the culmination of a series of successes along the way as you and your child progress during homeschooling.

Therefore, you need to look for success in all shapes and sizes. Once you recognize these, celebrate it.

Things like your child finally finishing one sentence on their own in a confident manner, recognizing shapes, solving a simple mathematical problem is just as important as when they finally create an essay about their summer vacation or find a solution for a complex algebraic problem.

And these successes don’t always come when you’re conducting a class. Sometimes it can manifest when your child is reading to a younger sibling or helping them out with their own studies or chores. These are little success that may count as big successes for your child if you recognize them.

But try to recognize as well whether the effort put into a certain task is worth the celebration or if signs of mediocrity are beginning to show up. Your child has to continuously progress as they go through their studies. Keep challenging them to do better and ensure they have the basic foundation to carry it out.

Success is a process that continues to evolve as you build upon the groundwork that allows you to perform and handle obstacles in your way. Success is a milestone that needs to be recognized in order for you to benchmark against past achievements. These things will propel you and your child to do more.

When All Else Fails, Take A Break.

One of the main attractions of homeschooling is the ability to take breaks anytime you want to. Literally. And when you’ve tried all homeschool motivation tactics and exhausted your tank of patience, a break is an excellent way to defuse a potentially explosive situation.

You see, losing your patience, giving in to anger, or getting frustrated doesn’t translate well with kids.

More often than not, your ranting will only be met with a blank stare. This can be very confusing for young children.

The best way to deal with that is to take a break.

Taking a break can help you and your child rest in preparation for more learning opportunities when the time, mood, or atmosphere is more conducive to learning.

Taking a break prevents burnout from occurring. So divide learning into easy to digest chunks and take a break as often as you think you should without it having a negative impact on your progress.

What can I say? Breaks are simply just the best way to refresh one’s mind, body, and mood. Once fully rested, you can start studying all over again with better results.

In Conclusion:

Children, like adults, have a range of emotions that will have an effect on their ability or desire to perform certain tasks. As a teacher and a parent, it is your responsibility to keep them motivated to do their best throughout the entire school day, week, and year.

Children can easily get distracted by things around them. Learning how to make the environment conducive to learning is also one of the most important things you can do. This will keep them focused on their studies. This also helps in helping them finish their tasks.

Making children understand the importance of learning and the positive effects it can have on their adult life is a definite must. By sharing the responsibility of making sure their education is premium, you make your child a conscious stakeholder who knows what is required of them.

Keep them motivated and consider big and small success a win and cause for celebration.

Lastly, homeschool motivation should not only be focused on your child. You also need to ensure that your motivation is as high, if not higher, than your child as you go through life taking on all the roles designed for a traditional school system.

You have to take care of yourself too. Make sure you are motivated to motivate others by being positive in all your interactions, planning the day, week, month, and year as best as you can, and taking a break whenever it is needed.

That’s it for now, stay home, stay safe, and stay motivated.

Related Questions:

My Child Is Using Household Chores As An Excuse For Being Distracted. What Do I Do?

Talk to your child and let them know what their responsibilities are. At this point, you should patiently show them the importance of having a good education. Weigh the pros and cons about their performance in school. Outline the outcome if you must.

Household chores will always be part of a homeschooling curriculum due to the fact that it develops life skills they can use in the future. Discipline and a sense of responsibility are also developed through household chores. Schedule the tasks around her education and always put school on top of her chores.

My Child Insists On Bringing Her Teddy Along While We Study. Should I Let Her?

If the toy is not distracting your child, let them bring it along. Children tend to create a bond with their toys at an early age. Some do this for the sense of having some company while others do this for security.

If the toy is distracting her, explain to your child why she has to let go for the meantime and promise her that she will get her toy back during a break. Use it as a reward system if you must if they show good behaviors during classes.

My Child Wants To Play Outside During Her Breaks. Will This Affect What’s Left Of The School Day?

Let her. Allowing your child to play outside as a part of the reward system you’ve installed is always a good thing. Children have a lot of energy and they need to expend this through playing outside. You just have to make sure that you monitor the time spent playing and that she still has enough energy left for schoolwork.

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