In this article, you are going to learn the truth behind schoolwork tantrums and how to stop them. Most overextended and overwhelmed homeschool moms will toss out entire curriculums or delay their child's education because of schoolwork tantrums, when the problem isn't what you're teaching, but how you're teaching. This leaves parents never addressing the root of the problem, and wasting thousands of $$$ on curriculums that your child won't learn from. In the rEDo Program there are 5 methods to address this issue, but I am going to give you my favorite way right now because I know it will change the way you homeschool forever, and for the better! So if you're ready, keep reading!
This is what parents do when their child throws a schoolwork tantrum.
- Get frustrated at their child's inability to understand
- Get confused at how their child's mind can't see the answer like they can
- Get mad that their child isn't doing the schoolwork
- Push their child to listen and try again.
- Shut down in frustration and walk away
- Skip the lesson and try again tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year.
And what happens when you do those things?
- Your child associates that lesson/skill with high stress and tears.
- Your child freaks out and throws a tantrum every time you try to reintroduce it.
- Your child begins to associate all schoolwork as stressful and frightening.
- You get so stressed at the end of it that you have to decompress by yourself
- You are overwhelmed and overstimulated for the rest of the day and take it out on your kids
- You delay your child's learning of the skill, making them fall behind in schoolwork.
So how do you solve this issue? There are 5 different ways to address this problem in my rEDo Program, but I am going to give you my favorite and best way right now because I know it will significantly impact your homeschool environment and make tantrums almost nonexistent in your education journey (no promises for tantrums over not being able to ride a horse right before bed time though).
The biggest thing you can do right now, is apply ADAPTIVE immediately! Change the method you teach the skill and it will end the tantrum before it even starts, and even mid-tantrum. Whatever method you are using that your child is throwing a fit over, change it's delivery. For example, if you are teaching addition using a worksheet and your child is freezing up, getting frustrated and crying, close the book and apply ADAPTIVE.
A(necdotal) D(igital) A(uditory) P(hysical) T(eam-based) I(ntrospective) V(isual) E(xperiential).
Here is how this might look in the addition lesson scenario.
Anecdotal- read a book about adding. This can be a fun story with a storyline, or it can just be a book where they add over and over again in a colorful and engaging way.
Digital- Watch a YouTube video about adding. This is can be especially engaging and fun for children.
Auditory- Try just talking through the concept with your child, going step by step and breaking things down logically.
Physical- Play a game like hopscotch or any children's game and integrate numbers and adding. There are tons of kid math games you can play as a family too. You can also use fingers, toes, and limbs to help with counting and adding.
Team-based- Get a sibling or friend involved and learn the concept together. The older sibling can practice addition with them, or explain it from a child's perspective.
Introspective- Ask introspective questions about this topic. Here are some questions you can ask:
- How do you feel about adding numbers together?
- What are the different ways/methods you can use when solving addition problems?
- Can you think of a time when addition was hard for you? How did you overcome it?
- Take a moment to review your answers. How do you think you did?
- Can you describe the steps you took to solve that addition problem?
- Why did you decide to use that particular method for adding these numbers together?
- What do you think would happen if you tried a different approach?
- Think about all the math you've learned so far since starting school. How much have you grown as a mathematician?
Visual- Use manipulatives or pictures to help illustrate the concept and do the math problems.
Experiential- Include your child in everyday activities that require addition such as grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, or organizing your shoe rack.
By using ADAPTIVE, you can diffuse any tantrum by learning the exact same skill a different way. You don't buy the exact same outfit for all yourself and your whole family do you? Well don't do that with your child's learning either. You have to give different options to learn skills because you're child is their own unique person who thinks unlike anyone else.
Now that you understand how ADAPTIVE can help you, check out how Katie from the YouTube channel @LifeintheMundane teaches her kids math using a variety of pathways. You can see how she doesn't just hold up her curriculum workbook, but shows digital resources (digital), games (Team-based and physical), manipulatives (physical and visual), fun math books (anecdotal and visual) , posters (visual) , and bubble pops (physical)! Using ADAPTIVE works for many homeschool families, and it will help solve your child's schoolwork tantrums.
But, you still have a problem, there are still 4 other ways that will make sure you never have a schoolwork tantrum again. Without learning the other ways, you will still see a drastic improvement in tantrums in your homeschool, but it only fixes part of the problem. Only knowing how to personalize your child's learning without the other parts will lead to
- a plateau in learning
- a lack of challenge (boredom)
- difficulty adapting to new challenges
- a narrow range of interests
- resistance to feedback or correction
- an overdependence on structure
That's why I created the rEDo Program to give you everything you need to go from an Overwhelmed and Overextended Homeschool Mom, to a Skilled MultiPath Teacher, adept at homeschooling successful well-rounded children, no matter their differences. If you are ready to change the way you homeschool and get a truly successful homeschool, click the link below and get everything you need.
Are you ready to climb out of the Homeschool Hole of Darkness? Discover rEDo, the revolutionary homeschooling program that replaces frustration with freedom. Our unique MultiPath Learning approach personalizes education, empowering your child to excel by embracing their individuality. Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all solutions and hello to a journey where learning is as joyful and unique as your child.
