Homeschooling Your Child’s Least Favourite Subject

What to do when you have a child excel and love one subject area  but does their best to avoid another subject area?

 Hint:  The answer does not include pulling out your hair or giving a lecture.

Many of us et’s face it, we ourselves have subjects we love to dive in to share with our children and those we try to defer to the other parent.

While we can’t force our child to sit and apply themselves to a subject they may loathe; we can help lift parents face this teeter-totter emotion from our children throughout the year.

Lthem  up out of the doom and gloom so they can see the dreaded subject in a different light.

Homeschooling the Least Favourite Subjects

Tips to Help your Child Learn a Subject They Don’t Like

•  Everyone needs to take a deep breath and step back from the situation a little.  Don’t let a battle start.

• Try to have one on one time where you can chat with your child to help them figure out why they might be avoiding math (for instance).

• Be willing to adapt.  Adapt the curriculum you are using, or in the case where you don’t use curriculum, perhaps be willing to get some samples and give them a try.

• Be willing to be creative.  How can you approach that subject from a different view-point? Baking for fractions, figuring out your car’s mileage for division, talk about gear ratios in your truck for ratios, etc.  Find something they enjoy and go about the subject from that angle.

• Get laughing.  Why not get a little creative and silly? Shake out those nerves

• Get your other kids busy with something they can collaborate on or be independent with and then find a spot where you and your other child can work on their least favourite subject.

• Reach out to other home school parents and ask what works for them, get some fresh ideas.

• Get downright real.  Sometimes when kids see how their Dad or Aunt use Math  everyday in their careers is enough to inspire them to try a little harder. 

• Be willing to just  be available.  Sometimes they just need Mom or Dad to sit beside them.

• Always,  Always,  Always end on a positive note!  If you push further into a lesson and you feel like you are heading into that all familiar tailspin; then it is time to go back and let your child execute a question where they will get the right answer.  Finish it there for the day and make note of where it started to fall apart.

As parents we are often part detective as we try to figure out our kids and the curriculum we may use or choose not to use.

So, although I did provide you with the above tips, know that these are things we do in our house which have worked for me.  They are not absolutes, take what you can and adapt my tips to help you conquer your  home school day.

One thing I do know for sure is  none of my kids are the same and the above tips come from a few years of me taking it one day at a time.  Each of my kids have their own learning styles unique to themselves and no matter how much they love a subject area, or not, they all have times where they just need me to be there for them.

Want more?  

Head over to watch my short  HSI Coffee Break  Video- Homeschooling Your Child’s Least Favourite Subject 

What tip is your favourite?