Have you ever had the moment where you were pretty sure you made a huge mistake by trying to homeschool your children? You just finished doing math with one while making lunch and plotting the upcoming science experiment in your head (How many times can we redo the same cornstarch and water experiment?). You’re also mopping a floor while feeding a baby, a futile effort in and of itself, and at the same time on the phone… and the doorbell just rang. Oh yes, I have been there. Its either laugh or cry.
Let me remind you of a simple word that often fixes things; laughter. It may not be accounted for within the wisdom of Solomon but I can tell you humor is surely a wise idea. Laughing makes life fun. Laughing is good for you. Laughing makes memories. Laughing builds relationships. Laughing keeps life fresh.
I know you all may not have the gift of humor but there are still ways to laugh. Here are a few ways that don’t require too much prep-time.
~Check out a few joke books from the library. Use them as ‘read alouds’ and laugh together!
~A silly movie or a cd of silly songs can keep you laughing. Even my 12-year-old loves a good silly song. We make up songs. We have no musical talent but that’s what makes it fun! The worse we are, the harder we laugh!
~Mad Libs. This is grammar in our homeschool. It’s also a boatload of fun! At Teach Them Diligently this year we picked up 2 ultimate Mad Lib books with 500 in each book! Oh… we laugh until it hurts!
~The telephone game. Basically, you sit in a circle and whisper to your neighbor a sentence. Then they whisper it. Once it gets to the end they say it out loud. It is usually FAR from the original sentence. This is especially fun if you have lots of people and a few are 2 or 3 years old. Then you get some really funny stuff!
~Tell stories. Recount fun times your family has had. Relive those memories. Then come up with fun ideas to do to make more fun memories as a family.
You know what the best part of this list is? You didn’t have to stop doing school! Books are reading whether they are funny or not! A cd of songs is music. Mad Libs are grammar. The telephone game is learning to pay attention to details. Telling stories is creative writing… just out loud! See, laughing doesn’t mean you’re not learning anything. It just means that you’re learning and having fun together at the same time. The family that laughs together builds relationships. Isn’t that why we have them home? To enjoy them?
So enjoy your family. Enjoy your time each day. Sprinkle in a little laughter here and there. Keep a joke book handy in case of emergencies! Please remember; a joke a day keeps burnout away.
Jenn Hoskins is the homeschooling mom for 6 children, ages 12 and under. She is the founder of MommyEvangelism, a ministry that encourages moms to share their faith and teach their children to do the same. She is also the co-host of Planet Mommyhood, a vlog about everyday mommyhood with a sense of humor.