4 Ways Parents Can Make Homeschooling Stress-Free

October 17, 2022 byAlyssa Austin

3 min to read

A young student is taking notes at his home desk

Are you worried that your online school student may be struggling with stress related to learning at home? Read on to learn more about how homeschooling stress can manifest and learn some helpful ways to create a more stress-free homeschooling experience for your student.

Is Homeschooling Less Stressful for Students?

In some ways, homeschooling can provide some relief for students who struggle with the rigid structure of in-person schooling. However, the stress of homeschooling can become an issue for students learning at home in an online public-school environment as well. Dealing with more schedule ownership, less inherent social interaction, turning their home environment into a learning environment, and navigating new learning models and methods can all incite stress in homeschooling students.

It’s also worth noting that there is a significant threat of homeschooling stress on parents, who are responsible for administering and supervising much of their child’s education, even if their student is enrolled in online school. In fact, recent studies coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic found that parents who were helping their students learn at home showed “significantly higher levels of psychological distress and work/social impairment compared to those who were not homeschooling or had no school-aged children.”

Although there are many advantages to online school, schooling at home can be stressful and have a negative effect on the student's learning and family environment if stress isn't addressed and managed.

4 Ways Parents Can Help Lessen Homeschooling Stress

If your child is struggling with homeschooling stress, try these four tactics to improve mental health and facilitate stress management for students.

1. Set a positive example

One of the easiest and most effective ways to help promote a low-stress environment for students learning at home is by modeling positive behavior as it relates to stress management. You can serve as a model of low-stress behavior and help your child absorb and internalize positive stress-management techniques. Consequently, these actions can also help with reducing homeschooling stress on parents.

2. Encourage the use of routines

Implementing simple routines can be a great way to reduce stress related to online school and virtual learning. Encourage your child to create and implement simple routines for starting and closing the school day to create a better set of boundaries between learning at home and living at home.

3. Find new social outlets for interaction

Since virtual learning is often accompanied by a reduction in the day-to-day social interaction of traditional schooling, it’s a good idea to find new ways for your student to regularly interact with kids their own age. Seek out new extracurriculars, encourage them to try new sports and hobbies, and find new opportunities for in-person social interaction to combat homeschooling stress related to feelings of isolation.

A parent helping to teach stress management to his child.

4. Teach positive coping skills for dealing with stress

According to the experts at KidsHealth, “kids feel better when they know there are things they can do for themselves to offset their stress.” You can help your child deal with stress by teaching them positive coping mechanisms, such as calm breathing techniques, meditation, exercise, and healthy emotional practices.

With these strategies, you’ll be able to help your student worry less and create a better sense of learning and life balance while studying at home. Learn more ways that you can help manage student stress for both homeschool and traditional school students with this guide for managing stress at every grade level.