Dealing with Negative Attitudes in Your Homeschool

There are so many aspects to homeschooling that are just tough. Your children are whole human beings that you are trying to parent and teach. That isn’t easy. Add multiple children, and it can become even more challenging. Attitudes may flare at times, and it can be hard to change. Dealing with negative attitudes in homeschool can be troublesome, but they can be remedied.

What is pretty tricky about dealing with negativity from homeschooled children is that sometimes kids learn the negativity from us. That was my case, anyway.

Suffering from depression years ago, I can only guess that some things I said about myself rang in my children’s mind. I am unsure how else they would know to be so negative when it came to homeschooling.

My children are really happy kids, typically. However, I noticed that both of them (at separate times) have been really negative when they had trouble with a subject.

They were always so happy, yet when they couldn’t “get” something in homeschooling, they would get really down on themselves and would start complaining about all their studies and homeschooling in general.

There are so many reasons why some kids can start being negative while homeschooling:

• Kids can have a negative attitude in your homeschool due to having a learning disability.
• Kids can have a negative attitude in your homeschool because they don’t understand a concept.
• Kids can have a negative attitude in your homeschool when they are being taught with a different style of learning than they feel comfortable with.
• Kids can have a negative attitude in your homeschool when they are bored, or routines change.
• And so many more reasons.

Try to be aware of these things, ask questions, and evaluate which of these may be the issue.

If your kids show signs of having negative attitudes in your homeschool, there are a few very practical things you can do to deal with them.

1. Change your usual approach.

You cannot combat a negative attitude in your homeschool when you have a negative attitude yourself. Talk to your child, listen, encourage them, and speak life to how they are viewed by their Lord. The Lord said that if we have faith as a mustard seed, then all things are possible. Take your children to scripture through God’ Words of how He sees them.

2. Seek the Lord.

Ask yourself if you are guiding your children and yourself through starting the day His Word and with prayer. Pray to show grace and mercy to your children daily. Take some time  each week to share God’s love with other people, beginning with your children.

Beginning to do these things for yourself first will help you to keep your mind away from having a negative attitude. Children are always watching you. We have to guard them against the effects of our behaviors that they may pick up. Seek God and help your kids do the same.

3. Acknowledge your child’s feelings.

School is tough for some kids. Math made my son very negative about school and his abilities. We would have a tough day, and at the end of the day, he would apologize to me as if he did something wrong because he didn’t understand. It really affected him. When your child says things like, “I hate school.” “I will never get this.” “I am not smart enough.” Or things of that sort, listen to them and give them about ten minutes to describe or complain about things.

After this time is up, help your child work through their feelings and emotions. So many times, parents make kids think it isn’t right for them to have negative feelings. When, in fact, having these feelings is part of us being humans.

Negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones, and the more we replace negativity with a godly substitution, the more peace, and joy our children can experience.

Chronic negative thinking, depression, and similar disorders are only increasing worldwide and not going away. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the U.S. are affected, which is nearly 20 percent of the population – this includes Christians.

Sometimes negative feelings spring out from emotions and self-doubt. Remember to acknowledge your child’s feelings but don’t let them dwell on them. Work with your children to combat negative thinking.

Get down to their level and talk to them, listen, and show them how the Bible states they are wonderfully and fearfully made.