Nicola's home education hacks
Nicola educates her two daughters at home. Her younger daughter has sensory processing disorder which presents additional challenges.
Nicola's top tips include:
- Go outside for a walk in a field or a park, and prompt your children to be aware of their senses.
- Stay true to your parental role, guiding your children in a safe space.
- For parents or carers of children with SEND, take a spontaneous break if you notice them become dysregulated.
Nicola remains aware of her own emotions too. To mitigate the risk of burnout, she suggests journaling, yoga and mindfulness activities.
Video: Emotional challenges
Watch this video to find out all the tips and advice Nicola has learned from educating her daughters at home.
NICOLA
My name is Nicola and I've got two daughters. One is Bonnie-Rae and she is nine. And then I've got Hallie and she is five.
Going down the route of home education has completely, completely changed our mental health because I've got both of my girls home educating.
It's managing the dynamics of: one's not okay. What can I do with the other one? How am I feeling? So yeah, in those times it can get difficult, but I'm learning as I go.
I can sort of spot when they're starting to get dysregulated, and if I can see that, I'll know then that they need a break.
Because Hallie is autistic and because she's got sensory processing disorder, keeping her in the right regulated place can be really, really hard. So something we call upon is sensory regulation.
Another thing that we do quite regular to help with their emotions and feelings is going out, we will just kind of get our shoes on and go and have a walk, go on the field, go on the park. They absolutely love just being out in nature. We like to do, what can you see? What can you smell? What can you hear?
As a mum, it gives me that time just to think, okay, let's just recharge and reset.
Something I've worked out is that I have to be okay in order for them to be okay. When you are home educating, it could be quite easy to sort of get into burnout. As a parent.
I started doing things like journaling, I do meditation, mindfulness, yoga. I just kind of try and squeeze these things in. As soon as I did that, I could look after them better.
The way that we do home education is very natural, so I don't feel like a teacher as such. Don't think I've changed who I am. I'm just mum.
Having that relationship really, really helps with their emotions. Knowing that you are that safe, non-judgmental person. You just have to be mum or dad. Guiding, showing, exploring. And that is teaching.
Where can I read more about emotional challenges and home education?
For more helpful hints about the emotional challenges presented by home education, take a look at our guides on how to look after your mental wellbeing, how to stay motivated when home educating plus ten common fears and tips for overcoming them.
For general advice about wellbeing and parenting, check out these Bitesize Parents' Toolkit articles: How can I talk to my kids about their emotions?, five ways to incorporate mindfulness into your child’s day and six self-care tips for parents.
Where can I find more support for home education and parenting?
The BBC Bitesize home education collection is designed to support you and your child’s learning at home with free resources for early years and foundation stage (EYFS), primary and secondary-age students.
Bitesize Parenting is the go-to place for the whole parenting community to find stories, expert advice and fun activities.
If your child has special educational needs and / or disabilities, be sure to check out the Parenting SEND collection. Bitesize also has a collection of Sensory Stories, an immersive video series that transports you on unique sensory adventures, for children with additional or complex needs.
For more information about home education, these BBC News articles cover the rise in families deciding to educate their children at home and, from 2021, the impact of Covid on home education.
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