Episode 3: Why Your Homeschool Mindset Matters (& How to Transform It)
In this episode of The Positively Homeschooling Podcast, Amy dives deep into a crucial topic for every homeschool parent: mindset. She shares how mindset work has transformed her from a stressed, frustrated mom to a more relaxed and positive homeschooling parent. She explains what “homeschool mindset” means and discusses the incredible influence your thoughts, words, and beliefs have on your homeschooling journey. Amy introduces the concept of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset, with insights from psychologist Carol Dweck’s research.
Through real-life examples, Amy illustrates how shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset can change your approach to challenges in homeschool life. She shares how beliefs like “I’m not a math person” or “I’m just disorganized” create barriers that can be transformed by adopting a growth mindset. Using personal stories and actionable tips, Amy encourages listeners to identify limiting beliefs and replace them with empowering, growth-oriented thoughts, and shows how even small mindset shifts can create a positive ripple effect for both parents and children.
Tune in to learn how a growth mindset can be your superpower in homeschooling and life, helping you and your kids thrive by embracing challenges, cultivating resilience, and enjoying the journey.
Episode Highlights:
- What Is Homeschool Mindset? — Understand how your thoughts, beliefs, and self-talk shape your homeschooling experience. Amy defines what it means to have a homeschool mindset and the difference it makes in your day-to-day life.
- Growth vs. Fixed Mindset — Inspired by Carol Dweck’s work, Amy explains how shifting to a growth mindset can help both you and your kids.
- Practical Shifts — Get tips on identifying and transforming negative self-talk. Whether it’s about homeschooling organization or teaching a challenging subject, Amy encourages you to replace fixed mindset thoughts with empowering growth-focused statements.
- Mindset in Action With personal stories, including her struggles with homeschool organization, Amy shows how mindset changes create lasting impact in areas that might seem challenging.
Transformative Questions to Ask Yourself:
- Are there areas in my homeschool where I feel “stuck” or limited?
- What fixed mindset thoughts am I holding onto, and how can I shift to a growth mindset?
Resource Highlights:
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck — Learn more about growth and fixed mindsets in this must-read book.
- FREE Resource: Check out the Mindset Kit’s mini-course for parents on Growth Mindset—a fantastic starting point with activities to explore mindset shifts together with your kids!
- Find FREE printable resources and activities at Rock Your Homeschool.
If you have any questions or feedback, Amy would love to hear from you! Reach out at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com. Tune in and get ready to transform your homeschool journey one mindset shift at a time!
Prefer to read? I’ve put the transcript to this episode below! Let me know if you have any questions 😊
Why Your Homeschool Mindset Matters (& How to Transform It)
Hey there, mama! In this third episode of the Positively Homeschooling Podcast, I’m sharing about a topic that is near and dear to me – Mindset.
Mindset work has absolutely, positively, undeniably been the #1 thing that has helped me from being stressed out, frustrated, and negative to a more relaxed, patient, and positive homeschool mom. And I’m so excited to talk about all of this with you!
As you listen (thank you so much for taking the time and being here with me!), I ask that you make note of any questions or ideas that pop into your head as we move along. And share those questions and ideas by emailing me at rockyourhomeschool@gmail.com.
I’ve been studying this topic for years so I’m very familiar with it. If something that I’m explaining doesn’t make sense, just let me know! It’s like when my boys are trying to explain Minecraft to me – they know it inside and out and I’m like wait – who is Steve?!?
Okay, back to homeschool mindset matters!! Your mindset (how you think and feel) greatly affects all that you do. Homeschooling is no exception!
⭐ Homeschool life can be relaxed, fun, and positive. Oh, and it can be enjoyable for all! But, here’s the thing: It starts with YOU.
I don’t say that to heap on any pressure or expectations. I do, however, believe that how and what you think and feel about homeschooling does influence your overall experience.
What Is A Homeschool Mindset?
What is a homeschool mindset? Basically, it is how you think about your homeschool lifestyle. Your homeschool mindset is:
- the words (internal and external) you use to describe your homeschool life
- the feelings that those words evoke
- the overall mood and attitude those words create
Words have power. Tremendous power. Words that we say aloud and the words in our head. You know, internal dialogue. Self-talk.
For example: Think about if you’re on a diet. You’ve been working so hard to be “good”. Your kids want to go to the local ice cream shop. You tell yourself, “Just a little bit won’t hurt!” Then, those few licks are so delicious and before you know it, you’ve had a whole cone of brownie batter ice cream. You feel like you fell off the diet wagon because you start some black-and-white thinking. “Oh, I totally ruined my diet! Might as well throw the towel in and forget it.” And then it’s a downward spiral – until you decide to get back on the diet wagon again.
You may be familiar with breaking down your thoughts like this in terms of a diet or budget. But, have you ever considered how your mindset could affect your homeschool?
If not, I highly encourage the practice. I know for a fact that transforming your homeschool mindset from negative thoughts and feelings to positive growth and potential is extremely effective in putting you on the path to homeschool peace of mind.
And having a growth mindset can help you in so many ways!
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Growth mindset (based on the work by Carol Dweck – I highly recommend her amazing book, Mindset) basically means that you can change – your abilities and talents can be developed through hard work, strategies, and trying new things. It’s about effort, process, and progress.
MINDSET : NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS
I like to view it as you having the power (like a superpower!) to make a difference – have an impact – transform your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. And when you combine all of those amazing powers – BOOM! You’ll skyrocket into a whole new level of functioning, living, and being.
Fixed mindset, on the other hand, is when you think your abilities or talents are set – innate – don’t change. You’re either good or bad at something (black-and-white thinking).
One example of a fixed mindset is thinking you’re “not a math person”. Maybe you had a bad experience with math at some point or it just doesn’t come easily to you. So, you think (or maybe have been told?) that you’re not a math person. And if you have to do math, you freeze or start to sweat or freak out to the point that you can’t do the math – reinforcing your negative beliefs. And the cycle continues…
A key point to remember is that we all have tendencies towards a growth or fixed mindset, depending on the situation or skill. Totally normal!
I want you to have a greater awareness of what (and how) you’re thinking impacts you and your kids. I know that awareness will allow you to have a better understanding of your current situation and how you’re processing it.
Growth mindset is so much more than a buzzword. It’s an approach to life that helps you propel your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Growth mindset moves you from being stuck in a rut, feeling helpless and hopeless to believing that you have what it takes to succeed, be happy, and become a better person.
Through years of research, Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist, found there was a difference between how people experienced and interpreted the world around them. She discovered the difference between a fixed vs. growth mindset.
Dweck’s work has had a major impact on education, as well as personal and professional functioning. Her findings provide hope and guidance on learning, practicing, and enjoying these positive growth mindset skills.
Growth mindset for kids has become extremely popular, with many excellent resources and sites. I weave these ideas and practices into our homeschool life with 5 boys.
Before I get to all that, I wanted to share this amazing free resource from Mindset Kit that teaches parents about Growth Mindset. This mini-course gives a great explanation of fixed vs. growth mindset plus some activities for further work.
Here’s my take on fixed vs. growth mindset (and I’d love to hear your ideas!):
- Fixed mindset: when you believe that your abilities are set and there’s nothing you can do to change it (In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck explains fixed mindset as “Believing that your qualities are carved in stone”.)
- Growth Mindset: when you believe that your abilities can change and improve with work and practice (As Dweck states, “everyone can change and grow through application and experience”.)
There is no good or bad, right or wrong with all of this mindset stuff. It’s simply how you approach the world. Often, your mindset is formed from your early childhood experiences and natural tendencies. But, not always…
There are a lot of factors that can come into play with mindset. And you might have more of a growth mindset in one area, and more of a fixed mindset in another. And that’s completely normal!
The awesome news: Even if you have a fixed mindset (and would like to learn and practice a growth mindset), YOU CAN!
It will take time and work. You’re going to have to be honest and challenge yourself again and again.
I broke down fixed vs. growth mindset concepts into a super simple chart. Sometimes, a visual makes it easier to understand something – you can find it in the show notes. I’ll read it aloud now, too.
Example of Transforming Your Mindset
Here’s an example: If you’ve got a fixed mindset going on for organization, what can you do?
For the longest time, I have thought that I’m just not an organized person. I’m too scattered. Too squirrely. I’m like an absent-minded professor. And who can be organized when they live with 5 boys?!?
Oh, I know I should be more organized. And I know if I put the time and effort in that our homeschool would be a well-organized machine.
So, why don’t I do it?!? Why don’t I create a homeschool organization system that works for our family? And stick with it?
Because I have it in my head that I can’t do it! I don’t know how. It’s too hard. I don’t know where to begin. I have so many other things that I could be doing. And, why bother?!? I’ll just squirrel and mess it all up.
Oooh! Girl! Did you see all that fixed mindset stuff going on there?
It’s really no wonder that I struggle with homeschool organization. (And that’s only the tip of the iceberg! I have a list a mile long in my head of reasons I’m just not an organized person.)
So, do I can hang my head in shame and just keep going on being a disorganized, hot mess express of a homeschool mom? OR do I decide to make a change? I CAN transform those thoughts and feelings. I can dig down, go deep, make the realization, and start the change.
Hmm…wonder which option would be the best for my homeschool and me? 😉
This homeschool organization fixed mindset is a hard one for me. I’ve put off dealing with my homeschool organization issues for too long (which makes it feel even harder to tackle).
Maybe you can relate to this in relation to homeschool organization or another area of your homeschooling? Personally, I’m tired of it and I’m ready to make the change. I’m ready to kick those fixed mindset ideas to the curb and get on with positively homeschooling.
What would help me overcome this struggle? I have a few ideas. I can:
- Identify my fixed mindset self-statements (that self-talk that goes on in my head), outer statements (what I say aloud to others), feelings, and actions.
- Transform those fixed mindset ideas into growth mindset thoughts, feelings, and actions.
- Let’s break that all down now and look at how to transform from fixed to growth. I won’t go in detail into all of it now. Let me know if you’re interested in detailed, step-by-step examples and I’ll be happy to do that!:
- I don’t know how. – Well, that’s okay! I don’t have to know how to do everything. And I don’t know how – YET! (We’ll be looking much closer at this powerful word YET very soon!)
- It’s too hard. – Hmm…is it really? Or am I not putting in the effort to try to change and improve? If it truly is too hard, can I ask someone for advice and help?
- I don’t know where to begin. – Yes, that can be a tough one! Overwhelm can lead you to feeling like you’re spinning out. When that’s the case, usually the best thing to do is pick just one thing and do it. And appreciate how good it feels to accomplish it.
- I have so many other things that I could be doing. – Sure, I’m busy and could use my time doing other things. BUT, I could also save myself and my boys A LOT of time by working on the organization, step by step. And I can be a great model to them of being more organized – WIN-WIN!
- And, why bother?!? I’ll just squirrel and mess it all up. – Ooh! Not good! I’m gathering negative evidence here that’s tearing down and not building up. Even if I have done that in the past, it doesn’t mean that I have to continue that way. I CAN change and I CAN be organized. And I’m working on a plan to do it!
- Let’s break that all down now and look at how to transform from fixed to growth. I won’t go in detail into all of it now. Let me know if you’re interested in detailed, step-by-step examples and I’ll be happy to do that!:
- Determining my who, what, when, where, why, & how for Positive Change.
- Set myself realistic deadlines/timeframe.
- Track my progress.
- Devise a self-rescue plan (what to do if and when I regress).
- Celebration plan! What I’ll do when I know it’s a WIN!
I’ll be going over ALL of those things in greater depth in this podcast. I’ll share how to use affirmations (positive self-statements), inspirational quotes, visualization and relaxation techniques, mindset moves (kind of like yoga), and more.
The thing about learning and practicing a growth mindset is this: It takes time, work, and patience. AND I know that as a homeschool mom you probably have very little of each. That’s why we’ll be working on all of this together on this podcast 😉
⭐ Free printable cheat sheet ⭐
Ready to enjoy homeschooling with less stress? Learn my 5 simple steps for feeling more confident, patient, & relaxed.
Because you deserve to feel calm —no matter what comes your way!
I’ll be chatting about ways to go from fixed to growth mindset and much more here. Some of the topics (applied to being a homeschool mom) will be:
- Fear vs. Courage/Bravery
- Frustration vs. Satisfaction/Acceptance
- Stress vs. Relaxed
- Erratic vs. Consistent
- Exhaustion vs. Energy
- Apathetic/Uninspired vs. Motivated
- Distraction vs. Focus
- Doubtful vs. Confident
- Shame vs. Self-Worth
- Self-Sabotage/Neglect vs. Self-Care
- Rigidity vs. Flexibility
The bottom line is this: The way that you think truly does have an impact on your homeschool and yourself.
Remember: Words have power. Tremendous power. The words that we say aloud and the words in our head. Those words impact our thoughts which in turn impact our feelings and actions.
I’ll be going into more depth about homeschool mindset and what you can do for more specific struggles. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas on this topic (or other homeschool matters) by going to the show notes and filling out the simple form. I’ll be happy to talk more about this and how to help you with positively homeschooling. Until next time, friend!
