50 Ways to Scrap Your Schoolbook

Bought at curriculum that’s driving your family crazy? Here are 50 ways to scrap your schoolbook! (This is an update on a classic post.)

50 Ways to Scrap Your Schoolbook

You can feel it coming.

The first sign that the time is near: when you hear your homeschooler say something significant after he reluctantly opens his least favorite textbook,

“What’s that TERRIBLE noise? Mom? Mom! Quit that whining- it will just drag the lessons out!!”

It is time for an intervention. I KNOW you just spent big bucks on that curriculum and it is everyone else’s favorite, but YOU and YOUR HOMESCHOOLER hate it!

If you continue on this track, your child will learn more and more about hating education.

Think about this:

Go back to the winter before you started homeschooling. You were making plans, doing research, writing goals, stating educational philosophies. The world was starry and bright. Was this one of your written goals?

Assure that my child dislikes learning and engages in misery on a daily basis.

It wasn’t? But if that is the result you’re getting, maybe it is time to ditch the thing and start over. I know it is sad but the problem is all inside your head, you see. The answer is easy if you take it logically. I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free.

There must be 50 ways to scrap your schoolbook (apologies to Paul Simon).

Well, actually, we only have 10:

1. Pass it on to someone who irritates you 🙂

Why yes when you have agonized over ditching a curriculum because you have a huge list of all the reasons it does NOT work it seems wrong to pass it on. But just like there is not one right way to homeschool, there is also not one way a homeschool mom teaches. What does not work for you could be the exact fit and blessing to another homeschool mom.

2. Take it to the nearest recycle bin:

If you have come to the conclusion that no one in this world could actually benefit from this curriculum then by all means recycle it. Maybe you don’t want anyone to know you have dumped using it and that is ok! The goal here is to find what works for your homeschool and be free from the current agony.

3. Donate it to your umbrella school’s library:

I love curriculum lending libraries! It has allowed me great chances to try a curriculum to see if it will work for my family. It has also helped me save some money in years when things were very tight on one income. Even if you don’t belong to a homeschool group there might be a group in your area with a library. Ask around and donate!

4. Use it as kindling for your autumn bonfire:

Might I suggest buying s’mores to go with the bonfire! Gather your kids around the fire talk about things that interest them spend some time making memories. Now I am pretty sure using their school books to start the fire will become a memory so you might as well take advantage and add to the memories! Your grandkids will probably hear about this one.

5. Sell it on Facebook marketplace to someone who doesn’t know better:

There are a bunch of used curriculum groups for selling and this is a great way to recoup some money to use toward the purchase of a new curriculum. Even if you have used the first few chapters sometimes moms can still get some use out of it for the right price. I have sold both like new and really used items. Please be mindful of copyrights, we always want to support our small homeschool businesses working hard to provide awesome curriculum choices.

6. Have in Immature Party with your kid and draw mustaches on all the pictures:

If you know that you are going to recycle or use it for kindling why not have some fun before you do. It might be a great time to discuss with your student why you are letting this one go and selecting another choice. Sometime we need to give our kids the chance to communicate why it didn’t work for them or what they think they need to succeed.

7. Tell your kid to “accidentally” leave it under his best friend’s bed next time he goes to visit:

Bonus points for creating a learning experience out of this. Track how long it takes for the friend to return the book or other agreed upon observations. Maybe interview the family on if they have ever changed curriculums when things were stressful.

8. Put it on your bookshelf until it holds 1/4 inch dust- then throw it away:

Ok so sometimes you just are not ready to make a decision. Maybe another child will find it useful. So place it on the shelf until the day comes you know it is now time to get rid of it.

9. Wrap it up in Christmas paper and regift it- good laughs at the annual gift exchange:

Oh my goodness what fun this could be at a homeschool mom meeting! Everyone bring one book that they don’t need and have a fun game to exchange them. Maybe each mom could share the good, the bad and the ugly with their choice.

10. Tell your kid about the power of exploring and changing course when an idea doesn’t work (this one’s for real):

This might be a great time to have you student do some research and see if they can find a curriculum that they think will work for them. They can create a presentation on what they find. Give them a budget to tie in financial literacy.

We hope 50 Ways to Scrap Your Schoolbook helps you to find creative ideas for when you need to make that curriculum change in your homeschool.

NOW you can start fresh. Download some of 7Sisters Homeschool NO-BUSYWORK, adaptable to different levels of ability and interest, inspirational:

• meaningful, transcript-enhancing electives 
• life-changing financial literacy
• teach-your-teen-to-think world history text
• inspirational literature study guides
• you-can-do-it writing guides
• fun, fantastic elementary literature activity guides
• interactive prayer guides and FREE apologetics course
• wow-producing speech and drama resources

Scrap those bad-fit schoolbooks and get something better with 7Sisters Homeschool.

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