There are some subjects in our homeschool that I really love to teach. Literature: I could read and discuss books all day long every day. History: I love to learn about the people and places of the past. Science: although I totally disliked it in school, as a homeschool mom I’ve developed a love for learning the intricacies of God’s world.

On the other hand, however, there are subjects such as math. Although I try not to be disparaging about math in front of the kids, I’ll admit that I’d rather undergo certain forms of torture than be forced to figure out advanced math concepts. And the fine arts have always been a bit of a mystery to me. I like certain kinds of music, but I’m no good at distinguishing one classical piece from another. I’ll also admit that occasionally pieces of “art” just look like nothing to me.

Even though there are definitely subjects that I prefer over others, as a homeschool mom, I’m responsible for making sure that my children have opportunity to learn all of them. So what’s a homeschool mom to do when faced with teaching her children subjects that she doesn’t really like.

Don’t teach them.

Yes, we are responsible for making sure that our children have opportunities to learn all of these subjects, but, often, we don’t have to be the ones teaching them. In our family, I’ve come to realize that I’m just not good at teaching math. Not only is it not my favorite, I’m just not great at it. In our homeschool, we’ve chosen to use mostly video instruction with courses that also provide detailed answer keys to help us figure out what to do when a problem is wrong.

Besides video instruction, you can find a co-op, trade classes with another parent- “I’ll teach your children history if you’ll cover math.”-turn over certain subjects to your spouse, or even send high school students to a community college for dual enrollment. There are many, many ways that you can find to have others who have a passion for the subject teach it. We grouped together with friends to do dissections with all of our children years ago. One mom really enjoyed the challenge and was able to lead the group with enthusiasm while the other mom and I hung back (sometimes way back) and just helped as needed.

Learn with them.

Science was one of my least favorite subjects in school. I’ve later learned that my dislike had quite a bit to do with how it was presented. When I began teaching my own children and had to choose a science curriculum, I was surprised by how much I really began enjoying the subject. As I learned more, I wanted to learn more, and science has actually become one of my favorite subjects as I continue learning it along with my children.

Maybe you don’t care for a subject because of how it was taught in your school or because of a teacher that wasn’t particularly good. If you take some time to find a good curriculum that you enjoy, you may be surprised at how much you come to like that subject. And when you learn more about a subject, you often come to appreciate it more. I’ve tried to be proactive in learning more about art and music, and I have to admit that I’m coming to at least appreciate them more as I know more.

Demonstrate a good attitude.

The fact is, that in life, we may come across lessons we don’t want to learn. There may be things that bore us or that frustrate us with difficulty. There is value in understanding how to learn something we don’t like while still maintaining a good attitude. Sometimes the model for this can be us and how we handle those subjects that aren’t really our favorites.

I have a child who dislikes math as much as I do. We’ve had quite a few conversations about the usefulness of math and the fact that, although we don’t like it and don’t always understand it, there are many math concepts we must know to succeed in day to day life. I hope that I demonstrate by my attitude that there is value in sticking with a subject that we don’t like and working hard to learn it anyway.

There are probably those subjects that you don’t really enjoy. Whether you dislike the subject because it is not interesting or because it frustrates you with difficulty, you can find effective ways of still giving your children the opportunity to learn that subject and be successful in it.

Leah Courtney is a homeschooling mom of four. Her days are filled with being a mom, homemaker, and teacher. In her (very rare) free time, she enjoys blogging, reading, and reviewing books and curricula. These days she’s learning the joys of being a mom of teens. You can read about her family and homeschooling life at As We Walk Along the Road.