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There comes a point during the homeschool year when the excitement for new curriculum and routines starts to wear off, motivation decreases, and there is still a considerable amount of time left in the school year. If you’re anything like me, you probably wake up every day at this point, wondering how to even get started with morning time. But I want you to know that you are not alone and you are not failing. You’re just a regular homeschool mom that’s feeling a little discouraged and uninspired right now.
In this blog post, I’m going to share with you some realistic things you can do as you push through the rest of the homeschool year. Remember, the goal isn’t to do more, but to make our load lighter and more enjoyable so that we can finish the school year strong.
STOP TO REFLECT BEFORE YOU KEEP GOING
Usually, when there’s little motivation to push through homeschool, we believe it’s time to push harder. But really, we should be doing the opposite. Forcing school when everyone is grumpy and unmotivated usually doesn’t lead to a productive day. I’m not saying that each school day should be high in motivation, because let’s face it, most kids (especially as they get older) are rarely excited for schoolwork. But when you’re easily frustrated, short tempered, and are dragging through lessons, you will know it’s time.
When I’ve reached that point, I take a few days to sit and reflect in my journal, sometimes using specific prompts or just a good ol’ brain dump to release everything that’s weighing on me about our homeschool. This practice has become one of the tools that have really helped me during the many seasons of homeschool burnout. After releasing everything, every thought, every frustration, every worry, I’m able to take it a lot easier. I still take a few days off to recoup, but once we’re back, school feels so much better.
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:
- Journal Prompts to Help Process Homeschool Burdens
- Journal Prompts for Renewal of the Heart as a Christian Mom
SIMPLIFY AND LET GO OF WHAT ISN’T SERVING YOU
Every school year, we start off with big ambitions to do it all. When the holiday season comes in, certain things get put away so that we’re able to focus on the season. Enter in the New Year and we try to get back to that “beginning of the year” excitement in our homeschool. We plan. We organize. Then the first day back comes and we can’t seem to return to our regular routine. That’s completely normal. I personally like to treat this time in our home like I would the beginning of the school year. And that’s by simplifying.
Start off with just core curriculum the first week back. Each week, add another, maybe two extra subjects until you’re back in full bloom. I would also suggest to use some days off to really reflect on what’s going on in your homeschool. If you tend to feel overwhelmed every single day, then maybe it’s time to cut back on some material. Letting go or even just putting some things aside for some time that aren’t serving your homeschool in this season, is the best way to keep up without feeling like you’re over it.
CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE
When burnout hits and our routine needs a little switch, having a visual family calendar makes a big difference. I’m currently using this one, but as my children get older and can handle electronics a little better, I do plan to switch to something like this, where everyone can check off tasks themselves as they get them done. On our current family calendar, any changes to our routine goes in the weekly layout, since that’s where the kids tend to look at most.
I’ve switched up our homeschool routine more times than I can count, especially when we’re all ready to call it quits. Our school day typically starts between 9:30-10am, but when I’m running low on motivation, we’ve pushed it to after lunchtime. I can honestly say, those later start days have been some of our best days. Having the morning to catch up on house chores gives me the motivation to get school done after. Of course, our routine eventually always shifts back to our regular schedule. But on those days I’m feeling burned out, changing up our routine helps tremendously.
CARE FOR YOURSELF FIRST
Homeschool moms neglecting themselves seems to be a common thing (even when no one wants to talk about it). We can easily forget to feed ourselves when we’re trying to get through the day, making sure we stay on track. Or we forget to enjoy the things we personally like because there’s just so much to get done. Maybe even, we feel the need to handle all of the house chores and refuse anyone’s help. But I’m here to tell you: you need to take care of you first, mom. You cannot pour from an empty cup. If you’re feeling burned out, overwhelmed, depleted, those are the things you will pour out to your family.
Make some time and space for you. Be intentional about it! I find that waking up before the kids always helps me get in a little soul care for the day. But there are many other ways that I put myself first. I recently shared more about this my blog post: Habits That Serve Me As A SAH Homeschool Mom. It’s not okay for you not to be okay. Remember that. In order for your homeschool to run smoothly, mama needs to be in the right headspace and heart posture.
HOMESCHOOL ISN’T DETERMINED BY YOUR FEELINGS
If there’s anything, anything at all, that has really helped me during our homeschool journey is the reminder that we don’t homeschool because we feel like it, but because we have to. I know this might go against everything I just talked about, but it’s so easy to wake up one morning and say to yourself, “ugh, I don’t want to homeschool today” and then not do it. This mentality has led me to burnout more times than I care to admit.
When you constantly tell yourself you don’t want to teach that day, it does something to you. I’m not here to discuss about any scientific cause and effect issues in our brains, but it’s like you program yourself to not want to homeschool. Which eventually does leads to frustration, short temperedness, and overwhelm; all of those symptoms associated with homeschool burnout.
Changing your mentality to I get to homeschool my kids, makes a big difference when you wake up on those days not really want to do it. It’s made a difference in mine. The fact that we chose this route in home education is not something to be taken lightly. I am in charge of my child’s education. You are in charge of your child’s education. So we have to take that responsibility seriously, not only on the days we wake up excited for it.
I’ve been on this journey of home education for almost 7 years now, and it’s never been easy. Maybe when my kids were a lot younger, it didn’t overwhelm me as much, but with 3 kids actively learning, one almost in middle school and a one year old toddler running in the midst, it’s a lot to handle. If I were to homeschool only on the days that I felt up for it, my kids would not have learned anything yet. Remember, we don’t homeschool because we feel like it, but because we have to.
When you’re running low on motivation, it doesn’t mean you’re failing in any way. It just means you’re human, tired, and in need of a break. Reflecting on what’s going on in your homeschool, simplifying, switching up the flow of the day, and caring for yourself first are ways you can carry yourself farther than the pressure to get it done can take you. As you move through the rest of the school year, remember that it’s not about how you feel, but the obedience that comes with taking on this responsibility of our child’s education. Keep showing up. Keep adjusting things. And trust that as you do your part, God will handle the rest in your homeschool journey.
Let’s chat!