Homeschool Burn-Out
Have you ever felt burned-out from homeschooling? Numerous things can cause a feeling of burn-out when a mom has been homeschooling for years.
Physical exhaustion can lead to burn-out, because homeschool moms don’t usually get enough sleep or exercise (self-care). Can I hear an amen? Homeschool moms can also get emotionally drained from stress. Educating children is stressful, even if the children are well-behaved and obedient. We want to do an outstanding job as teachers and as trainers of our children’s character. On top of that, we want to have a nice home that is clean and organized.
Many homeschool moms must live on a tight budget, which also causes stress. The list could go on and on: sickness in the family, special-needs child, care-taker to a parent, job-loss, etc. I’m sure if you have homeschooled long enough, you’ve experienced some very stressful situations. These situations can be used for good to allow you to teach your children how to deal with stress or crisis.
For me, burn-out came when I was homeschooling and trying to work part-time. At this time, my health was getting worse and worse. I kept pushing myself and didn’t listen to the warning signs that my body sent me. This was not smart. One day my body just said….that’s enough! I had to slow down.
Hubby and I decided that when the fall came around we would put our kids in a Christian school. The oldest really was excited and the younger one didn’t really care. We had always taken things one-year-at-a-time, so we didn’t feel guilty. I did have some people who treated me like I was a bad mom. I knew I was doing what was needed at the time.
For two years, my kids were in school, and they did great! The oldest graduated with honors and enjoyed the sports and social life. The younger was also an honor student. I rested and rested. I learned a lot and spent much time with God.
After those two years, our youngest was homeschooled again. He was excited to come back home. He stayed home until he graduated. My health did continue to get worse and worse, but we worked through videos and tutors.
If you can, try to prevent burn-out. Give yourself a break. You can’t do everything. If burn-out happens, it happens. Work with it and don’t fight it. See what needs to change and let God change your family for the better. God will bless….period.
@2016, copyright Lisa Ehrman
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- Lisa has been blogging since 2013, and loves sharing resources and ideas for living a simple life. To get free printables, bonus words, and more - sign up for the newsletter.
As with all burn out, it’s good to take a break. I agree with you. It’s better in the long run too.
Thanks, Calvin. Prevention is sure better than dealing with the misery of burn-out. 🙂