Homeschool is a full-time job for parents. The dedication it requires fequently leads to burnout. We will discuss the warning signs and how to keep from burning out.
For parents, homeschool requires dedication and a great deal of time. It is like taking a second (or third, or fourth) job. Unfortunately, homeschooling is done is addition to all other regular duties - parenting, housework, chores, cooking, volunteer activities, paying jobs, and so on. It is so easy to throw oneself into the education of one's children with excitement, only to slam against a brick-like wall of exhaustion months later.
Here are some common signs of burnout:
- Fatigue
- lethargy (having a difficult time getting up and going)
- Hard to summon enthusiasm about schoolwork
- Many chores and jobs are being left undone
- Sense of pressure about your child "falling behind"
- Feeling like a failure
Of course, these can also be signs of something more serious, like depression, and if lasting more than two weeks, should be discussed with a qualified physician.
However, it should be noted that most parents who homeschool face burnout at least once during their homeschooling years (and others, like me, burnout about once a week!). This is especially true for the parent who shoulders most of the homeschooling responsibility.
How can burnout be avoided? Here are some quick and easy ways to avoid burning out:
- Set Reasonable Expectations - It is too easy to look around at other homeschooling families and feel unworthy. Every parent has a unique teaching style and every child has a unique learning style. Even if you aren't making a relief map of the world as yard art using all-natural products so your children get hand-on experience, outdoor phisical activity, and environmental education, you are probably doing just fine with what you are teaching. Get ideas from other homeschooling families, but do not feel pressured to be all you see other families being. We tend to not see our own accomplishments as easily as we see others.
- Be Flexible - I know I say this almost every article, but we have to keep drilling it into our heads. We must be flexible in order to homeschool without burnout. Do not be afraid to change what is not working for your children or your family. If the curriculum is too hard for math, try something else. If your pantries are bare and you need food, but shopping will take all morning, and thus most of your school time, go get the food! It can still be an educational experience for your kids, and you get a major chore done.
- Be Sick - If you are ill, or one of your children is ill, then go ahead and be ill! Put on a movie, listen to a great book on tape, have the kids read to you and one another, make macaroni art - whatever! Do not push schoolwork when you should be resting.
- Take a Break - This is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Sure, take a day off from school when you are all stressed or blue, but what I really mean here, is take one night off a week from your family if you can. Talk it over with your spouse, and arrange to have dinner alone in your room with a good book one night a week, or go out to eat alone or with a friend. When we parent and teach our kids all day, every day, even the most loving of parents feels trapped and caged at times. Taking regular time out can help you stay sane, and keep yourself from burning out completely.
These are just a few things to think about as we continue to plan our school weeks. Remember - if we burn out, or push ourselves so hard, we will have nothing to give our children or our families. Parents who homeschool need to keep in mind that a little tender loving care for one's self can really benefit the entire family!
