Homeschool mom burnout is a genuine occurrence that affects mothers who educate their children at home. It is quite understandable considering the multitude of responsibilities they have to shoulder, including taking care of the household, cooking, and fulfilling their roles as mothers and wives. Managing such a load is indeed challenging.
Homeschool mom burnout
Homeschool burnout occurs when one experiences emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion due to an excessive workload over an extended period, accompanied by associated stress. This leads to feeling overwhelmed and unable to fulfill usual responsibilities.
What are some signs that you are burned out and need a break
You exhibit signs of burnout if you consistently experience feelings of exhaustion, develop a lack of interest in your tasks, and start to doubt your competence in educating and caring for your children.
If you have certain feelings, it is likely that you are experiencing burnout as a homeschool mom.
- frequently feeling that things are too much for you
- running out of patience sooner
- crying
- feeling hopeless
- no energy to do normal tasks
- feeling irritable
- lack creativity
- constantly judging yourself as not good enough
- feeling negative about your role as a homeschool mom
- wanting to give up homeschooling
Can you prevent homeschool mom burnout
Given the multitude of tasks and goals, it is inevitable to experience burnout at some stage. Therefore, here are several recommendations to assist you in managing and evading burnout throughout the year.
Tips to avoid homeschool burnout
1. Stick to what is essential
If you realize that you’re becoming too exhausted to handle everything, it’s important to take a moment and unwind before experiencing a complete breakdown. It’s not necessary for things to be flawless. Your children are not required to complete all their assignments for every subject each day, and you can participate in additional activities with them once you regain your energy.
Take a moment to prioritize the important matters and give yourself and your children a short break. Once you are feeling better, both you and your children can make up for any lost time.
2. Don’t schedule too many activities
It is crucial to be mindful of this point as it can be quite effortless to become trapped in this mindset. You desire your children to enhance their abilities and enjoy their leisure time. Additionally, you wish to occasionally spend time with a friend. However, with teaching, completing tasks, and attending appointments, there is hardly any time left for everyone to simply unwind.
If you and your family do not have any downtime, both you and your entire household will undoubtedly experience burnout. Therefore, when planning your weekly or monthly schedule, be sure to allocate specific time for both yourself and your family to relax and recharge.
3. Take a mental health day
It is important to remember that your mental health is equally crucial as your physical health. Similar to needing rest when you catch a cold, taking a break to recover and rejuvenate your mind is essential when you experience mental exhaustion. This will help you feel refreshed once again.
Take some time off and engage in activities that you and the kids find enjoyable. If feasible, allocate some time exclusively for yourself; whether it’s reading a book, getting a massage, taking a long walk, or leisurely browsing in a mall. The key message is to prioritize taking a day for yourself without any feeling of guilt. You deserve it.
4. Don’t fall into a teaching rut
Although having a routine can be beneficial in achieving your teaching objectives, it can also be advantageous to introduce some variation. Instead of consistently teaching math at the start of Monday morning, consider changing things up by tackling a different subject or venturing outdoors to explore the educational opportunities nature offers.
If you find yourself becoming uninterested in what you are currently doing, take a break and engage in a different activity, even if it is only for a short period or limited to one subject. You can also spontaneously leave your current location, even if it was not initially planned for that day. Learning opportunities can also arise when you are present in nature or at the library.
5. Get help
One approach to prevent burnout is by seeking assistance with teaching. A potential method is to hire a tutor. By having a tutor assume your teaching duties for one day each week, you can utilize that day to address other obligations and most importantly, allocate time for self-care.
Consider collaborating with another homeschooling mother to share the workload and teach different subjects. By dividing the curriculum equally, both parties can alleviate their individual responsibilities and enjoy ongoing assistance.
If you feel the need to take a break or require assistance with teaching a subject you do not enjoy, do not hesitate to ask for help.
Consider asking your spouse, a grandparent, or another trusted adult to take charge of teaching a subject they enjoy. Alternatively, an older sibling can serve as an exceptional teacher. In my case, my eldest brother assists my older children with math, as he possesses a superior understanding of the subject compared to myself.
6. Outsource it
Homeschooling families have access to numerous resources that can assist them in their educational journey, either at no cost or for a reasonable fee. Information for home educators can be found on your local board of education’s website.
By following a logical sequence of thoughts, you will probably discover numerous homeschooling groups in close proximity that can recommend classes covering a wide range of subjects.
My kids have participated in art, dance, and pottery lessons at an Arts Center close to our house, which is less than 5 minutes away. Additionally, the Center provides classes on math, science, history, and chess at a minimal fee. If you need ideas for cost-free educational experiences for your children, consider seeking recommendations from your local librarian.
One possible rephrasing could be: Consider collaborating with other homeschooling parents and forming a co-operative group. If one parent is proficient in a foreign language and another excels in math, you can take turns looking after each other’s children for a few hours per week. Explore the various online classes available, including free options like YouTube and Khan Academy, as well as paid courses such as those provided by the Well Trained Mind.
7. Quiet time
A daily quiet time is beneficial for many homeschooling families, including mine. During this time, younger children can take a nap or engage in quiet play in their beds, while older children can choose to read or simply relax.
In a household where everyone is at home all the time, the daily tranquility is crucial for maintaining peace. The allocated quiet period provides siblings with a short respite from each other, and most importantly, allows mom to enjoy some personal time for activities like reading, praying, writing, savoring a cup of tea, or taking a nap.
8. Change of scenery
When my children are in a negative mood and expressing their dislike for doing schoolwork, I often find that altering their surroundings can have a remarkable effect. For instance, we have experienced great results by taking our books to Starbucks and sipping hot chocolates while working on math and history, or by having a picnic in the park with a blanket and continuing our studies there. Even just relocating our read-aloud sessions to the backyard can significantly improve everyone’s mood.
9. Take a library day
If everything else fails and you’re exhausted, and the children are unwilling to do another page of Saxon math, abandon all of it and announce a Library Day. Visit the library and motivate each child to borrow as many books as they desire. Delight in an entertaining read-aloud.
If possible, attempt to complete a novel within a single day, allowing your kids to take turns reading alongside you to avoid straining your voice. As an additional reward, indulge in watching a movie adaptation of the book for extra credit.
Engaging in the activity of reading and holding conversations about excellent books is equally educational compared to following a specific curriculum. Whether it is historical fiction, biographies, or even a fictional story, these materials provide abundant opportunities for learning and discussions. Occasionally incorporating diverse activities can rejuvenate both students and teachers, including yourself.
10. Include fun activities
One effective approach to avoiding homeschool burnout is to incorporate regular enjoyable activities into the schedule. It is important to remember that education should not solely revolve around studying and covering the curriculum.
Children learn a great deal while enjoying themselves. Engage in activities such as baking cookies, playing board games, or reading a beloved book. You can take turns reading aloud or independently enjoy some quiet reading time with individual books.
Take a break and engage in outdoor activities such as playing ball games. Being outside is beneficial for rejuvenating oneself. Remember the significance of friendship. If you notice a decrease in enthusiasm for teaching and your children’s interest in school tasks, consider planning a social outing with friends.
How to overcome mom burnout
Burnout is not a permanent condition but it also does not resolve within a day or two. When experiencing complete exhaustion, the only solution is to take complete rest.
If you reach a point where you can’t handle it anymore, take a week off during the year to give yourself a complete break. For the majority of homeschooling mothers, the only feasible time to have a substantial period of rest is during the long summer vacation.
1. Allow yourself and your kids to do absolutely nothing
When it comes to my family, we enjoy engaging in activities such as playing video games, watching movies, and browsing the internet. Although I acknowledge it may involve excessive involvement in unproductive tasks, occasionally there is nothing more satisfying than taking a break from reality in this way.
Engaging in these activities with your children purely for fun, rather than as their educator, allows you to reconnect with them on a fundamental human level, which is crucial. If you ever feel exhausted and require a few days to recharge, go ahead and take that time off, without feeling any guilt, as that would undermine the entire purpose.
2. Take more breaks
Many homeschool moms learn this lesson after homeschooling their children for a few years.
Teaching children can be exhausting, especially when done consistently year after year, which may lead to homeschool mom burnout. To prevent this, it is recommended to schedule periodic breaks throughout the year. One way to make room for extra breaks is by starting the school year a little earlier. For instance, you could plan a long weekend break every six weeks.
3. Take mental health breaks
If you find yourself completely exhausted, it is necessary to pause and take a break for your mental well-being. Even with your utmost dedication and careful organization, there will be occasions when you experience feelings of being overburdened.
Taking a break is necessary, as it is not advantageous for anyone to persist in working when all they require is some time off. One advantage of homeschooling is the flexibility to deviate from the regular school routine and take a day or two off. At times, it is healthier for everyone involved to pause and relax.
