4 Thing to Try During Homeschool Burnout

April is often a month of hope, warmer weather and natural beauty in bloom. And most likely, homeschool mama and/or kiddo burn-out.

The struggle can be real. You are thirty-ish weeks in, you can taste summer break and the kids are stir crazy and so over math. Mom is so over math.

The remaining weeks can feel like the end of a marathon. I never have attempted the 26.2 miles endeavor but my youngest brother has.

Watching a video via text message when he hit mile 22ish, hit me hard. I could feel the anguish, the physical and mental battle. Give up and spare his body the immense pain and crippling fatigue? Or keep going to the victory that you've endured arduous training to reach?

I learned soon after my brother finished, around mile 23, a friend and former marathoner saw him, jumped in the race, and ran alongside him. Fortifying him and inspiring him to envision the finish as tangible. The thought brought out some big sister crocodile tears.

Running alongside someone who has done it or is doing it, is crucial. Those who have gone before us will lift us up, give us hope and remind us of the why.

Year-end is the time of the year for homeschool moms to be together. To remind each other of the why. To carry each other and offer a listening ear.

It's surely helpful to recognize you are not alone in the trenches.

One good thing about the internet is you can receive verbal solidarity via earbuds amidst never-ending laundry and dishes. It makes the menial tasks more fun (hello much needed adult conversation) and others let us into their lives and simply point out that the struggle is needed (and temporary) for the end goal.

A lifeline that veteran and current homeschool moms repeatedly emphasize: homeschool provides freedom and creativity when it comes to learning.

The truth is, we have about three years of material needed to cover over a span of twelve years time. Need to repeat that to yourself? Yeah, me too.

We can take different approaches and temporarily let a lot go. We don't have to fully mirror traditional school. Actually isn't that kinda one of the main points of homeschool? Shelve for the time being any and all draining material and whatever you feel like you have to get to and spend some time learning what your kids love to learn. And just be mom and enjoy them. Here are 3 things to try during homeschool burnout.

     

Car-Schooling. I am a big proponent of homeschool outside of the home. Maybe, I am just one of those people that likes to get out. I often feel that my un-scrubbed, rather cluttered spaces of my home are staring me down. So we do school in the car. On the way to more, fun learning.

We pack some quick snacks and journey to a metro park or the zoo or even just a good spot in the woods somewhere. 

Venturing out sometimes even involves a latte(for mama) and always an audiobook (for all).

Audiobooks are a form of reading aloud. Reading aloud is one the best things you can do to enhance your child's readings skills. It develops sophisticated language patterns, fluency and vocabulary.

Pick a book momma wants to read and you're giving yourself a mental boost all while developing these skills and bonding with your children.

My kind of learning. 

While we are out, I ask my kids questions and they ask me questions. We look at the maps at the zoo and discuss details about the animals.

At metro parks, we creek and catch and release frogs and crawl-dads. Boosts their immune system, inflates their mental health and grows their desire to explore and problem solve. Plus they aren't jumping off the walls and destroying my furniture so that's a bonus.

Board game schooling. I tried this once for a week. We played sequence and clue and geography games. One week turned into three. Haha, whoops. It was the same year that my extroverted oldest had a new baby brother, couldn't visit people a la covid restrictions and God brought it to mind that what she really needed was to bond with her mama.

Oh how I was stressing about the end of the year testing. Especially math, (are you seeing a trend here? Is math not such a daggone necessary evil?) because ahem, to-be-honest, after the board-game streak I was crossing out a lot of her daily arithmetic problems. Shhh, don't tell.

Turns out, she couldn't have tested higher. I say that not to impress you but rather to impress upon you the truth that God is for you and your child and it is ok to dabble in some freedom. To let the gaming do some of the teaching.

End the year early. No joke. Your kids have so much time to learn the essentials. And maybe they may just learn what is more essential. Building relationships. Dwelling on the good, true and beautiful. Our kids discover so much through play. Let them play.

Mom needs a break? Been there. Take the break. Take as long as you need. Ask a friend, grandparent or a spouse to do the heavy lifting. Feel like no one can help? Get a gym membership with daycare. Take a book and then soak in the hot tub. Daily. Exercising our mental health muscles are pertinent too.

Cuddle with your kids and binge watch funny you-tube videos or pick one of your favorite read-a louds. And they don't have to be educational.

Take care of yourself so you no longer feel like you are drowning.

Take 6 weeks or more and pick up the formal learning again when you all feel ready. So much of the pressure we feel is self-inflicted. We often place too high expectations on our kids, ourselves, if the laundry is done and in reality God may really be calling us to is experiencing more of Him and His world.

Get Away. Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. When my mom was homeschooling in the early 90's, words of wisdom that were passed on to her were to spend quarterly time away from the children. Thankfully for me, mom never forgot that little nugget of insight and offers regularly to take my children. 

The hubs and I just returned from a quaint little area of rural Ohio dubbed Amish Country. We read, napped, visited wineries with gorgeous hilly views, walked in the woods and watched a really long, entertaining movie. We came back (mostly) rejuvenated and (pretty much) ready to finish the school year.

If both parents can't leave the kids, I suggest finding a homeschool conference and attending with or without a friend. The conferences are encouraging and fun. A breath of fresh air. My bestie and  I often remark just how invigorating it was to be surrounded by so many like-minded mamas.

Whenever we experience this burnout, it can feel hard and confusing as to what is the wise, next step. It's difficult to temporarily or permanently put aside the curriculum. I would argue that it's important to remember your calling as Mom first and that it is a ok to just diligently enjoy your kids for a while. To spend time in nature or with your savior. After all, when Jesus calls you out of the boat and you get that sinking feeling, our best bet is to take our eyes off the storm and instead focus on Him.

2 Cor 3: 17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Favorite homeschool podcasts:

Heidi St. John

Mom-to-mom Podcast

*All of the audio books I use are freely downloaded from the app Hoopla. I will often pick out the night before three picture books and/or a longer chapter book we are reading and set the books by the door.