For Mothers who home school....?

Question

Do you ever get sick of doing it sometimes I feel so tired and want to give up and send them to school it is hard doing it all.Do any of you feel the same?

Answer 1

Oh yes. Quite often. But take a good long look at the schools in your area. We did this and tired or not, burnt out or not, frustrated or not, my kids are so much better off at home where they don't have to learn about oral s*x at age 6 on the bus, foul language in Kindergarten, get offered drugs at 8, repeat the same lessons 3 years in a row, or be bored out of their minds and learn to hate learning.  That's not to mention the anti-religious, anti-America, anti-business propaganda they have to filter out at such a young age.

If you spend 2 hours learning with your kids (up til 4th grade) they will far exceed what the kids in public school are doing - add another hour for 4th and 5th and another for 6th-9th. 9-12th can easily be turned over to them to do independent study with a max of 3 hours of your time involved - you just have to keep an eye on them so that they stay focused.

If you are really getting burnt out take 3 months off this summer - do nothing  but field trips and reading. Then in the Fall start a new schedule. The one that works best for us is 8 weeks Schooling (5 days a week) and then 2 weeks off.  Do this for 4 cycles per year with the fifth cycle being only 5 weeks of schooling and then you have 7 weeks off for the summer. (that adds up to 185 school days per year). This allows us a mini break every 2 months and it is so nice to have a chance to rest and regroup.

There are other options:

Approximatly 2 weeks on and 1 week off all year round

Or you can do school 3 or 4 days a week year round

Some people do school from Sept 1st - December 1st (5 days a week) and then take all of December off, then work again from Jan 1st-March first and take off all of April then work till June 10th and then take off until September.

The key is to find out where your burnout starts and take a break BEFORE it sets in. Even if your break is just doing a unit study on something fun like cooking, pioneers, or Christmas.

Answer 2

I get like that too. We home school for 6 weeks then take a week off. During that week off we either visit family or just sit around the house. And another thing, we don't clean that week either! Well, only the important things like dishes etc. But I don't stress over the toys or beds. The days go by so slow compared to the other 6 weeks. We all feel refreshed and ready to go. It helps sooo much!

Answer 3

Why is it hard? Are you making it harder than it is? Are you using a curriculum everyone enjoys? Is it just stressing you out? Do the kids fight you? Are you part of a home school group/ Co-Op?

For us it's relatively simple and over with quickly. The only time I wish I could send them back is when I'm trying to work (I also have a pt job at home). We use the Sonlight curricula and love it!

Think about what you find is hard and try to simplify it. If you hate the curricula try to find one you like. Right now is the best time to start looking at others. Curriculum fairs are starting up.  Call a local H.S. group to find out if they know of one. They can also provide support and you may be able to see what others are using.

It's also the end of the year and you might be ready for summer vacation!

Good Luck and God Bless!

Edited to add: Oh boy even with this question you have to have the socialization bs come up! LOL!

Edited again: Start summer vacation early! Schools let off later this month (in our area). Maybe you can start your break early and pick up next school year early (or on time)

Answer 4

Yep, yesterday actually. Then I slept and I am having a better day today. An apology to my daughter for a yucky attitude was in order as well, we both felt better afterward. Hang in there! It gets better, promise.

Answer 5

I don't really understand why some parents home school their kids. School is great, specially for socializing and having friends! It's kind of a gate that permits children to have a small idea about outer world, to deal with difficulties, to discover lots of things without parents being after them...

Answer 6

I second the suggestion to take time off. Kids learn SO much just by doing what they enjoy - take some time and just connect with them in fun ways. They really do learn all the time!

Answer 7

When I get frustrated, I step back, take a break and re-evaluate how I approach my child’s education. I look at all the good homeschooling has done for my little girl. I ask for help if I need it and I also remember that if I am getting worn down, my child probably needs a rest too. I know this is the best thing for my family and I do not want to give up, but I there are rough patches. Always keep in mind that what you are doing is challenging. Why wouldn’t it be? Don’t sweat it. Challenges are also rewarding. When it gets a bit too much, make time for yourself. Don’t forget the restorative powers of a long bubble bath.

Answer 8

I think we all have those days, but keep your chin up!  The end of the school year is hard.  You're almost there but there's still work to do.  Remember that you are not confined to the schedule that the school follows.  It's OK to play hooky once in a while!  We are finished our math for the year, but not our language arts.  But that's alright.  We can do some over the summer, if need be.  I'm feeling a little overdone right now, too.  I'm pretty sure my kids are, as well.  Just for the moment, we've trimmed our school day down to the essentials.  We're also going on a lot of field trips and play arrangements.  Don't worry!  You're not alone.  Anyone who says they have no bad days, is not telling you the truth!  Keep it up!

Answer 9

I get to that point now and then. I've learned to take it as a HUGE signal that I'm heading towards burnout!

So, my advice to you would be to look up "homeschool burnout" on the web. Lots of articles and advice and ideas. When I get to a point of burnout, I usually have to step back and just let things roll for a while--have fun, relax, get more sleep... You might think, "But they're acting horribly/aren't getting anything done!" You're right. But when mom's not feeling right, they can't feel right, and some kids are more susceptible than others. My 7yo ds is far more emotional and difficult when **I'm** premenstrual, for example! They are our little mirrors and do so much better when we're doing better. So take some time off, go to the park more, go on field trips more, pull out all kinds of recyclables and build something together... They've got a whole lot of time to learn what they need to and the most important thing at home is the relationship--so take some time to have a good relationship with them (which leads to them having a good relationship with each other)!