How do you cope with homeschooling for the long haul?
Many homeschool veterans will tell you they have found themselves stuck and struggling with homeschooling at times. So what are some reasons homeschool moms lose their joy?
Without realizing it’s even happening, one day we can wake up, no longer are excited about teaching our kids, and we look at it as a drudgery.
Do you often find yourself staying up late to get “a little work” done, and maybe even getting up early to get some quiet time while the kids are still sleeping? When you burn the candle on both ends like this for very long, it will catch you.
Nothing steals my joy faster than being exhausted. At that point, everything seems overwhelming to me, and worse than it really is. If you don’t get the rest you need, it is going to catch up with you, and you are going to face homeschool burnout. Don’t fall into the trap.
Being a tired and busy homeschool mom is hard! Do whatever is needed to get the rest your body needs!
Simple solution? Guard your sleep! Make it a priority to get the rest you need.
Related: 6 Things That Steal Your Homeschooling Joy
When children won’t obey or are in the habit of complaining and arguing, it makes for an unpleasant atmosphere in the home. Not just for mom, but everyone.
When you find that you are often mad and upset because of the kids’ behavior, take a break from your normal routine, and work on the character issues – especially obedience!
I would say the number one thing that every mom needs to homeschool is character training. Any attempts to teach skills and homeschool content without first addressing obedience will be met with frustration. You can’t teach your kids to read or do anything else if they won’t obey you, so teaching character is the top priority. When you build Godly character in your kids, it overflows into their relationship with the Lord, with family, and to their schoolwork.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”What are the Most Common Reasons Homeschool Moms Lose Their Joy? Here are 6 to get you unstuck now!” quote=”Lost your joy in homeschooling? Don’t stay there – here’s help!”]
“Your child must learn to obey, first and foremost, or you can never serve as his teacher. Teaching him to obey, to do his work and stick with it, to follow instructions, not to interrupt, and much more requires your diligent supervision and follow-through. Unless your children learn to listen to your directions and follow them, it doesn’t matter how fabulous your resources are. The first and foremost subject to teach is good behavior born of self-discipline. “ (In other words, teach them character!)
Use God’s Word to correct and train their heart. His Word has power that our words don’t have, and our focus should be on the character issue of their heart, not their behavior.
Related: 10 Tips for First Time Obedience
A house with young kids or many kids will never stay clean for long, and as homeschooling moms, we have our kids at home all day. There will, and should be signs that kids live there – such as toys and books.
However, by decluttering regularly, having a place for everything, and regularly having kids help pick up or put things back, your home should stay fairly organized. There are some things we must do to keep from being frustrated with homeschooling and they may not be what you think!
A valuable part of keeping things organized for me was having a daily routine in the home. If you’re daily accomplishing your priorities, you will have more peace and joy at the end of your day.
Often we let the circumstances of the day determine our schedule, then we feel frustrated and stressed at the end of the day. Be sure to have a routine to guide your days and keep you on track.
I don’t think I need to say more here. We all know that sometimes our hormones can make us irritable, and weepy. I wrote a series of posts on hormone imbalance that talks about the effect our hormones can have on us, and some ways to combat the problems hormones can bring. (Homeschooling & Hormones)
Comparison is the thief of joy! Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other moms. Each of us has different circumstances, and God doesn’t call every homeschooling family to the same thing.
Ask God what He wants for YOUR family, and be the mom God called YOU to be.
Related: 3 Things That Make You Lose Your Joy As A Mother
BLESSED IS SHE WHO EXPECTS NOTHING, FOR SHE SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
When we have expectations of what our kids should do or be, or what our husband should or shouldn’t do, we set ourselves up to be disappointed. Give your expectations to God!
You’re here looking for ways to rekindle the joy in your homeschool. As a veteran homeschool mom of 31 years I’m happy to tell you it is possible! Please know it’s ok to ask God “How can I be a better homeschool mom?” and take His steps to refocus once again to move forward in joy.
What is the reason you have lost your homeschooling joy, Mom? Find the cause, then work on a solution. God wants us to be joyful mothers! [magicactionbox]
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Thank you Sabrina! Glad the points were eye opening to you on some areas where you need to work. The list came from personal experience over my 31 years of homeschooling! 🙂
Wow, Kathie! I think these points are right on, and more than couple I need to work on. Thank you for being obedient to share!
Sorry to hear you are so frustrated! Hope the thoughts in this post will help you pinpoint what needs to be changed, so you get your joy back!!
Wow, you hit the nail right on the head! I think I’m the most frustrated mom in the world and there is absolutely no joy in our house. Thank you for your post.