When you're just tired . . .

[Jonibee]

Of all the planning, buying, scheduling, THINKING about homeschooling!

 

That's the place I'm in. Sixteen years now, graduated 3, still have kids in grades 10, 8 and 3.

 

Tired, really just tired. I'm tired of living homeshool and it's really just not always fun anymore.

 

How to refresh? How do you just put all that stuff in a box (physically or mentally) and walk away for a vacation for awhile? I'm so tired of my summers taken over by school planning, so that we can all do another school year together. I also work full time all year round from home.

 

Advice? Help? When you need it, how do you find that fresh excitement to be dedicated to homeschooling all over again?

[regentrude]

Advice? Help? When you need it, how do you find that fresh excitement to be dedicated to homeschooling all over again?

 

I do not have the experience you do, but I think I know the feeling a little bit of being tired of thinking about school.

We take a summer break. Aside from field trips and light reading, no school. I have picked the major parts of the curriculum in Spring. So, I'd vote for taking a vacation - if you can't physically go somewhere, take a mental one, put the school stuff away for a few weeks.

 

I notice that taking a break rejuvenates me with my job. I am really done and tired by the end of the Spring semester (I teach), don't teach over the summer - and by August I am looking forward again to the new fall semester.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Yep. I understand this one. We've homeschooled officially for 14 years. I could count some pre-school stuff we did and say I've homeschooled for 15 or 16 years.

 

Life circumtances have made me take a MUCH needed break from school. My mom has been very ill and caring for her caused breaks between Feb and May. I had planned school in June, but there will be 3 trips this month. I have barely thought about school since mid May. I'm on WTM today trying to get my brain back in teacher mode.

 

My best advice: take a long break. Even if you always do summer school. Even if you are behind and want to catch up. Even if you want to get ahead. Clean house. Read a novel. Go to the pool. Window shop at the mall. Hike a trail. Do whatever it is that will give you rest. Heck, take a nap!!!:001_smile:

 

In a few weeks you'll feel the itch to read WTM boards, pick up a planner, start looking over books, make final decisions, order needed curriculum.

 

Sometimes we just need to stop. and. rest.

:grouphug:

[Nan in Mass]

I've been homeschooling for 12 years. If I did my planning in the summer rather than taking the summer off, we would no longer be homeschooling. I understand why you might not be able to plan in the spring along with homeschooling and working, but if you really are at the point of being burned out, the point where you can't do this any more, then I think you need to ask yourself which is worse - going with a homeschooling method that requires little or no planning for a year or putting my children in public school - and then do whichever is less bad for a year so you get a break. I think there is definately a time and a place for a boxed curriculum that tells you what to do each day and doesn't require much prep. It won't be perfect and it might not suit you for the long run, but it might be better than a burned out mother who doesn't have the energy both to plan a nice curriculum and to carry it out.

I am getting tired myself. I spent an intensive spring planning our next two years and am now counting the hours until our summer break. Every day is a battle with myself. I can't imagine keeping on going and going for the forseeable future. In a few weeks, I am going to pack all the homeschooling stuff away out of my sight and reach (or else I will tinker with it and come to the fall tired) and concentrate on summer things. Is there any way you can do the same thing? Get through the planning fast and comprehensively and then take a lllloooonnnngggg break? A break of at least a month, if possible, two? If you have never had one, you may not realize how revitalizing one is...

Hugs and best wishes,

Nan

[FaithManor]

I'm with Nan and Regentrude. We school from the first week of August through usually the second week of June. So, if I had to cram planning into six weeks, I'd go nuts. My kids did surprise me this year and willingly doubled up on assignments so that they were done by the end of the second week of May. YAY!

 

But, I start planning for the next year in late February/early March and my work, other than ordering, is done by the time the children are done. I then get that break I need.

 

I also maintain a hobby and MAKE my family respect it. I quilt. I quilt therefore I am. So, if I say, I am going to quilt for an hour or two this afternoon, don't bother me unless you are bleeding from your eyeballs, you are hacking up a lung, something died, or the house is on fire! But, I can say this because my youngest is now 11. I think it was much tougher when they were younger and needed a lot more direct supervision during their free time.

 

You need a break. You need Barnes and Nobles and good book for mommy, a lovely latte, and a slice of Godiva Double Chocolate Cheesecake and while enjoying this time along, you need to plan a longer break for yourself and how to implement it. You really, really need a break.

 

Faith

[laughing lioness]

Last year I was totally burned out- literally and figuratively. We were burned out of our house, moved 3 times, on and on and on. I was sooo not ready to start school last fall. I wanted to quit. Get a job. Have disposable income- have free time.

Last fall we put our kids in a co-op on Friday a.m.'s and an academic day on Tues afternoons. I really just ordered the books they needed for Tuesday and got math from B & N. I was too maxed to think about anything else. It worked out great. I just kept the kids caught up on homework, they didn't want to show up without it being done (postiive peer pressure) and we got through.

 

I have a life beyond homeschooling (though it probably doesn't look like it). I blog, write, read a book a week, garden extensively, work on my house. I try, as much as possible to develop a lifestyle of learning so it's not always about me being the teacher, but DVD's, CD's, other people, experiences are as well.

[4wildberrys]

I can certainly relate! I have only been homeschooling 2 for 11 years---but I am exhausted from planning for the last week!!! I create my exhaustion for myself though----because I can't use curriculum as written. I tweak, poke and prod until it's just what I want for each kid. Of course, without choices for farming out subjects (financially and physically) the work is all on my shoulders. I LOVE teaching my kids----but it's emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting :001_huh: Outsourcing some classes or purchasing something like My Father's World that is totally complete and using it 100% as is are my 2 immediate thoughts for easing the burden. In fact, every year I tempt my weary brain with the thoughts of...."What if I just used this ONE program as written???" :tongue_smilie: Right now, we are heavily invested in SL and I haven't been able to successfully change to something that is easier...........all those books sway me every time...

[Teachin'Mine]

If you have already done most of the planning for next year, then I'd think about just placing the orders for materials or do whatever you have to do to finish it up by like the end of the week. Then I'd take a total break from homeschooling for a month or two and not even open the boxes when they come. :)

 

If you haven't figured out what you're doing, and you're not someone who will have this stuff on your mind, then I'd think about taking a break now and having some summer fun - you could probably all benefit from a major break. :grouphug:

[Susan C.]

You are talking about me. Going on my 17th year. But I have one more year, and am ramping up for a senior year. I planned like crazy to get the break, and things just keep coming up that have to be addressed. I did decide to hold back on selling (that takes a lot of time) and I only went one day to a fair to pick one thing I needed. We may just start early since we are almost through and look forward to being done forever (after a short break).

 

Maybe put everything away for 2-3 weeks for a mental break? Longer if you can afford it. Also be sure to plan breaks throughout the year as well. We start school the beginning of August so we are at our halfway point at Christmas break, and we take three weeks off. That really helps. We also try to take a long weekend every 6-8 weeks during the school year to avoid burnout.

[Sunshine State Sue]

:grouphug:

 

I've got an only child I've homeschooled for 10+ years. I work 30hrs/wk from home, so I understand the juggle that homeschooling and working can be. I don't think I would be doing it if I had more than one child. Because I work, we are able to afford several outside classes. That's what helps me.

 

I hope you can find some time to relax and get away. Sounds like you need a mom's weekend away.

[1Togo]

Been there. Buy a curriculum with lesson plans written to the student.

Edited June 20, 2011 by 1Togo

[cshell]

Are you tired ...."Of all the planning, buying, scheduling, THINKING about homeschooling!"

 

 

I am sooo there!!:tongue_smilie:

 

I have decided I need to get my priorities in order....& not lose myself in "homeschooling"

I think we all need to remember to take time out & take care of ourselves!

It is lovely to think for myself....!

 

So, set the planning books aside & relax.

Plan some "Mommy Nights out" & pamper yourself.

We all wear ALOT of hats.....it really is a freeing experience to shed a few during the summer!

 

Enjoy & Relax!!:iagree:

[LilBlueMouse]

I LOVE teaching my kids----but it's emotionally, physically and mentally exhausting :iagree:

 

I work as well and know how draining it can be trying to do it all. You really have to take a break from work as well as put all your homeschool materials in a box for that same week. Just relax and you will be feeling much better by the time the week ends. Then pull out just a few things at a time instead of dumping it all back on the table.

[mama25angels]

I understand, i'm totally burnt right now too. :iagree: that we need to find a way to take a break, just not think about school for a while.

[74Heaven]

That's the place I'm in. Sixteen years now, graduated 3, still have kids in grades 10, 8 and 3............ Advice? Help? When you need it, how do you find that fresh excitement to be dedicated to homeschooling all over again?

 

Well, Jonibee, I am not in the same boat as you are, but close. I have hsed for 14 years and graduated one. This year, I have one in private school as a junior (senior) next year and I had an 8th, 5th and 2nd grader to homeschool.

 

I had a very rough senior year with the one who is graduated and I was exhausted and burned out. This past year, out of sheer necessity - I relaxed the home studies & we joined a co op where we transferred the "heavier subjects" to co oping.

 

And this past year, I started teaching Latin at the same co op (a beginning Henle Latin teacher who had learned it with my older children).

 

We definitely did not work as hard at home as past years. I spent more time online and more time 'getting going" in the mornings. We just ended up doing less work overall, but still getting the cores done thru co op & daily math & Lang Arts/English.

 

I became much more relaxed in many ways with my three youngest and yet the co oping helped us keep a good structure on a few key courses: Latin & IEW especially.

 

We did 3 "cores" thru co oping and the rest at home. We did not do as well on keeping up science. I'm ok with that. Next year we will. We did do a few other things like WWE and SOTW-lite with the 3rd/5th...

 

Next year, we'll do 4 subj at co op: Latin, IEW, Civics/Govt & General Sci for my 9th/6th. Then at home, we will cover math, English, spelling and prob. some geography.

 

It helped a lot to do something different.

 

So changing things up, relaxing more at home and sharing the burden with a co op was great. OTOH, I didn't feel like I was taking from the co op & not giving because I ended up with 19 Latin students in 3 classes. So, I got to improve my Latin & teach Latin to students who otherwise may not have had any.

 

Lisa J