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Is beginning of the year teacher fatigue normal?


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I'm try to decide if I'm just worn out as we start hs 1st grade or if something else is going on. My DH taught public school for several years and said that he was always exhausted the first few weeks of the school year. I've heard other teacher friends talk about that as well - especially their first year of teaching. Is that common among hs parents as well?

 

I really felt great at the beginning of the summer. I've been working out consistently for 20-35 minutes 5-6 mornings a week. I get 7 1/2-8 hours of sleep most nights. At the beginning of July (right after we got back from camping trip) I had an intensive week of lesson planning and prep work for doing 1st grade with DD6. Now we have had 3 weeks of school and I am wiped out! I know that I have really pushed myself to do a lot of prep work for the school year and I haven't taken much time to myself. I used to lay down for 30-60 minutes every afternoon to read or nap, but I hadn't really felt the need the last few months. I have just gotten to the lowest weight I have been at in years (!) but my weight is in the normal range and I am still just above my target BMI. I am not trying to lose any more weight. While I am not dieting, I often have a chocolate soy meal replacement shake for breakfast because I like it (I often have it with a cup of cold coffe). I am NOT pregnant! My dd6 is at day camp this week and I wanted to catch up on some cleaning and projects, but I just don't have the energy to do anything extra. I do have enough energy to get done what needs to get done during the day, but by mid-afternoon I am physically and worn out and by evenings I seem to be emotionally worn out too. I have rested in the afternoons this week, but it doesn't seem to have made much difference. Schooltime was only taking about 3 hours a day, but it seemed to take much longer as I loved on my 3yo and 16mo too. My 16mo has a 45-60 minute quiet time in his crib every morning and naps for about 2 hours in the afternoon. The other 2 have 1-2 hours quiet time in their rooms each afternoon. I do use 1-1/2 hours of the baby's naptime as school time because my daughter is so much more compliant in the afternoons and it really is nice to not have the boys distracting her. It means I'm lucky to have 30 minutes when all 3 are having quiet/naptime, but school is so much easier that way. We took a very gentle approach to KG, and I know that 1st grade work has been an adjustment for all of us. I feel wimpy for admitting that for myself.

 

This fatigue just doesn't feel right. It's not overwhelming, but it is frustrating. It's not as bad as when I had mono 6 years ago. It's not as bad as when I was having estrogen level problems 4 years ago. I'm not pregnant, not nursing, but I am in the best shape I've been in in years. I felt so good just 2 months ago and I want that feeling back! I'd love to hear if fatigue was something others dealt with as they started hs or as they start off each school year after a summer break. I'm trying to decide if this is normal or if I need to figure out what's going on.

Edited by BetterthanIdeserve
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Yes, it seems like that for us, too. After every break there is reentry fatigue until we hit our stride. (which is one reason we don't take summers off anymore) It's sort of like running; if you can tough it out for about the first 8 minutes of complete sucking, you fall into a comfortable rhythm. Until then, it's just crap. In homeschooling, it's just mental overload while everyone adjusts.

 

Fwiw, we all have quiet time after lunch. Everyone needs the reset. Parenting 3 kids 6 and under is exhausting. Throwing homeschooling into it requires a nap.

Edited by MyCrazyHouse
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I taught in public schools and was always exhausted in the first weeks. So many new kids, new routines, lots to prepare... Homeschooling is no different except that I still have my kids underfoot. I told my dh today that I felt like I was getting ready to bring a new baby home.

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