how do you recharge/reinspire yourself?

[triadofchaos]

I'm experiencing some frustrations with our homeschooling lately. My eldest is falling behind in language arts, my son is very difficult to work with about half the days of the week and my other daughter is struggling with math. So, this weekend I'm feeling somewhat beat down and I'm searching for motivation & inspiration. What are your favorite, tried and true pick-me ups when you're feeling burnt and frustrated with how things are going?

[Rosie_0801]

Sleep and chocolate.

 

:grouphug:

[*Lulu*]

Sometimes sleep, chocolate, a good book or movie to get lost awhile in, or just a day off help. Other times, when the funk is deep, I try to reconnect with my reasons for choosing this path. I'll pull out my goals for the kids and sit reading them for awhile; I will think back over other educational bumps we have overcome. I also try to energize myself by reading or listening to homeschool "gurus" whose ideas inspire me to get back in there. Once I feel myself starting to revive I make a plan of action for whatever is stressing me or pulling on me. For me the plan of action is the final step in mentally and emotionally preparing to handle re-entry of the fray, but I am a toal list maker.

[shanvan]

I have started making sure I get out of the house about once a week without anyone in tow. Last week I went to a movie with my mom. I had a really bad day and just up and decided I would be out the door as soon as Dh arrived home. I did not provide anyone with dinner. They were on their own.

 

I also like trips to the bookstore to browse for pleasure reading. I like memoirs and biographies and the occasional big thick fiction I can lose myself in. I don't normally buy anything but a cup of tea to drink while I peruse selections. Then I write everything down and check the library. Now that I have phone or laptop, I can check while I sit and look at a pile of books. I'm headed to Barnes and Noble today.

 

Lunch out with my mom or a friend works well for me too. I especially enjoy it if someone else has to wait on me. Ridiculous, but there it is.

 

Even a trip to the library by myself works wonders.

 

I also like browsing through books at our local thrift shop. Ditto on browsing at the local nursery in their beautiful green house. Think I'll stop there today.

 

A walk in one of the local parks with one of our dogs can provide me with a different perspective.

 

In spring/summer, I like yard work/gardening.

 

Occasionally, a good house cleaning and decluttering (even one room or a messy desk or bookshelf) works b/c I feel good when it's done and for some reason getting the house in order makes me feel more capable in other areas too.

 

Reading some homeschooling books helps sometimes. They remind me of why I am doing this in the first place, and some actually discuss burnout and how to cope.

 

I also have a good friend I can call or email for encouragement.

 

That's pretty much my bag of tricks.

 

ETA: I forgot to mention time on the treadmill combined with a good audio download.

[Nan in Mass]

I work on learning something myself.

 

Nan

[Sahamamama]

S.S.W.W.C.C.

 

Sleep -- Just enough, but not too much.

Solitude -- Not online, either. Just alone.

 

Water -- Drink it, take a bath in it, swim in it, make tea with it, sit by a stream or ocean and listen to it. I love water.

Walking -- Not to get anywhere, except to the State of Calm.

 

Chocolate -- The darker, the better.

Character -- My own. Theirs.

[8filltheheart]

My natural inclination is to withdraw into myself and be quiet and alone. However, I have learned that that approach actually feeds my attitude vs improving it. Doing something that is a visible accomplishment seems to boost my morale far better than anything else. I think it is b/c it gives me a sense of control over something.

 

I am really feeling overwhelmed and depressed right now b/c our life has been so out of my control. I have indulged myself this morning by staying in bed late, reading online, and watching tv while my older kids made breakfast and took care of the little ones. But, it really hasn't helped my mood at all. I know that if I get up and do some laundry, cleaning, pay bills, go outside and play with the kids, take them for a walk......a combo of any of those that I will feel more in control and more content.

[happypamama]

Take a full day or two off and do nothing, at least nothing school-related. Then take a day to clean up the house, work on a project that's been hanging over my head, etc. Removing the mental and physical clutter really seems to help energize me.

 

Also, getting a break helps -- having DH cook dinner, taking a nap, etc.

[Aspasia]

I have started making sure I get out of the house about once a week without anyone in tow. Last week I went to a movie with my mom. I had a really bad day and just up and decided I would be out the door as soon as Dh arrived home. I did not provide anyone with dinner. They were on their own.

 

I also like trips to the bookstore to browse for pleasure reading. I like memoirs and biographies and the occasional big thick fiction I can lose myself in. I don't normally buy anything but a cup of tea to drink while I peruse selections. Then I write everything down and check the library. Now that I have phone or laptop, I can check while I sit and look at a pile of books. I'm headed to Barnes and Noble today.

 

Lunch out with my mom or a friend works well for me too. I especially enjoy it if someone else has to wait on me. Ridiculous, but there it is.

 

Even a trip to the library by myself works wonders.

 

I also like browsing through books at our local thrift shop. Ditto on browsing at the local nursery in their beautiful green house. Think I'll stop there today.

 

A walk in one of the local parks with one of our dogs can provide me with a different perspective.

 

In spring/summer, I like yard work/gardening.

 

Occasionally, a good house cleaning and decluttering (even one room or a messy desk or bookshelf) works b/c I feel good when it's done and for some reason getting the house in order makes me feel more capable in other areas too.

 

Reading some homeschooling books helps sometimes. They remind me of why I am doing this in the first place, and some actually discuss burnout and how to cope.

 

I also have a good friend I can call or email for encouragement.

 

That's pretty much my bag of tricks.

 

ETA: I forgot to mention time on the treadmill combined with a good audio download.

 

 

I think we would be good friends. ;)

[stm4him]

I like to take some time off and focus on organizing for a bit instead of schooling. I also like to go shopping or go to the beach! Time in the Word and/or in prayer is, I'm sure, the most effective.

 

But in order to get re-excited about school I read CC blogs and my favorite excerpts of the homeschooling books that inspire me most.

[PeterPan]

Are your seasons the opposite of ours here in the States? Here, February is the WORST MONTH. Not only have people been going a long time, but their vitamin D drops low with the long winter. So that's a good thing to check.

 

Overall I recharge with conventions, private chats, long hot showers, walks, quiet time to think.

 

The other thing, and this is just a totally different tack, is that your kids are at the age where you can be seeing things that aren't something a mom can solve by herself. Sometimes those frustrations are a sign to get outside help. Like when you say one of your dc is very hard to work with about 1/2 the days of the week, that may not be YOU. Sometimes getting words for that and figuring out what's going on can make a huge difference and lead you to solutions.

[5wolfcubs]

S.S.W.W.C.C.

 

Sleep -- Just enough, but not too much.

Solitude -- Not online, either. Just alone.

 

Water -- Drink it, take a bath in it, swim in it, make tea with it, sit by a stream or ocean and listen to it. I love water.

Walking -- Not to get anywhere, except to the State of Calm.

 

Chocolate -- The darker, the better.

Character -- My own. Theirs.

 

Wow! Love it! The line about water makes me think of the quote: The cure for anything is salt water -- sweat, tears, or the sea.

 

In addition to the above recommendations, I enjoy re-reading the WTM and listening to Society for Classical Learning mp3s or browsing Pinterest. These give me hope and inspire me to move forward. I do realize they have the opposite effect on some folks though!

 

Sending you a virtual :grouphug:

[Clarkd]

We get out of the house.

I buy new curriculum.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I'm experiencing some frustrations with our homeschooling lately. My eldest is falling behind in language arts, my son is very difficult to work with about half the days of the week and my other daughter is struggling with math. So, this weekend I'm feeling somewhat beat down and I'm searching for motivation & inspiration. What are your favorite, tried and true pick-me ups when you're feeling burnt and frustrated with how things are going?

 

I kind of agree with 8. I think self-care is enormously important but when I am frustrated with something homeschooling related, the best thing I can do is take the bull by the horns. Turning my attention elsewhere when the going gets rough does nothing but delay the problems which must be addressed. Again, I am all for bubble baths, book shopping, pedicures, etc. (Really. I AM! LOL) But the problem is going to be the same or worse when you start working again on Monday morning. That said, my favorite pick-me-ups are things that encourage meaningful change.

 

I take the focus off the kids' attitudes and focus on mine and what I can do to stop the cranky. (I can reflect at the bookstore with a cup of coffee, of course! :D) I don't beat myself up; I am kind to myself. But when I start to see an attitude problem in one of my kids, I now look at what my contribution is to that attitude. My mom must have told me 1000x, "You need to FIX your attitude problem!" Well, when I was a kid, I could have given her 1000 different (valid!) reasons why my attitude problem was caused by her attitude problem. Of course, it wasn't OK for me to say this. :tongue_smilie: But all these years later, I remember it and it stops me in my tracks sometimes. The truth is that it is probably 50/50 (or 95/5 or 5/95 depending on the day), but I always have some role, some part in it and I know (again, from childhood) that griping about bad attitudes does not improve attitudes at all and, in fact, just makes the problem worse. (Not saying you are a griper. I lean toward griping and I am just reflecting. :lol:)

 

What I do... For kids who are struggling and/or behind where I think they should be, I go bare bones, cuddle tutoring back-to-basics. I cozy up the instructional environment. If there is stress over a subject, I find a time when there will be no interruptions, pull the kid close on the couch with a notebook, and give them a cup of cocoa, hot tea, smoothie, whatever. Then I teach and chat. I don't expect them to do any work then, unless they want to. I do this until the stress and frustration is gone, because I think only then can they perform without being overwhelmed. When the feeling of being overwhelmed leaves them (and me too, because mostly I am internalizing fear about screwing up my kids), we start back to that subject regularly, taking baby steps. I have taken a day, a week...once, with one kid, I took several months doing this. I have never regretted stopping output requirements to allow actual teaching to be absorbed. Sometimes I think homeschoolers don't actively, purposefully teach enough, but that is fodder for a whole 'nother thread. :tongue_smilie:

 

For the hard to work with kid, I try to figure out precisely what the challenge is. Then I modify. I do not expect meaningful change to emanate from an inherently immature, potentially oblivious child. If I can't change my approach and model adaptation, I can't expect it from my kids. Only when I have kind of figured out the best approach/methods to use with one of my kids and taught myself better habits as a teacher do I expect them to begin to change and adapt.

 

I don't know what your challenge is with your DS, but I will tell you that my DS10 would, without a doubt, be diagnosed with ADD if he were in school. At home, I used to get frustrated. That just continually threw us into conflict, because he couldn't/can't help being him. I could adapt though, and really, that gave me all the power...and the pressure, frustration, resentment even. But, in the end, I had to be the grown-up and focus on the power. I have a book with a list of the negatives of ADD and a corresponding list of positives. Every negative has a positive! That list has become my guide for teaching him. I have changed my teaching to adapt, and it has been successful. I know that would not be true if I had expected meaningful change to originate with him. That said, my adaptations have led to meaningful change for him. He changed his "attitude problem" without me ever once repeating my mother's useless and infuriating words.

 

So, this weekend, how would I recharge if I were you? I would make a list of DS's greatest attributes and come up with a little pencil plan of how to teach to his strengths for next week, next month, etc. I would make two more pencil plans for dropping to bare bones for your DDs' challenging subjects and forming achievable baby-step goals to meet by the end of the year. And I would probably remind myself what everyone's "love language" is and plan purposeful ways to increase good vibes starting on Monday morning.

 

Don't know if any of this helps. Disregard if it does not! :)

[Lilaclady]

Take a day off and just rest. Sometimes, it seems like things are worse than they are when I am running low and haven't rested. After a rest, things sometimes look better.

 

Hugs to you

[North Coast School]

The other posters' comments about water echo my sentiment:

 

"If you have a crab, put it in the water." In other words--take everyone swimming for the day!

 

Take a week off curriculum...go to the library and overload on books and declare a Book Day, go to the public pool, go to the skating rink, go to the bookstore, do some volunteering/charity work, take a hike, do some nature walks--even in the rain, go visit grandma, and go to bed early every night!

[triadofchaos]

Water -- Drink it, take a bath in it, swim in it, make tea with it, sit by a stream or ocean and listen to it. I love water.

 

<3 this! I realized while reading this that I am chronically dehydrated and really need to pay attention to that better. I'm also missing the beach. We were doing a fortnightly "beach schooling" day where we packed up that day's school work, our shade tent and all our beach gear and go do school at the local beach. We'd draw all our math out in the wet sand and read on our beach towels and have a picnic lunch. But the summer here is unbearably hot and that's also peak jellie, sea lice, shark, mozzie, sand fly, etc. season so the beach is really gross in the summer in Central Queensland. Hopefully it'll cool off enough in the next couple of weeks to return to regular "beach schooling" outings! Until then, maybe we can do a "pool schooling" day instead.

 

My natural inclination is to withdraw into myself and be quiet and alone. However, I have learned that that approach actually feeds my attitude vs improving it. Doing something that is a visible accomplishment seems to boost my morale far better than anything else. I think it is b/c it gives me a sense of control over something.

 

Hmmmm. Now that I read this, I think it's the same for me. I have been known to wallow in a down mood, but forcing myself to get up and get something done that I can *see* accomplishes something really does lift me back up.

 

Are your seasons the opposite of ours here in the States? Here, February is the WORST MONTH. Not only have people been going a long time, but their vitamin D drops low with the long winter. So that's a good thing to check.

 

The other thing, and this is just a totally different tack, is that your kids are at the age where you can be seeing things that aren't something a mom can solve by herself. Sometimes those frustrations are a sign to get outside help. Like when you say one of your dc is very hard to work with about 1/2 the days of the week, that may not be YOU. Sometimes getting words for that and figuring out what's going on can make a huge difference and lead you to solutions.

 

Yes, it's the end of summer/early autumn here and the end of the wet season. It's been raining constantly for the last few weeks. It's hot and gross and the mosquitoes and sand flies are regularly chewing up my legs. Ugh. I'm very much looking forward to it cooling off a little and getting back out and about more.

 

I honestly have a hard time sorting with DS what is or is not within the realm of normal. I really need to dig into that more and do some more research to see what I can do to help us both.

 

I take the focus off the kids' attitudes and focus on mine and what I can do to stop the cranky. (I can reflect at the bookstore with a cup of coffee, of course! :D) I don't beat myself up; I am kind to myself. But when I start to see an attitude problem in one of my kids, I now look at what my contribution is to that attitude. My mom must have told me 1000x, "You need to FIX your attitude problem!" Well, when I was a kid, I could have given her 1000 different (valid!) reasons why my attitude problem was caused by her attitude problem. Of course, it wasn't OK for me to say this. :tongue_smilie: But all these years later, I remember it and it stops me in my tracks sometimes. The truth is that it is probably 50/50 (or 95/5 or 5/95 depending on the day), but I always have some role, some part in it and I know (again, from childhood) that griping about bad attitudes does not improve attitudes at all and, in fact, just makes the problem worse. (Not saying you are a griper. I lean toward griping and I am just reflecting. :lol:)

 

What I do... For kids who are struggling and/or behind where I think they should be, I go bare bones, cuddle tutoring back-to-basics. I cozy up the instructional environment. If there is stress over a subject, I find a time when there will be no interruptions, pull the kid close on the couch with a notebook, and give them a cup of cocoa, hot tea, smoothie, whatever. Then I teach and chat. I don't expect them to do any work then, unless they want to. I do this until the stress and frustration is gone, because I think only then can they perform without being overwhelmed. When the feeling of being overwhelmed leaves them (and me too, because mostly I am internalizing fear about screwing up my kids), we start back to that subject regularly, taking baby steps. I have taken a day, a week...once, with one kid, I took several months doing this. I have never regretted stopping output requirements to allow actual teaching to be absorbed. Sometimes I think homeschoolers don't actively, purposefully teach enough, but that is fodder for a whole 'nother thread. :tongue_smilie:

 

For the hard to work with kid, I try to figure out precisely what the challenge is. Then I modify. I do not expect meaningful change to emanate from an inherently immature, potentially oblivious child. If I can't change my approach and model adaptation, I can't expect it from my kids. Only when I have kind of figured out the best approach/methods to use with one of my kids and taught myself better habits as a teacher do I expect them to begin to change and adapt.

 

I don't know what your challenge is with your DS, but I will tell you that my DS10 would, without a doubt, be diagnosed with ADD if he were in school. At home, I used to get frustrated. That just continually threw us into conflict, because he couldn't/can't help being him. I could adapt though, and really, that gave me all the power...and the pressure, frustration, resentment even. But, in the end, I had to be the grown-up and focus on the power. I have a book with a list of the negatives of ADD and a corresponding list of positives. Every negative has a positive! That list has become my guide for teaching him. I have changed my teaching to adapt, and it has been successful. I know that would not be true if I had expected meaningful change to originate with him. That said, my adaptations have led to meaningful change for him. He changed his "attitude problem" without me ever once repeating my mother's useless and infuriating words.

 

So, this weekend, how would I recharge if I were you? I would make a list of DS's greatest attributes and come up with a little pencil plan of how to teach to his strengths for next week, next month, etc. I would make two more pencil plans for dropping to bare bones for your DDs' challenging subjects and forming achievable baby-step goals to meet by the end of the year. And I would probably remind myself what everyone's "love language" is and plan purposeful ways to increase good vibes starting on Monday morning.

 

Don't know if any of this helps. Disregard if it does not! :)

 

Heaps and heaps and heaps of that helps, actually! Thank you soooooo much!

 

 

I know what's going on with my DDs and am already actively working those issues. I just switched DD2's math curriculum and have high hopes that will help her there and I've started troubleshooting DD1's LA issues (she's dyslexic, we already know, but we're working the nuances now.) So, really it's DS who is the mystery and probably the biggest outward frustration for me because after a day of struggling with him all day long, I'm just so spent. Clearly, what we're doing isn't working for either of us, so I need to rethink the situation and come at it from a different angle for both our sakes'.

 

We have about 7 school days left for our term and then my parents arrive and we're travelling all over Queensland with them for three weeks. There will be all sorts of wonderful experiences and life learning going on then and I'm hopeful that we'll start Term 2 all rejuvenated.

[nono]

Honestly? I just forget about my role as teacher/mother for a night. I make a nice dinner, based upon what my dh and I prefer*. My husband makes us a stiff drink, or two. We crank up the music and dance to the music of our youth (70s/80s) for a couple hours.

 

I usually need this twice a month during the school year. :o

 

 

 

*We don't let the kids go hungry, but if all they want is soup and cookies, that night it is OK!

[Hunter]

I know what's going on with my DDs and am already actively working those issues. I just switched DD2's math curriculum and have high hopes that will help her there and I've started troubleshooting DD1's LA issues (she's dyslexic, we already know, but we're working the nuances now.) So, really it's DS who is the mystery and probably the biggest outward frustration for me because after a day of struggling with him all day long, I'm just so spent. Clearly, what we're doing isn't working for either of us, so I need to rethink the situation and come at it from a different angle for both our sakes'.

 

 

Often we expect too much of ourselves. All our children are supposed to beating the local PS at their own game, be competitive with children from 100 years ago who used the vintage texts, keep up with a pre-Revolutionary war type classical language curriculum, complete an intensive religion curriculum, play an instrument, keep up with a bunch of after school activities so they are socialized, have some type of individual talent, and read a novel a day. In reality, only SOME children do ONE or two of these things.

 

There is this idea that homeschoolers are superhuman and it can taint everything. Moms often feel like failures. it's a cloud that just hangs overhead.

 

What was the ONE reason you started homeschooling? Make time for that or find a new reason to be your ONE thing you strive for. In the other areas, just aim for "good enough" because good enough is good enough.

 

And sometimes what "isn't working" is actually working. It's just not keeping up with others who are making that their ONE thing.

 

Things have always been best for me, when I was standing tall and treating myself well, and as important. When I have been the CENTER, not the students. When I have used what I like, instead of what I think is best for them. In the past I've gotten into some nasty co-dependant situation with students. It's important that I don't focus too strongly on them, and lose myself. The quality of my instruction and my materials is not always reflected in student performance, and I need to remember that. Also, no matter what, I am not their ONLY teacher. There are so many teachers and distractions in my students' lives, past, present and future. I don't have to be EVERYTHING right NOW.

[Soror]

Lots of good suggestions here. I find that I do want to curl up in a ball but often that only ends up with me feeling worse. I do need some down time and some alone time but I also need to just make myself get off my butt and get to it sometimes. I do have my special "treats" though. I like to get up before the kids to have quiet time. I like to have time with just dh in the evening when he gets home.

[PeterPan]

Yes, it's the end of summer/early autumn here and the end of the wet season. It's been raining constantly for the last few weeks. It's hot and gross and the mosquitoes and sand flies are regularly chewing up my legs. Ugh. I'm very much looking forward to it cooling off a little and getting back out and about more.

 

I honestly have a hard time sorting with DS what is or is not within the realm of normal. I really need to dig into that more and do some more research to see what I can do to help us both.

 

 

Hmm, guess I'll keep our midwest winters! Those bugs sound awful! And as far as the normal vs. something going on, a really good place to look into that is the SN board. They're now divided into Learning Challenges (which is you!) and a more medically-specific SN subsection. So the Learning Challenges board is the perfect place to come in with your "my kid is intense and I think something is up but I don't know what it is or if it's just normal" questions. People can suggest some books and things to you to help springboard your research. You don't have to have a diagnosis to be there. It's the place to start, a place where you can investigate. :)

 

Hold it, dingbat that I am, I just realized you've been over there posting about someone else. Well head over and post about this one! :)

[Sahamamama]

<3 this! I realized while reading this that I am chronically dehydrated and really need to pay attention to that better. I'm also missing the beach. We were doing a fortnightly "beach schooling" day where we packed up that day's school work, our shade tent and all our beach gear and go do school at the local beach. We'd draw all our math out in the wet sand and read on our beach towels and have a picnic lunch. But the summer here is unbearably hot and that's also peak jellie, sea lice, shark, mozzie, sand fly, etc. season so the beach is really gross in the summer in Central Queensland. Hopefully it'll cool off enough in the next couple of weeks to return to regular "beach schooling" outings! Until then, maybe we can do a "pool schooling" day instead.

 

Well. :eek: I would stay away from the beach in that case, too. :) What's a mozzie?

 

Something about water soothes me. I can pour it inside, and be refreshed. I can wash dishes or hand wash a blouse, and even though I'm doing something mundane, the water feels good to me. I can water the garden, and make a rainbow. Little pleasures, available at little cost. :) I could listen to a fountain, stream, waterfall, or ocean for hours... days.... weeks. Okay, forever. It's weird, I know.

 

Probably most mothers are chronically dehydrated. There's always something to do, right? How often do you want to have to run to the bathroom in the middle of the Latin lesson? "Hold that declension, I'll be back!"

 

I have two large Mason jars that I fill with cold water every morning. I keep one in the school room (living room) and one in the kitchen. Wherever I am, there's clean, filtered water to drink. Both jars must both be empty by noon. Refill. Empty by supper time. Refill. Empty by bedtime. Yes, I "go" a lot! But, no more kidney stones. I do not want to pass a load of those again.

 

I hope things get better for you. Go drink some water. :rolleyes:

[Sahamamama]

Mozzie = mosquito

 

Learned something new.

[Nan in Mass]

Mozzie = mosquito

 

Learned something new.

 

They're skeeters here in New England.

 

Nan

 

ETA - Well now that I think of it, 'r's at the end are often dropped in New England, so they really are skeetahs.

[FairProspects]

Beauty. That is what recharges me.

 

So when I feel burnt out, I try to take some time to do something creative, such as sew, design, watch an artistic film, read a well crafted book, buy flowers and arrange them or take a walk in the woods. All these things are beautiful in their own right, and absolutely necessary to my well-being.

[Mommyfaithe]

I work out....hard!

 

Susan Bauer recommends a shower, a sandwich and a nap.

 

Find something you love to do....aside from homeschooling or kids....and do it with a passion.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

LOL Mozzie-Mosquito

 

They are "skeeters" here in the SOUTH too....lol

 

oh man whenever I get overwhelmed I try to look at things and make sure we're on the right track and see if I'm pushing things too hard and usually end up taking a break from it all for a day or so.....

[Sahamamama]

But, in the end, I had to be the grown-up and focus on the power. I have a book with a list of the negatives of ADD and a corresponding list of positives. Every negative has a positive! That list has become my guide for teaching him. I have changed my teaching to adapt, and it has been successful. I know that would not be true if I had expected meaningful change to originate with him.

 

:iagree: My husband sometimes used to become cranky with our girls if they were cranky, or "off" if they were "off." When I noticed a pattern, I said to him, "Honey, you have to be the grown-up. You have to set the emotional tone. Lead them where you want the mood to go. This is a happy place, yes? We want to build a peaceful, loving home, yes? Little kids don't know how to get there, why wait for them to lead you?" He took it to heart and later said it was the best "tip" I'd ever given him, LOL. :) Now he can turn it around himself. When things begin to go sour, he doesn't wait for the change to start in the children.

[triadofchaos]

Yup- mozzies are what the locals call mosquitoes. I sometimes forget to translate fully back and forth between Australian and Yank these days! Lol! I say something distinctly American to an Aussie and they look at me weird. I use something distinctly Aussie on a mostly American forum and people ask what the heck is that? I'm getting to where I can't keep it all straight in my head anymore. And to be clear, not all Aussie beaches are an icky mess during the summer, just the central and northern Queensland ones near us. Today feels very autumn-ish though, so that's already lifting my mood somewhat.

 

I probably do need to pop over to the Learning Challenges forum and post a "what the heck is going on with my son?" thread. At a minimum, it would probably help me shift my perspective somewhat.

 

I totally agree that homeschool mums can be brutally hard on themselves sometimes, expecting constant perfect and flogging ourselves whenever we dare to fall short of it. I try not to fall into that trap too often.

[kristinannie]

I definitely need to do this! First of all, I try to spend 30 minutes every day in prayer/spiritual reading. I do this before my kids wake up so that I can start my day in peaceful silence. This is the main reason that I still have my sanity. Even if you don't pray, you could spend 30 minutes before the kids wake up reading and drinking coffee.

 

A couple of times a week, I also take a nice, long bath. I need that time to escape! Sometimes I eat chocolate while in the bath. Chocolate is necessary!!!

 

Maybe you could try to attend a homeschool conference. I have found those to be very refreshing. Also reading homeschool books (mostly CM's books for me) really reminds me WHY I am doing this. You could also listen to talks from a conference. I listen to those on my MP3 player while I clean.

 

I have also been trying to put some time aside each day for my own study. I am currently learning Latin, going through Analytical Grammar, and reading Herdotus' The Histories. I am much less consistent with this, but it feels so good to learn for myself.