I know there's a mid-life crisis but,

[mama25angels]

Do you think a person can have a homeschool midlife crisis? Can I just say that i'm so unbelievably bored with school already! I don't know exactly what's wrong but, something is.... I still love homeschooling, at least I think I do, I just can't seem to muster up the same enthusiasm that I had with the older ones. Could I be trying to do too much? I really don't know what the problem is, it's not anything that's keeping us from working and I am seeing progress especially in math so, maybe I shouldn't worry about it, there's just no real joy. I have not been able to really get History and Science off the ground for my 3rd grader, we have been doing the CC cards but that's about it. I have been exercising, drinking water, trying to make nutritious meal and trying to get enough rest hoping that would help and it has helped but not with this homeschool lethargy. I'm really trying to put on a good show for my boys, you know the whole fake it until you make it thing, it just doesn't seem like i'm going to make it, lol. Anybody else feeling this way? I shouldn't be having this struggle until February.

[EmilyGF]

Definitely! I do think that researching is a lot more fun than the day to day grind. 

 

Are you investing in personal relationships? When I get into a homeschooling-crisis I often end up isolating myself because I don't have the energy to be with people, causing a snowball effect.

 

Are you being exposed to new ideas? When we did 3-Rs style homeschooling, I was so incredibly bored. We now have a richer curriculum which means I am actually learning things.

 

I'll write more later... HTH.

[8filltheheart]

I would go crazy homeschooling if it didn't offer me something to get interested in and excited about learning. Following rabbit trails and delighting in our discoveries is what brings life to our homeschool. Keeping studies fresh and new is what has allowed me to teach the same grade levels over and over without boredom.

 

I also try very hard to keep joy in our family life. We play lots of family games, cook together, have weekend family cookouts ,etc. Building strong family relationships and keeping our family life positive goes a long way in feeding the positive emotion in our daily work.

[freesia]

Yes, I do think it's possible.  I definitely was in a slump around year 9 and 10. I didn't even want to research or anything. So not like me.  I just kept on day by day and now I am back to enjoying it.  I think that it's like anything--jobs, marriage, kids.  Sometimes it is fun and engaging and sometimes you just don't know how you can keep on.  I coped by making sure I did the things I really liked--reading aloud is one--and tried to week out the "shoulds" that I didn't really like.

[bethben]

I'm in year 12 and I do feel it for sure.  I don't have to research curriculum since not only do I own most of the basics, but have used them now for 3 kids.  Third time around is not a charm.  It is boring.  I switched things up quite a bit this year other than the basics and have spent a lot more time focusing on read aloud time with my 12 and 9 year old.  Not read alouds related to history, but just books that seemed like really good books that I want my kids to know and love.  We've done The Hobbit, Winnie the Pooh, and are now doing the Narnia series.  It has made me really enjoy at least one part of homeschooling and they really love it also.  And when we're in the car picking Mr. 16 year old up from outside classes, we listen to these books on CD in the car.  

[BlsdMama]

I would go crazy homeschooling if it didn't offer me something to get interested in and excited about learning. Following rabbit trails and delighting in our discoveries is what brings life to our homeschool. Keeping studies fresh and new is what has allowed me to teach the same grade levels over and over without boredom.

 

I also try very hard to keep joy in our family life. We play lots of family games, cook together, have weekend family cookouts ,etc. Building strong family relationships and keeping our family life positive goes a long way in feeding the positive emotion in our daily work.

 

 

This. 

 

Do you have friends who homeschool?  If not, I'd work to find some.  A game day every couple weeks gives you something to work for too, kwim?

[NikiSC]

I'm there right now. The last two years were draining and I feel burned out on life but it's showing in our schooling. The monotony feels suffocating.

I agree with all up thread suggestions. It's just hard to even muster up the strength, kwim?

[mama25angels]

I'm there right now. The last two years were draining and I feel burned out on life but it's showing in our schooling. The monotony feels suffocating.

I agree with all up thread suggestions. It's just hard to even muster up the strength, kwim?

I absolutely know what you mean and we haven't even had any previous hard years.

[Sahamamama2]

Something like that may have happened to me a while ago, but I'm still not certain what that was all about, LOL. What seemed to help me over that hump was getting reacquainted with the things I have always enjoyed -- time in nature, time alone, reading (something not related to homeschooling), a decluttered home, extra sleep [LOL], exercise [specifically, walking], soft instrumental music, candles, white Christmas tree lights [seriously], certain scents [pine, cinnamon, lavender, bayberry], and seasonal celebrations/decorations. Once I realized that I still enjoy all those things, I found ways to carve out time to enjoy them. I suppose it was along the lines of, "I'm a person, too, not 'just' a homeschool mom?" I don't really know, to be honest, because that feeling was sort of... vague. And annoying. It was uncomfortable for me to realize I was bored with it, until I also saw that the world, as a whole, is still an interesting, captivating place. It was good to reconnect with the things I like, to rediscover that my heart wasn't all dead wood -- I still enjoy things.

 

I think it's okay to be a little bored with it, in a way, if you still can get things going and moving every day. I found that, for me, it was best to simply not dwell on my feelings about homeschooling, per se, but to just accomplish our goals, and to get it done. Then, I had the free time that I needed to find something else to focus on, away from the homeschooling responsibilities. [With three kids, that might be more possible for me than it could be for others, though.] Another benefit of ignoring my feelings (at the moment) and just getting through the work was that it gave my children the free time they needed, too. I think it also set an example that we aren't always going by our feelings, but we're working out our educational convictions by focusing on our concrete, daily goals. Finally, by not getting behind, I avoided guilt, which would have only added to the emotional load. HTH.

 

So... what do you enjoy? Give yourself time to find out and make those things a part of your life.

 

:grouphug:

[Arcadia]

Do you think a person can have a homeschool midlife crisis? Can I just say that i'm so unbelievably bored with school already! I don't know exactly what's wrong but, something is.... I still love homeschooling, at least I think I do, I just can't seem to muster up the same enthusiasm that I had with the older ones.

Career fatigue, job burnout. I had that when I was working and with the same company/industry too long. I was bored being a SAHM and homeschooling until I make sure I get my needs fulfilled. Now we are out everyday and happier.

 

This WSJ news article describes job fatigue quite well. After all a homeschooling mom can feel the stress levels like that of a CEO.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323687604578469124008524696

[mama25angels]

Something like that may have happened to me a while ago, but I'm still not certain what that was all about, LOL. What seemed to help me over that hump was getting reacquainted with the things I have always enjoyed -- time in nature, time alone, reading (something not related to homeschooling), a decluttered home, extra sleep [LOL], exercise [specifically, walking], soft instrumental music, candles, white Christmas tree lights [seriously], certain scents [pine, cinnamon, lavender, bayberry], and seasonal celebrations/decorations. Once I realized that I still enjoy all those things, I found ways to carve out time to enjoy them. I suppose it was along the lines of, "I'm a person, too, not 'just' a homeschool mom?" I don't really know, to be honest, because that feeling was sort of... vague. And annoying. It was uncomfortable for me to realize I was bored with it, until I also saw that the world, as a whole, is still an interesting, captivating place. It was good to reconnect with the things I like, to rediscover that my heart wasn't all dead wood -- I still enjoy things.

 

I think it's okay to be a little bored with it, in a way, if you still can get things going and moving every day. I found that, for me, it was best to simply not dwell on my feelings about homeschooling, per se, but to just accomplish our goals, and to get it done. Then, I had the free time that I needed to find something else to focus on, away from the homeschooling responsibilities. [With three kids, that might be more possible for me than it could be for others, though.] Another benefit of ignoring my feelings (at the moment) and just getting through the work was that it gave my children the free time they needed, too. I think it also set an example that we aren't always going by our feelings, but we're working out our educational convictions by focusing on our concrete, daily goals. Finally, by not getting behind, I avoided guilt, which would have only added to the emotional load. HTH.

 

So... what do you enjoy? Give yourself time to find out and make those things a part of your life.

 

:grouphug:

Yes, that's it! Last night I read a chapter in a book, just one chapter, and it was amazing the change it had in my attitude today.

[G5052]

Yes, that's it! Last night I read a chapter in a book, just one chapter, and it was amazing the change it had in my attitude today.

 

This is one of my habits. I have a lot going on in general, but my reading gives me a cheap escape. I picked up a new book yesterday at the library. Just a few chapters a day helps me.

 

You're definitely going to have ups-and-downs. I can't begin to count how many times I felt like I couldn't go on. I've always worked and homeschooled plus we've had constant family health and eldercare issues the whole way. It just never ends. Then bring in the teen years with all of the hormones and trying to move them toward adulthood, and it's been hard. 

 

But if you are convinced of homeschooling, I always found that just keeping on got me through the doldrums. As mine go into high school, we outsourced more, and that helped me a lot. They liked having more interaction with other teens, and some of the pressure was off of me.

[mama25angels]

. Then bring in the teen years with all of the hormones and trying to move them toward adulthood, and it's been hard. 

 

 

I know that this is part of the problem as well, those annoying teen years are upon us and that's definitely a struggle.