by Stefany Smith

Created on: November 11, 2009   Last Updated: November 12, 2009

If you are reading this than you are either a homeschooling parent who has experienced burnout, are currently experiencing it, or are new to the culture and would like to avoid it if at all possible. So for those of you who have been, or are, there you may or may not know how you got there; this article may help you figure that out and make changes to avoid it in the future. For those of you who have never experienced homeschooling burnout, the same tips and tricks should help you keep it that way.

Homeschool burnout can feel much like a truck stuck in the mud; the more the tires spin in attempt to get out of the rut, the deeper the truck sinks into the mud and yuck. If you have found yourself in this position, it may be helpful to take a minute to try to locate the causes of the burnout. The following questions will help you.

*Was it just me the parent, who was burned out, or were the kids exhausted too?

*Did I (we) set unrealistic goals and expectations?

*Did I (we) try to pack in more than we needed to do?

*Did I (we) schedule time off from school?

*Was I (were we) more concerned with keeping up with peers than the actual learning process?

*Were there outside factors present beyond our immediate control?

If you are currently suffering from homeschool burnout you may feel helpless and discouraged. You may have even been considering giving up. I have two pieces of wisdom for you from over ten years of experience. 1) You are not alone; everyone has experienced burnout in one way or another. 2) This too shall come to pass; moments are fleeting, and they only last a little while.

The best advice for you at this point is: take a break. Clear your family's calendar for at least one week, and have some fun. Rent some videos (no educational undertones), put away all the text and work books, deep clean the house, eliminate all unnecessary clutter and distractions; and most importantly, enjoy some time with all of your kids and each one individually. Take some time also to answer the questions above to help understand how you got here.

A quick note to all homeschoolers: know the freedom you have, and use it wisely. You have no reason to push your children faster than they need to go, or force them to perform on the same levels as their public school peers, or set unrealistic goals and expectations for yourself and your children. Because you are not limited by time in school, you can take breaks as needed, save things for the weekend or summer, and enjoy all the precious

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