by Robin Tidwell

Created on: August 03, 2011

Dealing with homeschool burnout equates to dealing with any kind of burnout: if one lives and breathes homeschooling 24/7, just like any other kind of job or occupation, one is going to need his very own time-out.

Fortunately for you, homeschooling offers the kind of flexibility that can alleviate this problem.

First, you must become organized. Plan your day, and stick to those hours during which you’ll be homeschooling. If you choose 9:00 a.m. as a start time, begin at 9:00 a.m. If you plan to finish by 2:00 p.m., then when that time rolls around you simply stop. Think of a schoolteacher: she’ll stop when the bell rings, right? So ring your own bell, stop, take a few minutes or a half hour to prepare for the next day, and move on to something besides homeschooling.

Second, plan your weeks, months, semester; whatever works best for you. For example, some people plan dinner menus on a weekly basis, some do so by the month. Make your schedule as it best fits you and your family. If your spouse takes a vacation in October, as a homeschooling family you can accommodate this; if something else interrupts the school day or week, you can be flexible in this area as well. Plan, but don’t be obsessive about covering every day or week exactly as you intended.

Again, just like a traditional schoolteacher, the more children you teach and the more varied their ages and grade levels the longer the school day or year may last. Homeschooling is very individualized, which is one reason many prefer to engage in it, so take advantage of that. Remember, however, that at the end of the semester whatever hasn’t been accomplished can be re-evaluated or continued during the next one; there are no deadlines, except the ones that you impose on yourself.

Think about this, or even ask some traditional schoolteachers: what do they do at the end of the day? They plan the next one, then let go. This is important, so it bears repeating a second time. What do they do on the weekends or during holiday breaks? They plan, they prepare, they move on; they go to the movies, or for walks, or read books for pleasure. They do all the things that other people do! They don’t think about their students or assignments or the next big test constantly – they take time to be themselves, to do things they enjoy.

Schedule your day, work that plan, stop at the end of the day. Be a mom or dad, be a family like all the others at the end of a school or work day. Take the weekend off; take holiday breaks. Be sure to treat this like a job, or a profession or a calling – whichever you choose, don’t turn homeschooling into your life. Workaholics come in many forms and yes, your children are important, but if you don’t take care of yourself as well, you’ll become frazzled and burn out quickly.

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