subject: How Do Homeschooling Parents Prevent Burnout? [print this page] How Do Homeschooling Parents Prevent Burnout?
Homeschooling parents have committed to the lifestyle of home education for a variety of reasonsbetter curriculum, fostering traditional values, and freedom of curriculum choices. There is so much good to be said about homeschooling and its benefits.
However, in our efforts to do good things for our children and also provide the whole family with a functioning home, sometimes overwhelming demands to keep all our plates whirling on their sticks produces stress. In addition to educating children, there is laundry to do, meals to prepare and bathrooms to clean. Running a home well is a demanding but very rewarding career, and adding homeschooling to that increases the responsibilities, but also the rewards. All parents who homeschool their children run the risk of burnout from time to time if they do not take precautions against it.
How can we avoid burnout?
Parents, just like children, need to have fun! We know that down time is so important for our children's emotional health; we must also remember that we need it, too. We need time alone to refresh and restore. We need fun time with family, with friends, or just doing something fun on our own. We may resist the idea of fun being therapeutic because we feel there is no time, but it is essential to nurture the teacher so that the student can also be enriched.
What is your favorite activity that leaves you feeling restored and energized? An evening out with friends? Getting your nails done? Reading your favorite book or relaxing with a computer game? Scheduling time for ourselves is not selfish; it is a way to bring out the best in ourselves for our children. When we enjoy activities as adults, it encourages our children to play as well, which is vital for their development, just as scholastic endeavors strengthen them. The importance of play cannot be overestimated, especially if we as parents are prone to be workaholics. Scheduling regular times of enjoyable activities that we look forward to produces hope in our hearts, and hope is good for the soul.
Make a commitment today to love yourself and give yourself the gift of enjoyment of some long-forgotten activity that you have put on the back burner because you thought you did not have time for it. You will be a better homeschool teacher because of it and your children will see a difference in the new energized you!
