As a homeschooler, I’m always so excited to get started at the beginning of the year. We have all the materials, and I’ve taken the time to plan and organize. We begin losing momentum a little after Thanksgiving, but I change things up for the holidays, and we make it through. I re-evaluate at the first of the year and then get going again, but it hits me big time after a couple of months. Burn Out.
After almost 20 years of homeschooling, I can see the cycles. Each year in February or March, I feel it again. If I’m going to think about giving up, this is when it happens. I start questioning why I am doing what I’m doing. I’ve talked to other veteran homeschoolers, and I’m not the only one.
So, how do I keep on going?
I find support and inspiration.
It is no coincidence that I organize conferences during this time of year.
When people talk to me about starting to homeschool, I always tell them that they need to find support for themselves. Yes, it is nice to have a community for their kids, especially for their teens, but it is imperative to support themselves.
When I first started homeschooling, I had four little boys at home, three that I was schooling, and one I was trying to keep occupied while working with his brothers. My oldest was in second grade, and my twins were in kindergarten. I had spent two years researching homeschooling and found the best curriculum. I had a detailed plan. I was confident that I could do it. My husband had given me the go-ahead to try it for one year. My parents were very supportive. I had taught at the college level, so I could certainly do this, right?
The first day one of my five-year-olds spent the day in the corner. He wouldn’t do anything I asked him to do.
That went on the entire first week.
I got him on board, and my toddler decided that he didn’t like the fact that I was spending too much time focused on his brothers trying to teach them to read.
To add to that, I was following the Classical Education model and had loaded up on subjects like Latin AND Spanish and teaching cursive (to my five-year-old sons).
My oldest had always been an outstanding student, but now that I was trying to push him a little, he wasn’t getting 100% on all his tests, and he would dissolve into a puddle of tears.
What was I doing wrong? Was I going to totally ruin my kids?
And then I started reaching out to other homeschoolers. I enrolled my boys in a weekly PE class and talked to other moms about what they were doing. I found a homeschool group run by a woman who had been doing it for a while and could give me some ideas and support.
It helped me keep going.
And every year in early Spring, when I thought I would ruin my kids and I was burnt out, I would reach out to my community to get the help I needed to keep going.
Even after 20 years, I still need this support. And now I give it too.
Suppose you feel like you need some inspiration, especially after the crazy year we’ve gone through. In that case, I’d like to invite you to the Transformational Education Conference being held online on February 19th and 20th, 2021.
After years of organizing conferences, I know many amazing people who want to offer their support and inspiration.
And the best thing – it is our gift to you. No cost.