Take a Time Out to Avoid Homeschool Burnout!

I have been, or can be if you click on a link and make a purchase, compensated via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value for writing this post. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Homeschool burnout, my old friend…

You’ve come to torture me again.
Stir crazed kids in the house bouncing.
Until my angry mood is steeping
And the homeschool vision planted in my brain
Still remains
But there’s no sound of silence… 

I’ve written about how to avoid homeschool burnout (check out an older post titled Recharging Those Batteries When They Burnout.)  Or, maybe I should say alleviate that feeling. Because hitting that wall and feeling completely spent is common to homeschool families.  Even those of us who are ‘veterans’ with more than a decade of homeschooling behind us.

Anyone who’s homeschooled knows all about that point in late winter or early spring when you are exhausted and ready to hang up the proverbial towel on this chosen path. 

 

 

Maybe you’ve been stuck inside with rambunctious kids for weeks on end and you are going a bit stir crazy. This is pretty much the norm if you are in a northern climate where weather keeps you inside more than out. Subzero temps or ice will do that.

Or, maybe the kids (or you!) have fallen out of ‘love’ with a chosen curriculum. Then the guilt within you has everyone plugging along at a snails pace with a lot of complaining and serious “I don’t want to do that!” attitudes.

Whatever the manifestation, I have one golden key for helping to taper those feelings of being burned out….

take a time-out!

 

What Does a Time Out for Homeschool Burnout Look Like?

I’m sure it can look different for each homeschool family. 

The big thing is that it is a break from the usual, almost a mini-vacation from your family’s chosen method of homeschooling.

Homeschooling in Alaska through a charter school means a week where several days have standardized tests. These are for grades 3 through 10 with 2 to 4 days of testing. 

For several years, I worked as a proctor in the pick-up room. This is where parents could wait and finished students would come. Honestly, I would be so exhausted that there is no way we will get any substantial school work done those days.  So, we set aside the books and just included plenty of reading and a few educational videos in our afternoon time at home.

If you are a textbook driven homeschool, this might seem like a big plunge into the unknown.  However, there are so many ways to keep learning without a textbook. Rather, the short break from the usual could help to breathe a breath of new life into your homeschool. Or maybe show you an alternative way to homeschool altogether?

10 Suggestions to Battle Homeschool Burnout

This list is by no means exhaustive. Instead, these are ways that I have approached the issue.

 

1. Schooltime in the Kitchen 

When you are needing a change in things, head to the kitchen for some math and science fun. 

Tackle fractions in a hands on manner.
See what interesting chemistry can be experienced while baking.
Don’t forget some exploration into nutrition while you are there!

I have found that kids love to do STEM subjects when there is food involved. 

Not sure what to do exactly, here are some books to help:

 

2. Take a Field Trip

This can be done in so many ways. 

Take a field trip to a museum for up close investigation of history and/or science.
Many communities have hidden gems that are often free and this could be a great time to check them out. 
Others have membership programs that allow you to visit several times in a year to really soak up all that they offer.  Don’t forget that some business offer a field trip option and will share with the kids how they make a product. We’ve done this with Great Harvest Bread Company and Papa Murphys.
  
Make it a group event by inviting another homeschool family (or more) to join you. Just interacting with others can help boost spirits.

3. Visit the Library

The library is often a homschool parent’s best friend. Each community is a bit different, but the commonality is having a selection of books and other resources.

Tell the kids they get to pick any topic to learn about with the caveat that mom (or dad) has to approve the selected books and multimedia materials found during a trip to the library. 

Let them find all those great books and then encourage some sharing through any presentation method they choose. 

The skies the limit and typically a child will be enthusiastic about a topic they chose and claim ownership. 

Some libraries also offer incredible programs with my favorite price point…free!

4. Pull Out the Games

Raid your game shelf for a different way to reinforce learning.

Some games are just ready made for learning reinforcement. 

Boggle and Scrabble both work for spelling. 
Life and Monopoly have kids handling money for a life skill aspect of math. 
Pictionary could lead to some interesting art. 

Let your (or maybe the kids) imagination run wild.  A quick internet search could also net you several ideas for games utilizing dice and cards that are hanging out in the house.  (The photo above was a workshop we attended for math learning that I’ve yet to write about on the blog.)

 

Besides this break, I’d also advocate that the homeschooling parent seek out support. This could be from friends who also homeschool or maybe a support group (either in person or online.)  Believe me, we’ve all been in this place and most homeschool parents are more than willing to share what has worked, or not worked, for them.

 

Finally, you might discover that the burnout you’ve been experiencing is really a sign that the materials you’ve been using are just a poor fit for your child or family. 

Guess what? 

It’s okay to set it aside and find another avenue for learning!

 

For my homeschooling readers, what is a tip that you’ve used or maybe just heard to help alleviate those feelings of burnout?

 

Be sure to check out the TOS Blog Cruise page to see what other TOS Crewmates have to say on this topic. 

 

I, for one, am curious to read their posts.

 

This post was originally published on Apr 9, 2012 and has since been updated.