Encouragement for Weary Homeschooling Mothers

Welcome to week five of blogging through the alphabet. Today my co-host Desiree is sharing E is for Easy and I am writing a letter to weary homeschooling mothers.

Dear Homeschooling Mother who is feeling weary...

You are not alone.  We have all been there.  Sadly not very many of us feel we can voice our weariness.  Weariness is one of the early warning systems on our journey that we need to change something. However if we do not we are plowing headlong into homeschooling burnout.  

**Please be aware this post is not intended as medical advice.  If you’re experiencing serious or prolonged issues with depression, please see your doctor for support and advice.

 Weariness a word study

To better understand and address weariness I found it helpful to look up the definition...

• physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion or strain. (Dictationary.com)
• Characterized by or causing dissatisfaction.
  
• a reluctance to see or experience any more of something.
• having one's patience, tolerance or pleasure exhausted (Merriam-Webster)
  
• the state of being bored with something because you have experienced too much of it. - Cambridge Dictationary
• Being physically or mentally tired. (The Free Dictionary)

As a parent we vigilantly look over our children.  We watch them for signs of hunger, fatigue or illness.  However as mothers we neglect to watch ourselves for these very same things.  The consequence of this is, that we become over taxed and then want to quit or we enter into the realms of depression and exhaustion.  We need to become more self aware and self evaluative as we carry many many roles and responsibilities within our homes. Every single thing you do is saving your family money, and contributing to their wellness.

Homeschooling is both physically and mentally taxing and is not often talked about within the homeschooling community.  This is why it's important to surround yourself with healthy friendships and great community.

 5 things to do to overcome Weariness

1. Find your own rythym. Stop playing the comparison game, it will sap the life out of your homeschool. Find what works for your family and stick to that.  Do NOT change the method that is working, as the old adage goes there is no need to fix it if it is not broken. This is true in the highschool years too.
   
2. Remain committed to being true to yourself. - Stop comparing what you are doing to what other homeschooling families are doing.  Remember social media and blogs are not a true reflection of what others are doing nor are they a a list of "I need to do this in order to succeed..." It is better to do a little with excellence than a multitude of things incompletely.
   
3. Time alone is important.  By this I do not mean a retreat or isolation.  I'm talking about creating space for each and every member of your household. There are many benefits for ever single person in your home if you incorporate this aspect into your homeschooling.  Take a read of How Important is Alone Time and Homeschooling for more information.
4. Do something to fill yourself, because you can't give what you don't have. Think of something to do that replenishes you body, soul and mind. Stop creating reasons as to why you can't and make it a point to do it.  Your family and your homeschooling need it.
5. Choose your support/mentor network carefully.  You need support and the people you are surrounding yourself with are a far greater infulence than you release.  Choose those who leave you feeling encouraged and supported.
   

 Charlotte Mason advised the teacher to replenish her soul with a continual supply of ideas. ...stimulates your educational thought in many directions and keeps you from drifting into mere routine... Do not think this is a selfish thing to do, because the advantage does not end with yourself."

For more encouragement read

• Overcoming Homeschool Burnout What is burnout and how do we combat it? Some practical tips from a Veteran Homeschool Mom
• Dear Homeschool Mom … a collection of encouragement letters to homeschool Mom’s from the Homeschool Review Crew
• Staying On Top of It All – keeping up with all that needs to be done.
• Dear Mom Who is Feeling Overwhelmed – Be True to yourself. Let go of the things that entangle and weigh down your homeschool and go back to the basics. Homeschool unique to you and your family.
• Mother Culture – Time Out {Homeschooling Essentials} – Time to answer the question of What is Mother Culture and why you need to practice it daily in your Homeschool.
• Homeschool Burnout what is it?  How do you deal with it? Practical steps to help you heal and set up ways to combat it.
• One Step at a Time – lets talk about the journey of homeschooling and how to take it one step at a time and prevent becoming overwhelmed and burnt out. 
• Home school Co-ops and what the benefits are for you the home educator
• 5 Days of Homeschooling Encouragement.
  

What are some tips that you have found useful when feeling overwhelmed or weary?

Blessings

Chareen

Find the other ABC posts in this series here:

1. A is for Art Lessons at Home
2. B is for Books Where do You Purchase Yours? 
3. Charlotte Mason a Round Up of Posts 
4. Delight Directed Education
5. Encouragement for Weary Homeschooling Mothers
   

Featured from Week 4 all things 'D'

• D is for Display and Donuts over at Our Homeschool Notebook
• D is for Devil's Den over at A Mom's Quest to Teach.
  
• Homeschooling Tips from A to Z: the Letter D over at Homeschooling Highway 
• Debussy and de Meij ~ Composer ABCsby Lori at At Home: Where Life Happens.
• Discovering the D Rabbits of the World by Annette over at At Home Pets.
  

This week  over at Our Homeschool Notebook the topic is E is for Easy .  

Please link up your posts starting with the letter E for this weeks ABC Blogging. This is a Blog Hop!