This post is from contributor, Stacey Lane. This post contains affiliate links.
Is it possible to have home school burn out on the first day of school?
I know I do. Really, it is a symptom of my feeling overwhelmed.
I am preparing to send my oldest back to college for his sophomore year. My daughter is just now finishing her math from last year. My second son has the rage of 13-year-old hormones. My youngest was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s. My husband is in the beginning stages of what looks like dementia. I chant every morning…”Just Keep Swimming!”
I am watching the posts swirl through my feed on school planning, curriculum choices, and back to school ideas. My mind just wants to scream, “Didn’t school just finish yesterday…no wait, we are still doing Algebra 1 from last year!” Sigh.
Recently my friend, Terri, published an e-book on How to Have a Productive Pity Party: A Memoir of Purposeful Happiness
I am sure my party will look something like this:
- Throw my hands in the air and declare that I cannot possibly get things together for another school year.
- Then I will call a few friends for support; a different perspective can work wonders.
- I will lay it all down at Jesus’s feet and I will take a nap. Somehow sleep calms me down.
- After my nap I will take my kids to the waterpark, because fun memories can help drive you forward in the down times.
I do not have all the answers, but a plan will form and a date to start school will go on the calendar. Before I blink it will be Christmas, because time has a way of moving forward regardless of my situation.
My best advice if you are suffering from home school burn out on the first day of school: seek wise counsel on what is causing the burn out feelings. Maybe you need to say no to some things, maybe you need to find a quiet moment to think, or maybe you need to start the school year at the end of September…or, you may need to have a productive pity party.
(And IF you are feeling overwhelmed with your curriculum choices I wrote a homeschool chant to help.)
Copyright: haywiremedia / 123RF Stock Photo
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Step away from the blog feed! haha Comparison is the thief of joy, that is certainly true. I have been in planning mode for my daughter and find myself continually looking at “something else” thinking I might have chosen wrong. There are sooo many ways to homeschool, and you could get away with taking a short break, perhaps unschooling for awhile, until life calms down. It’s amazing what kids can learn when they’re not tied to workbooks!
Praying that you will be refreshed and that God will give you a clear plan. 🙂
I hear ya. Right there with you. Already have the back to school stomach ache. (result of regular school memories). My almost teen daughter has been acting like a teen for a couple of years. I’m hanging on to the assumption that she will grow out of it earlier since it got started earlier. Ha Ha. My husband works on the railroad, and has different hours than most. Almost an imposibe task to keep the kids quiet while he sleeps.
But, also wanted to let you know of really good outcomes using coconut oil for altimers and dementia, seriously slowing, and sometimes reversing. If you were kidding about that part on your husband, then ha ha.
Thank you for this. I am working on my schedule for this coming year and I’m already feeling burnt out and the year hasn’t even started yet. I am going to be doing 2nd grade with my oldest, preschool with my daughter and then a 2 yr old boy and a newborn who is 3 weeks old. I think my pity party will look very similar I’m going to go to bed and pray and in the morning take the kids somewhere fun and then I’m sure I will have fresh perspective.