Beating homeschool burnout

Homeschooling takes a lot out of a parent, no question. I homeschooled my children from 1988 through 2004 when our youngest finished; so for sixteen years. Someone asked me how I kept going without getting burned out. Well, everyone gets burned out at some point; you keep going even when you don’t feel like doing it anymore. As adults do. But usually burn out lasted for just a season; there are six things I did regularly which helped. The first is:

Adequate nutrition, and adequate sleep.

Take a liquid mineral and vitamin supplement every day, and give one to your kids, too. Reduce refined sugar. Reduce processed foods with dyes and additives. No soda or junk food, or fast food (if unavoidable, try Subway or Qdoba -yum!- or someplace where the food is made fresh, from fresh veggies, and is not fried). Eat five servings of fresh fruits and veggies a day, this really makes a difference! Get tested for food allergies. Nutritional problems can contribute to learning problems or behavioral problems, in both kids and mom. Take a daily walk with the kids. Get out in the sun and fresh air.

Improving my and my family’s nutrition was the single best thing I did, because it gave me my ability to cope back. Do not deflect getting adequate nutrition or adequate sleep with excuses, because if you do burn out, there will be no homeschool. If money is the problem, rebudget. If time is the problem, then rebudget your time. Delegate, reduce your load, use easier curriculum, or have a less perfect house or yard.

to be continued …

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Update: part two continued in If you need a break, take a break