Beating homeschool burnout, part four

Previously: Part one: Adequate nutrition, adequate sleep
Part two: If you need a break, take a break
Part three: Less is more

Solve family problems

Homeschooling, as anyone finds out who is into it for longer than a month or two, is about more than academics. The family is impacted in a powerful way, as parents seek to obey the biblical injunction to teach their children, and parents and children start having more time to spend together. Family relationships soon take on an importance as great or greater than academic excellence. Because every one is home and around each other much of the time, the potential for closeness as well as conflict is multiplied. This is the way God designed families to be, to be around each other so that the father can teach his children when he rises up, when he lies down, when he comes in and goes out.

But because so many of us were raised in families fragmented by the culture in which we live, we lack the living examples and, many times, the biblical knowledge of relationship principles that make family relationships a joy and a blessing rather than a burden. If your family relationships are a burden and not a joy (this is more common than homeschoolers let on) then homeschooling itself will be a burden and not a joy.

Fortunately, family problems are solveable. Solve Family Problems is the ministry of Dr. S. M. Davis, pastor of Park Meadows Baptist Church in Illinois. My husband and I are very impressed with Dr. Davis’ grasp of biblical truth as it applies to family relationships, and we implemented these biblical principles in our own family. Especially helpful are his messages on building marriages, and dealing with rebellion in children. I would encourage parents of young children, who are not dealing with rebellious teens, to please watch these parenting videos anyway. You will learn biblical principles that will improve your parenting, and arrest the development of rebellion in your children before it is full-grown (if you are making any mistakes in your parenting, which most of us do).

Update: Please see Biblical Relationships Resources for more help.

To be continued …

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Update: Part five continued in Feed your spirit.