Overwhelmed & Exhausted? This post is for you, beautiful mama!
Have you been wondering how to homeschool when you just don’t have the energy? I once read the title of a post from a favorite mom blog I used to follow, and it was something like “52 Things I Do Every Day!” I was just beginning my homeschooling journey at the time with my oldest, who was then 5, and I had a highly sensitive 3 year old and a baby on top of that. I was barely sleeping, and showers seemed like a luxury.
Did I even do 52 things—any things—in one day? The idea seemed entirely overwhelming. I just longed for some basic rhythm to cling to, not a comprehensive to-do list that would set me up for failure.
If you’ve read this far, I’m guessing you also don’t want a list of 52 or 12 or even 6 tips for survival mode in homeschooling. Whatever the circumstances around your overwhelm, know that I (and so many other mamas!) understand! I don’t want to add to your stress. I want you to feel some peace and find some rest!
What counts as a homeschool day? Here are Three Ingredients (or Less!) to Survive (and Thrive!) Homeschooling When You’re Just. So. Tired.
Ingredient #1: Love
Yes, love. It’s really number one, isn’t it? I hesitated putting this on the list at the risk of sounding cliché or impractical. But the love you have for your kids is neither cliché nor impractical. It is real and POWERFUL. It is probably the main reason you chose to begin this crazy homeschooling journey.
Relationships are the #1 priority in homeschool families! Mamas, just LOVE your children. Love them however they are right at this moment.
Tell them how awesome and smart and funny and wonderful they are. Tell them how much you enjoy spending time with them (even though sometimes you lock yourself in the bathroom to have a cry or a snack). Tell them, in no uncertain terms, how glad you are that you get to be home with them, EVEN WHEN THEY DRIVE YOU CRAZY. Even when all you long for is ten minutes of uninterrupted anything. Even when your ears ring from the screaming and your coffee is cold and your thoughtful plans lay in tattered ruins. Just loving them is enough.
If your kids feel safe and loved, they are going to feel secure enough to be curious and take the risks of learning new things all on their own. And that, dear overwhelmed mom, is the crux of homeschooling. And guess what? You’re already doing it.
Ingredient #2: Books
Just…books. Have them accessible.
Gather up what you already have and make them accessible to all the children in your house (well, perhaps to everyone except the paper-eating, binding-ripping toddler!). Put them in baskets on the floor. Have a low bookshelf in the living room, play room, bedroom…wherever your kids will see them. Have some in every room of the house! Strew a few (see this great article about strewing!) on the kitchen table or next to the couch and watch natural curiosity in action! I promise that simply having a wide variety of quality books available to your kids will enrich their lives and cause learning. And that’s what it’s all about, right? Learning.
Feel like you don’t have enough quality books? Order some online if you can (maybe while you’re nursing the baby for what feels like the 80th time that day, or maybe lock yourself in the bathroom for a few minutes again). Beautiful books can be delivered right to your door! Not sure what to order? I would love to help you. Just comment below! If that sounds too overwhelming, simply browse to “best-sellers” in the age-appropriate section of your favorite online store and start adding to your cart until you hit your budget.
No budget? The library is an amazing and helpful resource, but only if you can actually take the time to go pick up books. I highly recommend seeing if your library has reservation services! Some libraries will even browse for books for you if you give them a topic, and most libraries allow you to place holds on specific books through their website. Hold services mean you can make a quick stop to gather them all off one shelf instead of browsing the library!
But if getting to the library, even for a quick pick-up, seems like a luxury or a mountain right now, don’t fret! The library will still be there when you are ready. Instead, just find whatever books you have already and make them accessible.
No energy to read to your younger children? While building that relationship and modeling a love of reading is important, so is survival. If you just can’t right now, there are apps for that! Check your library’s website for their electronic services. Ours has free access to a great site called TumbleBooks that actually reads books to your children! It’s like the “books on tape” from my generation (showing my age, here!), but all conveniently served up in one easy-to-navigate app!
And don’t forget about audiobooks. You can find many of those free to listen to on your library’s website, as well! Pro tip: throw on an audiobook while your child is already engaged in an activity like eating, coloring, putting together a puzzle, etc.
Ingredient #3: Games
Just…games. Have them accessible.
Again, ordering online is a superbly easy way to bulk up your gameschooling stash! I have plenty of recommendations and wish lists I can share with you when it comes to games, but you don’t need to overwhelm yourself with those right now (unless you’re game-obsessed like me and really can’t resist!). Decision fatigue is real, and the truth is that it’s super easy to find GREAT games. So I’ve made a short list of favorite games, if you just want someone to tell you what to buy so you can get started.
Oh, and are you worried that you won’t have time to play with your child as often as they’d like you to? No worries! If playing along just isn’t in the cards right now, there are tons of awesome solo-player games for every level! Search for SmartGames or ThinkFun, both leaders in solo player logic games for all ages and stages. Someday you will find time to play with your children more often. Spend less time worrying about when that day will come, and use that time instead making great games available to your kids now!
Bonus Ingredient: Freedom
Yes, that’s right. Freedom.
Depending on your state’s (or country’s) homeschooling laws, you may have more or less freedom in what you need to “prove” about your homeschool. But the essence of homeschooling is freedom in education. It is a lifestyle that promotes learning, NOT simply “doing school at home.” What could this freedom look like when you are completely burnt out? Could what you and your children did today “count” as homeschooling?
You don’t even have to tell me what you did. I can tell you right now, definitively, that YES, it counts. It all counts! So do what you need to do, with the end goal of curious children in mind!
- Let them play that extra educational app on the iPad.
- Heck, let them play the non-educational one that makes you cringe! They are learning even then (hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, planning ahead, interpersonal relationships, new vocabulary, etc.).
- Throw on an age-appropriate documentary or some PBS Kids shows (so much learning is crammed into these shows!).
- Snuggle on the couch together and count the stray cheerios on the floor.
- Take that nap. It is important to show that self-care and rest are important to everyone.
- Converse. Just sit and have a conversation with your child. Talk about what they want to talk about. They’ll remember that you took interest. Especially if they are older kids!
- Send them outside to play. Proprioception is vital to all learning.
- Let them, by choice or by necessity, play make-believe all the livelong day. This is how kids process and experiment with information they’ve perceived and absorbed from the world around them. Make-believe is important learning!
