Homeschool Inspiration

Encouragement for the Exhausted Homeschool Mom: Rediscovering Everyday Inspiration

Hey! So, you’re feeling tired and a bit DONE with homeschooling. You need homeschool inspiration or you are going to throw in the towel. I think you landed in the right spot. I am right there with you and I know exactly how you feel.

In this post I hope you find inspiration and ideas to help recalibrate your homeschool and find inspiration all around you. Homeschooling can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Like all things in life, it is what you make it. (Don’t miss the free printable at the bottom – you’ll love it!)

From Excited to Exhausted

My sister (not a homeschool mom, but a homeschool alumni) made me laugh when she sent me a cartoon once. It showed a stick figure homeschool mom at the beginning of the year versus the end. This little cartoon stick mama was so zealous and eager at the beginning of her school year. By the end, she, was handing out red-dye #40 candy and tv remotes.

That image has definitely been me. So many times I start out so fresh and ready to tackle all of the projects, subjects and extracurricular, that I overwhelm myself. I have thought many times how I wanted to find an alternative, but in my area there just isn’t a good one.

I’ve done my fair share of homeschool crying and when it came down to it, I had to shift how I saw homeschooling. Once I did, everything changed. Now, of course, there are still days I struggle, but when I do, I know exactly how to ground myself and refocus on what matters: connection.

I could teach my sweet babies all the information in the world and if I am not connecting with them in the end, then I feel all is lost. One of my biggest struggles is that I like nice neat packages that unfold into neat little outcomes. But the reality is – homeschooling is messy – and that mindset was really hard to get away from.

Realizing your mindset needs to shift is the first step to resetting, no matter the problem.

Signs of Fatigue and Burnout – When You Need Homeschool Inspiration

You can be sure that you are in need of homeschool inspiration and a reset when you start handing out red-dyed candy…I kid. I joke. But truly, it is important to know the signs of when to take a step back and reset.

Sometimes the fatigue creeps up and gets the best of you before you know it. You start feeling guilty and simultaneously resentful about homeschooling. You may think, if I could just do it like I see on Pinterest…(comparisons never do anyone any good, so definitely don’t go down that path).

Your children begin to disengage with the learning process because perhaps a rigid mindset has crept in. These are all things I have dealt with before and know all too well. When these thoughts and actions start to take over your homeschool, you’re in need of a reset.

What Homeschool Inspiration Really Looks Like

Now that you know you are not alone, let’s talk about how we can take a step back from our homeschool and re-structure our days to accomplish 3 things: curiosity, connection and courage.

Letting our children’s curiosity be the spark in your learning process can create the space they need to learning the way they do best. I know that the practice of this can be easier said than done, but it is going to be liberating to both you and your children.

My 3rd son has challenged me quite a bit this past school year, but I have grown so much by teaching him in his rhythm. He has the tendency to take advantage of that, so I do have to balance a bit of book work in there, but overall, when he is learning hands-on he thrives.

When we spend our days catching bugs, planting seeds and reading outloud, we all feel so much more at peace. These slower book-free days unlocks something in my children and in me. I feel more grounded and like I am sowing seeds in them and the ground.

Once I started sowing intentionally, (because seeds will get planted no matter what: for better or worse), our learning slowed down and we began to appreciate each other more.

Take Stock and Ask Questions

Applying a new lens and taking stock of what is or isn’t working doesn’t have to be overwhelming or daunting. One of the first places to start is by asking questions.

I like to ask my husband. He works from home so he’s in the mix regularly throughout the day and can see things that I can’t. I get his feedback and see where I need to make adjustments or what is working and how to bring more of that in.

Next, I talk to the kids and see what their thoughts are. This build connection (a goal I might have lost sight of for a minute) and really helps me see how they think things are going.

Finally, I assess what season we are in, both actually (spring, summer, etc.) and figuratively. I have children from preschool to high school, so this can be a bit tricky. By constantly assessing, I can be more attuned to their needs when it comes to learning.

Letting Go and Learning More

We recently assessed based on the upcoming spring season, which always proves to be busy with gardening. We detoxed for about 2 weeks from our winter book learning and worked outside getting our garden ready for planting and even went tent camping.

I think I needed it more than the kids. Getting my hands dirty and a sun tan at the same time was the perfect mix to refresh my soul. They would each meander in and out of the garden helping as much or as little as they liked.

Without being obnoxious, I would thrown in a little intentionally asked gardening question. We would discuss if for a few minutes, plant a few more seeds and they’d disappear to go play in the sunshine.

Being able to connect in relationship with both my children and the earth helped put a perspective on our learning that could never have been learned through sitting at a desk.

By letting go of strictly learning everything from books, we learned more about each other, connected deeply to the land and allowed ourselves to be tired out by soil and sunshine.

After reconnecting with the earth and my kids, I realized there was another piece I had neglected: connection with others

How to Find Homeschool Inspiration in Hard Seasons

Finding homeschool inspiration isn’t always as easy as taking a book break. Sometimes it is more complex. Sometimes we feel alone and like we are living in a vacuum.

Building a strong community of support is vital to any homeschool journey and to your personal health. This could be a your spouse and some close friends or family members. Or it could be other homeschool moms that are on the same journey as you are.

You never have to do this alone or from a place of isolation. Making the decision to educate your children from your home is courageous and inspiring in and of itself.

Give yourself lots of grace and space to make many mistakes and fail. If we cannot fail, we cannot learn.

Homeschooling is messy. Homeschooling can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. You are not alone in the learning process and don’t forget, the best schools don’t have walls, but are filled with nature, wonder and connection to each other and the earth.

Bonus Homeschool Inspiration Ideas

It is usually near the end of the school year that everyone starts to get restless and those last 50 days seem to never end – kinda like the last 30 minutes of a long road trip with kids. Here are a few ideas that can help break up monotony and bookwork:

• An alliterated week (check out this post for all the details)
• Documentary day – binge a topic that you are learning about via documentaries
• Library day – your local library is a rich resource for fun and learning
• Community service day – find a local mission and find out how you can serve the community as a homeschool
• Field day – pack a picnic and invite some friends to hang at a local park and play field games
• Audio book learning – sometimes when you don’t even feel like a read aloud can happen an audio book is perfect

The possibilities are endless and you can quickly refuel by shifting your rhythm and perspective. I’ve created a free downloadable journal page that you will find useful in this process. What have your homeschool struggles been lately? If you feel you want to share in the comments below please do.