The mid-year slump

[kissesmomof4]

Please tell me I am not the only one who has the mid-year slump. I starts around Christmas and last until about now when you figure out what a slacker you have been. LOL

So who will admit to the slump?

How do you get motivated again?

[2plus2]

well i don't quite know what i have but i just put my dear first grader up in bed mid-day to try to pull myself together before I permanently damage her litle spirit. I feel so completely overwhelmed/frustrated/fatigued that i just logged on to this board to see if there were any hits when i search the phrase "want to quit." I am thinking really is a mom meant to do all of this without complete breakdowns..or any human for that matter?
ahhhhh... see i feel better already. It's just hard to vent when there is no one around me who would say anything except i told you your plan was nuts.
so slump...meltdown...call it what you will but I am feeling something wonky today. Hope it passes soon!

[Busymomma1]

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed a few weeks ago. When I woke up, I just felt like I didn't have the energy to do it all and was somewhat dreading the day. I can relate to your feelings! In His mercy, the Lord put Isaiah 40 on my heart that day- "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary..." I prayed that verse (in the shower, of course! ha!), for myself and some friends for whom I knew their strength was sapped, too. Well, the Lord is certainly faithful to keep His promises, but I almost didn't "see" it! I went through the day, felt energetic and happy. I EVEN ironed several of my husband's work clothes (which is a miracle in itself! I usually leave his own ironing to him!) Well, it wasn't until after I ironed that I thought... "WOW! Not only did the Lord answer my prayer and help us through homeschool, I even had the energy to do extra!" I almost forgot to realize He answered my prayer!

So... my prayer for you is that the Lord will renew your strength and help you to run this homeschool race and not grow weary! It's a very challenging, tiring, but rewarding job!

[pollo_la]

I have it a little bit, BUT, on the bright side for us, my oldest is 5, so if we "slack off" a bit, it really doesn't matter!! Today, I just REALLY didn't feel like getting into the morning history routine and such, SO. instead we just read a short Bible story, did some laundry, and then headed out to the library. We had a great time at the library, and then ate a quick lunch out. We returned home just in time for nap for the little ones. I then read some of the new library books with my 5 year old, we did a math lesson and a "fun" page out of one of her activity books. So, we didn't actually do "school" today, BUT, I think what we did accomplish was perfect!!!

[ShellyG]

Yep, I admit it! We have definitely been in a mid-year slump. We have been doing the minimum, math, reading, handwriting, for a few weeks trying to get up the motivation to plow through. The weather always has something to do with it with us too. It's hard to get out and play much in the bitter cold. So we have been running errands more to get out of the house for a little while and trying to take advantage of more field trips through our homeschool group to help beat the winter doldrums. But we do school year round and so I think it's just natural to get this way a couple of times a year. We can afford several breaks and slow down periods. I did, however, just figure out a new game plan for my special needs son, that's in Beyond, thanks to this board's support and ideas! I am learning that HOD is so flexible and I feel blessed to have it! I actually sat down and wrote out some goals today for the remainder of the year to try and pick up the pace a little. We'll get there!!

[my3sons]

This parenting stuff is tough, and I agree it seems toughest in the middle of the year (in the dead of winter here ). But, it would be tough no matter what. I have a sister who has her oldest dc in ps, and it's just as tough (if not more) on her. She says she lacks the time to work on the attitude and heart issues. I've got time for all of that and am so thankful for it - though when I'm in the moment of dealing with it, it's not always easy, it is what we as parents are called to do. When I am stressed, I'll often make myself imagine how quiet the house will be someday with no dc around. Of course, sometimes this thought is a somewhat welcome one (like today when my toddler had a major meltdown ), but when I REALLY imagine what this will be like, it makes me cherish this time in life more and buckle down to work on my heart and get my attitude right again. Usually Christian praise music and time in the Word are enough to get me back on track - and it doesn't even take that long really, when I force myself to do it - a 3 minute praise song I sing, or a short chapter of the Bible - just that little time can get me back on track and get me focused on what's really important in life.

One practical thing that helps me get through the winter is a change of routine for the dc in their free time, which at our house is the afternoons, as we finish HOD by lunch. I've changed up this routine probably 3 times this year. We just have need of a different kind of an afternoon when it's below zero outside. The kids are normally outdoors so much and love that, but that just doesn't work here in the winters. So, here's a fun thing I started yesterday with the dc. I got the idea from Curves, which I used to attend many, many years ago - I think 2 dc ago. Anyway, it's a circuit of rotating exercises for the dc. I used the exercises they learned in HOD and added a few more of our own to round it out. It worked so well, in fact, I think I'll start a new post about it in case someone besides me lives in a freezing cold area and is confined to the house right now.

Other practical things that help me get through the mid-year are the purchase of a few new things. We usually get one big jigsaw puzzle (which is cheap), a few new used videos, maybe a new kind of special hot chocolate (we just got snowman marshmallows, and that was a hit), etc. We also bought some new bubble bath at Walmart (a couple of dollars only), and the kids are loving that. I bought myself a few new books to read, a different exercise CD to listen to, and got a different haircut. O.k., I know these all sound like small things, but when we reach our winter rut here in SD, all of these little things add up to make a big difference. I hope something helps here, but maybe just change things up a little! I never do it with my HOD, because I love that already and like the way we're moving forward to the goal of finishing on time, but the rest of our life, I like to try a few new things now. Maybe this would work for you too!

In Christ,
Julie

[my3good&perfectgifts]

I am definately in a mid-year slump as well. My boys love it when this happens. They know I just don't have it together, so they try to get away with all kinds of mischief. At this time last year, I was almost down enough to give up and put my boys in school. Thankfully God knew my desperation and sent my Pastor to intervene. I just ran into him in the hallway at church one Wednesday night, and he started telling me how wonderful homeschooling is. He said, "If more parents homeschooled, the world wouldn't be in the shape it is in." He was so positive about homeschooling that I knew immediately that God had planned that conversation. (BTW, this is our 5th year homeschooling, so I wouldn't have really enrolled them in school, I just needed a huge boost of encouragement.) This year has been the best year we've had. We love HOD. It is exactly what I have been searching for. Even loving it, I have still had a very hard time getting going after Christmas break. I know God has called me to homeschool the boys, and I cannot do it on my own strength. The perfect cure for the blues or slump I have is spending time with him, on my knees, asking for motivation and wisdom and encouragement. I know this without a doubt, hmmm I think I am writing this for myself. Thanks you guys, God also uses this board to encourage and motivate me, and to provide wisdom from others who have been down this road before.

[threegreatkids]

Little bit of a slump here, too, but nothing like other years! I think HOD is just so enjoyable for all of us that it really helps!
But...we are taking 2 days off this week to do an overnight a couple of hours away and visit an aquarium, a Rainforest cafe, and the biggest hit of all...the hotel pool! We almost always do something like this in February if dh can get a few days off, and it's great. Plus, hotel rates are super low in our neck of the woods as everyone is hibernating
I've been trying to think of ways to help my kids (especially wiggly youngest) get their energy out, too. Yesterday I had them do a "Walk Away the Pounds" video with me They did pretty well, but does anyone know of any exercise videos that kids would particularly like?
We're also pondering a mini-trampoline. Any thoughts on this? I got that idea from last year's homeschool convention...someone said they are a must for boys.
I've also heard of CM's use of Swedish Drill. Anyone know how to do that with dc?

[water2wine]

I am not in a slump but I will admit to being a slacker, hahahaha! I will say this though, this is the time of year when I realize their issues both academically and character wise. Both sometimes can slap you in the face. What has really helped me is to take it in a bite. Work at one thing at a time with each kid. We tend to take the whole picture in at once and see all the things we missed at once or all the issues at once and neither one can all be solved at once. This has really helped me. That and realizing it will take time if you need to work on them with something and results are not instant. All sounds logical but I really have to focus on it to get into my heart.

The other thing that is not rocket science but truly I was not doing until recently is to get whatever you struggle teaching or getting done first thing in the morning and save the things you love until later. I love doing the read aloud time. I know that will happen each day. I get weary of listening to kids reading aloud to me and I have a couple that really need to do it but uh! I can get to me after a while. So I find if I do that as soon as I can to first in the morning it gets done and I will do the stuff I love to do as well. But I do have a few other extras that need to get shoved into that morning slot. I am adding them one at a time though. I am great at getting all of HOD done but I need Carrie to write in the rest of my life if you know what I mean.

If all else fails remember this verse...The harvest will come and it will be good!
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.Galatians 6:9

[deltagal]

When my children were all younger we seemed to hit an all time low - let's put them in school - attitude at this time of year, BUT I haven't experienced that for a couple of years. Some of the reasons why may be:

1.) we use January to pull back and focus on the 3 R's
2.) We begin our new curriculum, new books, new year in February
3.) Schedules, expectations, new goals are set and put in motion in February
4.) we take most of December off
5.) we do Spring cleaning!! in January

That's the short list!

Sometimes all a slump means is time for something NEW!!

[2plus2]

what great encouragement & ideas & suggestions!!! The one suggesting time on your knees is of course the ultimate requirement & I spent a lot of time there yesterday. The one post about school not being any easier was so interesting & probably right -- if the kids were in school it would just be frustrations of another sort & definitely not problem-free as I play that option up to be in my mind. Thanks everyone for such great suggestions of how to "spice things up" amidst the dark days of winter!! This board is such a blessing through this journey of homeschool!

[my3sons]

I will say this though, this is the time of year when I realize their issues both academically and character wise.

You hit the nail on the head here! I totally agree. It is always this time of year that I am talking with my dh saying, "We have really got to team up and work on teaching _________ to __________ because this is becoming a real problem." In fact, I had this conversation with him just last weekend, and also just last night. Here are the fill-in-the-blanks right now...

... work on teaching Wyatt to say "Yes, Mom or Dad" right away without thinking he knows better than us ...
... work on teaching Riley to play better with Emmett because he only ever wants to be with Wyatt...
... work on teaching Emmett to stop yelling and get along better with Riley because he is starting to be quite mean to Riley...

I could even add the dogs to the list - teaching Ruby and Bristol to stop barking! Anyway, I just had to agree with you so much on this w2w. This is the time of the year poor habits seem to come front and center, and we have to deal with them head on, as you said a bit at a time.

In Christ,
Julie

[kissesmomof4]

You are right. This time of year does seem to bring out the character issues in both kid AND parent. I have a lot of flaws. I am very ADD about things. I am always all excited about things but I lose interest fast. I have to take breaks from things so I am able to focus on them again. I wish my mind did not work that way.

I am dealing with some family issues right now so that is not helping me to focus!

[water2wine]

You are right. This time of year does seem to bring out the character issues in both kid AND parent. I have a lot of flaws.

It's OK I have a lot of flaws too. And I tend to be a better planner than I am a doer. I think that is natural. Eventually though if you keep on doing and overcoming the joy comes out in the actual completing. Hang in there. You are normal.

Wanted to add if all else fails I take a little break to get some perspective sometimes. PS teachers take a break to do this and I think sometimes we need it to.It helps me when life is getting too stressful to take a little break. Usually what I do is either sew or dig myself deep in the Word. Then after a few days I am ready to dig in again. And I will add I do it even if I am behind. If I need a break I take it period. Not sure if you are to that point but I just thought that it is something I do from time to time.

[threegreatkids]

What has really helped me is to take it in a bite. Work at one thing at a time with each kid. We tend to take the whole picture in at once and see all the things we missed at once or all the issues at once and neither one can all be solved at once. This has really helped me. That and realizing it will take time if you need to work on them with something and results are not instant. All sounds logical but I really have to focus on it to get into my heart.

Water2wine, this whole post was just so great, but the above quote was EXACTLY what I needed to hear right now! Thanks for this reminder! Does anyone else out there struggle with perfectionism? I know for me this can really keep me from making progress. I get overwhelmed when things aren't perfect (kids, house, self, anything) instead of praying and "doing the next thing". I'm seeing some issues in the kids right now, too (and the house, myself, and just like Julie even the pets ) and you have inspired me to seek the Lord and then start working, especially on character issues.