So Thankful! And How do you prevent burn out?

[skwmackey]

Last November, through lots of tears on my part, we placed our oldest in a private Christian school. In February, I attended a mom's conference where God revealed to me some of my mistakes and I also knew in my heart that our oldest was supposed to be at home learning. I knew that the decision would need to be made by my husband or son as he loved going to school. I told God I would do whatever it took to allow me to homeschool him again. Well, I will be getting to homeschool him again and everyone seems pleased with the arrangement. It won't be easy as we will be moving at the beginning of September from California to Texas in order to take care of my husband's mom. On the tough days, I do my best to remember that God is giving me one of the desires of my heart. I have no room to complain. I am so looking forward to fininshing RtR and starting Rev to Rev this year.

Last fall, I burned out. I was exhausted and couldn't find room to breathe. So my question is, how do you prevent yourself from burning out? I don't want it to happen again, so I want to be prepared, especially if there are some wise words/suggestions to help. The homeschooling group in the area we will be moving to is very active. I know this will help me have support and my boys other children to play with.

Thanks,
Stephanie

[agstefko]

I like to start school earlier in the year than some so it gives me wiggle room to take time off whenever I feel like I am going to burn out

[psreit]

Glad you will be homeschooling your ds again. I had put my dd in school two years ago, and it wasn't long before I knew I needed to bring her home again. I am only homeschooling one, as my others are grown, but the busyness doesn't end. My 23 year old sees doctors 3 hours away, so we have trips for that, ministries at church, children and grandchildren out of state, just the everyday upkeep of things at home, etc. Even though my homeschooled dd is 9, she still needs constant one-on-one in her schoolwork. There are tough days, as she has attention difficulties and visual problems which cause her much frustration at times. I agree with the pp that starting early gives wiggle room for taking days off if needed. I am planning to put dd in co-op (7 Fridays) and also a fall and spring hs choir session. She loves to be out with other kids, and it gives her (and myself) a change of pace. I have a close friend who homeschools. We talk often and it helps to be able to vent that way. But, most importantly, commit your days to the Lord. He will give you patience and the grace to deal with those trying times. When we try to get through it on our own, it cause much frustration and burnout. Don't give up. Have a great year!

[mom23]

Like the others, we homeschool year-round for this reason. The first year I did it, I sat down and counted my required school days and wrote out basically a 3 weeks on, 1 week off schedule all year. I found that for various reasons that didn't always work out, and now I just do school until either the kids or I start to feel the need for a break and then we take one! Often it's just a couple of days off that will give us energy to go again, and sometimes we need a full week off to reframe and regroup. I know schooling year round sounds to some like they're giving up all their break time, but for us it just means we can take breaks whenever we need them.

[my3sons]

Best burnout prevention strategies I have had to date!
1 - Stay close to God. Quiet time, prayer, singing praise songs - when I drift from the Lord, I lose my focus for homeschooling.
2 - Remember why we are homeschooling. Write it down and refer to it often.
3 - Celebrate along the way. Posting on HOD's Weekly Check-In helps me do this. Hanging dc's work on the fridge. Having a digital photoframe of pics of the kids together, with their projects, loving life - it's like a visual scrapbook for me to celebrate the good.
4 - Use HOD. It keeps things exciting, manageable, Christ-centered, and open and go.
5 - Get out once a week with a friend or my husband.
6 - Exercise. Eating right. Getting enough sleep.
7 - Enlist help from the dc with household chores, so I don't get overwhelmed. Chore charts really help!
8 - Hire someone (like an older homeschooled gal) to come 1 or 2 afternoons a week, so I can stay on top of errands and appointments and have a moment alone.
9 - Have fun with the kids - hugs, singing together, share funny stories, watch a movie with them, make special treats together, eat somewhere special once and awhile, go on special walks, etc. Find ways to do the things I love with them, especially when dh is traveling.
10 - Get outside. Even if it's just for a short walk. Marvel at God's creation. It's glorious!
11 - Make sure what I say and think is focused on the positive and encouraging. Whatever is pure, etc. think about such things! Interacting with others on the board in that manner, on the phone, and in person, makes me a happier person too.
12 - Have my own fun alone sometimes - watch a favorite movie, have a bubble bath, read a good book for a bit, call someone I love and talk to them, cook a new meal or make a new recipe, work on my devotional, sing a favorite song, etc.

HTH!
In Christ,
Julie

[aprilmd]

What a great list. I have bookmarked this topic for when I need a little encouragement. I also find looking at all the blessing right in front of me helps. I have started a list of all I have to be thankful for. When I get discouraged I review this list and give God the glory He is due. It hard for me to complain when I see the list of His blessings!!!!!!!!! It's my goal to list 1000 blessings and give Him thanks.

Psalm 75:1 Psalm 107:8

This is a reminder to me. THANK YOU!

[mom23]

Those are great suggestions!

[4Hispraise]

I wish I could print Julie's list! Holding tight to Jesus is the best way to prevent burnout! When I forget to spend time with Him, the source of my strength, I burn out quickly in EVERY area of my life!

Another thing I have learned is to periodically evaluate our schedule and activities.

We go back to WHY we decided to homeschool in the first place. Then, we decide if the outside activity is helping us accomplish our goal. Is it interfering with the peaceful atmosphere of our home and/or mama's sanity? Anything that interferes with mama's sanity is quickly let go of!!

It's my goal to list 1000 blessings and give Him thanks.

aprilmd, I am doing this too!! Isn't it amazing to look back and see ALL the goodness of the Lord poured out?? God has radically changed me through the practice of counting my blessings

[deltagal]

HI there -

I've been musing over your question a few days and here are my thoughts:

1.) begin with the end in mind - (thank to a blog post by Julie Bogart recently I was reminded of this key principle) - start thinking today about next June. When June rolls around what would you like to claim you have accomplished? Or when June rolls around what will you be sad you have let slip. When I think this way it quickly helps me prioritize, so when all is chaos I know where to focus. I can also assess regularly whether or not we are on track with these priorities. Although we have a great deal going on in our family - many ages, stages and needs - my list is very short of what I need to have done by next June. A few items are personal, a few involve the children's academic stages and a few involve our home and friends.

2.) think well, live well, be well - Self-care really does make a difference in my ability to function with grace each day. Eating a healthy diet, sleeping, being physically active, feeding my mind and soul are all vital parts of my well-being.

3.) remember life is a journey, not a sprint
- a little bit of work every day goes a long way over the long haul then trying to sprint to the finish line and definitely prevents burn out. So EVERY day we do a little bit in the areas we believe are important and it adds up!

4.) learn to see God's grace and goodness in every moment - It's true the Lord is with us every step. Training myself to recognize challenges as prayer opportunities, and to see that God is at work in EVERY little thing makes the journey a peace-giving and sustaining one. And this is a spiritual tool I hope to pass on to my children.

That's it for me!