From the article: How do you keep your sanity?
A forum member needs help keeping it all together. Balancing everyday duties and homeschooling can be quite challenging at times, especially if you have to go it alone for long periods of time. How do you deal with it? How do you find time to decompress, unwind, recharge, relax, get away, have 'me' time no matter how short and not go totally crazy? Offer a helping hand...
We Can't Do it ALL-we can do our best!
- Its not possible to do it all, so don't try! Just do your very best every day & if you believe-pray-that helps a lot for me. I feel more at peace...but trying to do it all is not happening. I wish more mothers could stay at home with their children FT..........I think its REALLY hard to work PT and try to homeschool/be an at home mom.......just tough! Never enough time. I actually think its easier to either be home ft (not easy--at all-the hardest job in the world!) or work ft outside the home(because all moms work!).because if you work ft-then someone else takes care of your kids..... Its hard to do it all-I applaud all who can. I will be honest-this is my first year homeschooling and I SO don't have it down yet,,,,,,but I am really trying!! God Bless you all!
- —Guest Mom of 4 in Cali
How do I keep my sanity
- With homeschooling an autistic grandson and volunteering in church with him and taking care of the house along with living on a fixed income...I enjoy old west reenacting with my husband and grandson - that is about the total of relaxing. I do enjoy his woodworking classes and my crafting, if I get some time.
- —Guest Pam Rodriguez
Lots of systems in place
- My kids are 3, 6.5 and 10. I have burned out a few times already and learned the importance of putting systems in place. 1) My eldest knows how to work the microwave and toaster oven and I always keep a fruit tray, a veggie tray and always keep deli meats, pre-boiled eggs, and packaged cheeses in the fridge and lots of easy to do things in the pantry. This makes Breakfast and Lunch a snap. While the kids take care of Breakfast and Lunch on their own, I can have prep time. All the kids know that they are expected to get dressed and clean up after meals and they do it automatically. This saves me a lot of stress. 2) They know what time school starts even the smallest can count the chimes when the clock sounds, and they know to be ready for our morning meeting where we all get on the same page and go over what is expected of everyone for that day. 3) I have a large dry erase board and everyone has a daily checklist there, they enjoy checking things off and feel a sense of acc
- —Guest Woods Academy
Keep your sanity with discovered me time
- I have found that great educational DVDs are wonderful for educating WHILE tending to yourself for a bit. Rock N Learn DVDs are great for nearly every subject. Your child can ENJOY this, while you go do something in the house for yourself. How much time do you get? How long is the DVD you put on? 38mins? 58mins? you choose. DVDs are great vision captures! The music has words that reinforce learning, and you can use them over & over again. You can even use them to visually introduce something that you have not yet begun to teach, or on a day when doing the subject on paper isn't desired by the child. You'll find time to do things needful in the home and still deposit learning tools into your child's mind while they watch and relax or color... Remember filling the home with audio-knowledge helps to steer the mind while other things maybe going on. Just my thoughts of course, but it's just one of the things I've come up with since I'm on my own.
- —Guest AngelEscort
I had 4 in a 6 year spread...
- With that I have now been homeschooling for 11 years now. Down time, "me time", what ever you want to call it has looked differently over the years. When my older ones got old enough to do independent work I then took the mornings to do "work with mom" w/the afternoons as work alone and quietly time. Lately my kids have tried to drag out their work (I think in hopes that they won't have to finish it). Here is what I have done. Each child, according to their work load has a time that they must be done by. 11 am for the youngest and 2pm for the oldest. They know that if they are not done at that time then they will have NO free time as I will not be available to assist them anymore and if they need help they will have to sit at the table doing nothing or do extra work. I just am not available. If dad is, they can ask his help, but usually he is working. I use from 2 - 4 as my time to get things done. Also I get up early, 6am, for time with the Lord and exercise. This helps start the day.
- —Guest Patty
Me Time Every Day
- I homeschool 5 children 12 and under. I make sure to go to bed at 9 or 9:30 pm--I mean actually going to sleep, not reading or something. I wake up at about 4am! Since I feel rested, I go to a gym! I can hardly believe I actually do this! I work out with weights, etc. I have so much more energy and feel so great because of this! I get home by 6:30am, and still have 1 hour before the children wake up. I get a shower, a light breakfast, and some quiet preparation time. The key is aim my day so that we can go to bed at the correct time. "and the evening and the morning were the first day." The day begins the night before, as the bible says! Perhaps you will try something like this and experience the pleasure and benefit that I am! The Lord bless you!
- —loveswake
Sanity...overrated!
- I don't keep my sanity! That's what makes it so much fun. I'm kidding of course, but life is very crazy with my oldest being 8 and the 7th baby on the way. My hubby is a farmer, so I am alone much of the time...although he helps as much as possible. What I've realized is that flexibility is important. Have a schedule...or at least a plan, but don't be afraid to bend it. Realize that it's OK to take a day off of school if your messy house is driving you nuts and you just want to clean...better yet get the kiddos involved. I don't have much "me" time. I just try to get up before the kids do, enjoy a cappuccino (aka hot cocoa w/ a bit of coffee added!) and read my Bible. It helps the day run smoother. Just remember you aren't alone in this! I wish you the best!
- —Guest rachel
Join a group
- Do you belong to a meetup group, a co-op group, etc? Mine is great. We do co-op classes, field trips, group tours etc, and in those instances, homeschool time also becomes "me" time. I get a chance to be around and chat with other moms, which is a definite sanity-saver. Planning occasional moms night out dinners or activities with girlfriends is a must, too, as is getaway time with your spouse. And of course when it's mid-day and you just get an overwhelming urge to have a few minutes to yourself to decompress, it's always a good time to announce "okay recess, go out in the backyard!" or "okay silent reading time, go pick up a book and read to yourself" or whatever gets them off and doing their own thing for a bit.
- —sahmiam3
don't be afraid to ask for help!!
- And don't be too proud to take days off! No one says you HAVE to do things certain ways. That's the beauty of homeschooling. Have a "nature day" and go to the park. Have a "learning game day" and play Yhatzee, Monopoly, Boggle, Scrabble, or whatever age appropriate games you have. Lastly- have a "teacher appreciation day" and get a sitter and go get a mani-pedi. Don't fall into the "martyr mommy" mode or it's hard to get out. If you don't take time to maintain your sanity- no one will. Don't see having breaks as a negative thing. When mommy/teacher is at her best- everyone reaps the benefits! Hang in there!!!
- —ermallett
ask for it
- You didn't say how old your kids are but from the time they are preschool age they are old enough to give you some down time....just ask (and insist). When my kids were young and my husband was a wildland fire fighter (gone for weeks/months, and we were stationed in rural nowhere where there was no help) I insisted the kids give me one hour in my room alone every day. When I had "mom time" I explained to them that unless there was a fire or blood I was not to be bothered. They could do things on their own that were not noisy that did not need my supervision. After a while they figured out that everyone (especially them) was much happier and days were much better when mom was sane.....just be sure to put your foot down about it and be firm with the rules....this will also help them in later life in dealing with other people. Aafuter
- —Guest Hilary
Trusting God
- I think the key to keeping your sanity is trusting God and remembering why you homeschool! Sure we could send our kids to public school for them to be led astray and desensitized just for us to be totally selfish and have our "me" time! Parenting is a full time job and requires all of you! If you need some alone time put the kids to bed early. If they are driving you crazy ask the Lord for strength and patience, if needed step into another room for a few minutes,lay down for a few minutes. It all boils down to trusting God and sacrifice for the love of our kids! They won't always be around. Sooner or later they grow up and move out, then you'll have your "me" time and miss the moments when the kids drove you crazy! Good luck and God Bless!
- —Guest gina
ME time
- I have seven children, ages 3 1/2 - 10 whom I homeschool so I can understand. My down time is once a month on a Friday evening, Me, myself and I go get a bite to eat wherever and then head to Borders for a couple hours of reading whatever suits my fancy. Even though I'm only gone for a few hours once a month, I can't tell you how refreshed I come home. Even my husband sees a difference. It's just taking that breather and having some quiet for that set aside time. It has saved my sanity many times. Find someone to sit with the children and GUARD THAT TIME! Whatever you do. It WILL prevent burnout!! God Bless and thank you and your family for serving our great country!!!
- —Guest busymomof7
keeping your sanity
- My husband has not been in the military, but there were times when my children were young that he worked 12 hour days, 5 or 6 days a week, so I was "on my own" most of the time when that was the case. When my children stopped having "naptimes" I instituted a rest time for Mom. So, I would send my children to their rooms for 30 minutes and tell them they could come out when they hear the timer ring, but only if they were quiet during the 30 minutes. Also, I tried to find activities for them which didn't require me to participate, even if I just sat on the sidelines for supervision. Are there other homeschooling Moms in your area who you could meet at the park or go to lunch with? Just having adult conversation on difficult days helps, even if you still have to have your children with you 24/7.
- —DKinkopf
I understand
- I am also a military wife and homeschool two kids, 12 &13. Deployments are rough. Ask for help. Three words I had problems with, but was thankful when I learned them. There's always someone willing to lend a hand. Getting outside helps everyone vent energy and keeps moods on the up side. Making sure the kids have a bedtime at least an hour before yours means you have that hour to breathe before you fall into bed yourself. I've personally found that having things planned helps a lot, just seems to leave less to worry about if some things are all ready to go. Let's not forget, play dates. Do they have friends they can go play with for an hour or so and give you some time to decompress? A down day is perfectly acceptable if it means you stay sane. You can do it!
- —Guest JuneyFu
I keep my sanity by...
- I keep my sanity first and foremost by praying. I also try to find fun things to do with the kids. It's amazing how relaxing Play Dough can be. I get up before the kids do at least twice a week to get in a 20-30 minute shower; it gives me time to think, to pamper myself, and to be truly alone.
- —Guest Lisa
1-15 of 23Next
