How to Avoid Homeschool Mom Burnout
Homeschooling my kids is one of my greatest blessings.
But I’d be lying if I said it was easy and every day was dreamy.
Homeschooling can be hard sometimes, and it’s easy to find yourself in homeschool mom burnout.
Yes, some days are harder than others, but when every day becomes hard and you no longer want to participate, it’s time to re-evaluate your homeschool days.
I want to share some tips on how to avoid homeschool burnout, things that might indicate you’re in the middle of burnout as a homeschool mom, and some tips on how to move yourself out of the homeschool exhaustion phase.
Here are my best tips for what to do when homeschool is hard.
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. I only recommend products I love or would personally use.
How to Prevent Homeschool Burnout
When you’re a homeschool mom, you know you have a job to do.
But sometimes, we forget that even though the “school” part of our day may be finished, the mothering part of our job is literally around the clock.
We are often the parent our kids go to, even if our partners are sitting right there completely unoccupied.
When the around-the-clock pull starts to become heavy, homeschooling starts to feel monotonous and frustrating.
By watching for the first signs of burnout as a homeschool mom, you can often pull yourself back together using these ways to avoid complete homeschool exhaustion.
My absolute favorite Christian Homeschool Curriculum.
Signs of Homeschool Burnout
Homeschool mom burnout is going to look different for everyone, but I guarantee you’ll likely feel at least several of these things. If you find yourself feeling these things more often than not, you’re likely experiencing homeschool burnout.
You Dread School Work
If even the thought of getting your kids to do their schoolwork makes you cringe, chances are, you’re hitting a point of exhaustion and frustration. For me, this is one of the very first signs I’m headed towards homeschool burnout as a mom, and since I’m the one “in charge”, it’s up to me to recognize this and shift.
You Feel Irritable Often
Obviously, there are many outside factors that can be thrown into this one, but sometimes, homeschooling can make you irritable. If the kids coming to you for help sends you over the edge, homeschool is likely the culprit of your irritability.
You’re Emotionally Exhausted
Another hard and fast sign for me that I’m on the verge of burning out as a homeschool mom is that I become emotionally exhausted and unavailable.
For me, being present is a huge reason we chose to homeschool. I want to be emotionally available for our kids, and when I find that I can’t do that, I recognize that it’s time for something to change.
Sometimes I just need a break, other times they need a break, and sometimes we need to re-evaluate our daily homeschool schedule and our overall homeschool routine.
You’re Always on the Verge of Tears
When you wake up on the verge of tears just thinking about the day, it’s time to change something. It may be your attitude, it may be you need to change your curriculum, or it may just be time to take a break.
But, if you feel like you could try at any given moment, most of your day, you’re likely feeling homeschool burnout.
You Feel Inadequate
As a person of faith, I always know when I start to feel inadequate, that when I begin doubting myself, it’s Satan in my ear telling me I’m not good enough.
Even as a licensed teacher who taught in the classroom for many years before becoming a homeschool mom, I have days when I question if I am qualified “enough” to teach my kids, yet I managed and taught a class of 30 kids and did it well.
If you experience feelings of inadequacy, step back and take a look at the big picture. Are you providing them with opportunities to learn where you can support their growth? If the answer is “yes”, you’re doing ok, and it’s just personal doubt creeping in.
But honestly, if the answer is “no”, start looking for ways that you CAN support their learning, especially as the work, namely math and science, becomes harder and more complicated.
Every Day Feels Like a Bad Day
When you get to the end of each day and you struggle to find more positive than negative, you’ve likely hit a point of burnout. If each day starts to feel more like a struggle than a success, it’s a good time to stop and re-evaluate. Decide if what you’re doing is working, and if it’s not, take the time to make adjustments.
*My favorite homeschool supply organization tips– because we don’t have a homeschool room.*
Homeschool Burnout Solutions
Take a Break
The easiest and quickest way to pull yourself out of homeschool burnout is to take a break.
For some moms, taking a break from homeschooling is enough to help them reset.
But for me, and I’m sure many other moms, I need to take a break from everyone and everything.
I will spend a few hours out of the house, doing something for myself.
Sometimes I go read a book at the park or have a pedicure.
You can easily take a day off and not spend any money if it’s not in your budget.
The main goal is to take some time for yourself where no one needs anything from you.
Allow Yourself a Homeschool Retreat
If your budget and time allow, I highly recommend you have a homeschool retreat.
I wrote an entire post about creating a homeschool retreat because it is such a great idea.
You can have a homeschool retreat by yourself, with some other homeschool friends, or you can use a homeschool retreat to plan out your homeschool year.
Relax Your Schedule
Maybe you don’t need a complete break away, but you just need to relax your homeschool schedule a bit.
If you have a pretty rigorous homeschool plan, it might be time to relax things a bit.
This can take some of the pressure off you, and it’s likely that if you need a break, your kids will benefit from this break as well.
Go Outside (By Yourself or Together)
I have found that I recharge best on my own.
A walk alone is enough to help me reset my mind for a while.
I know other moms who can reset just by going to a park with their kids and taking a break from the monotony of a regular day of homeschooling.
Being outside is one of the best ways to regroup. I personally really enjoy grounding too.
Make Learning Fun Again
I know there are times when I get so focused on checking the boxes that I forget to make learning fun.
I sometimes forget that I want my kids to fall in love with learning.
This is the perfect time to find a way to make learning fun again.
Maybe it’s a fun science experiment, a trip to a historical site, or making a fun recipe together using math skills.
Go Back and Remind Yourself Why You Chose to Homeschool
Sometimes I find myself getting so caught up in the mindset of, “We have to get this done because checking off that box is important”, that I forget why we chose homeschooling in the first place.
We want our home to be a safe space, where learning is fun and encouraged, where asking questions is always allowed, and where understanding their value and worth is always our first priority.
If at any point in your homeschool journey you lose sight of these things, take a break.
The thing I want to share most is that experiencing homeschool mom burnout doesn’t mean you’re a failure; it actually means you’re doing amazing.
It means you are investing all of yourself into schooling your children, and you just need a break. If you’re putting that much of yourself into educating your kids, then you’re doing it well. Don’t ever question that, and never let your self-doubt win.
My best homeschool advice- keep going and pushing forward.
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