10 Simple Ideas to Help With Homeschool Burnout

Have you hit a slump in your homeschool? What do you do when you lack the motivation to follow through with your daily routine? This usually happens to me around the beginning of March when winter is not quite over and spring has not yet arrived. At this point we have been homeschooling straight through without a break since Christmas. The end is in sight, but we still have a way to go. Here are 10 Simple Ideas to Help With Homeschool Burnout.

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#1 Be Creative

Explore nontypical ways to learn through art, music, nature, movement, etc. Do something fun. Occasionally, we get out paints and brushes and imitate the pieces from our picture study. Dance to music with your preschoolers. Play a card or strategy game with your older kids. Work out to your favorite exercise routine together. Try playing music during your school day.

#2 Switch It Up

Do you get into a rut of doing school a certain way? Switch it up! Do you spend most of your days at home doing book work? Try going out more often, exploring local opportunities. The opposite also applies. If you are out a lot, maybe you would enjoy staying home more and doing quiet work or being creative or productive.

Try a new curriculum. By nature, I am not a unit studies person. It’s too much work for my practical personality. But every now and then when things tend to get monotonous, I have tried a unit study to bring a little flare and excitement to our day.

#3 Connect With Other Homeschoolers

Sometimes what we need more than anything else is simply encouragement. Spend quality time with other homeschoolers. Invest in the kind of relationships in which you walk away revitalized in your calling, not discouraged. Have play dates with friends from your co-op. Meet up at a local cafe. Take advantage of the freedom you have to go out with other friends during the school day.

#4 Follow Seasoned Homeschoolers

Listen to other homeschoolers with years of experience. Feed your mind by reading homeschool books. When you get some free time, don’t waste it on social media, peruse your favorite blogs or listen to podcasts on homeschooling. Here are some of my favorites.

Podcasts:

5 Homeschool Podcasts You Need to Download

Websites:

Read Aloud Revival

Generation Cedar

The Unlikely Homeschool

Books:

#5 Serving

Serving others is a great way to add variety to your homeschool while also teaching compassion for others. Helping others gets us out of our own little world. When kids meet the needs of others, it can give them fresh perspective on life, reminding them to be thankful. Think of ways that you can serve in your family, church, neighbors, and community. Start conversations with the elderly neighbors around you to find out if they could use help with house or lawn work. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Look for opportunities to serve in your church.

#6 Try Some Life Skills Learning

Put the books aside. Life Skills is important learning too! Think about what kinds of skills you want your kids to be competent at before they leave the house. Try some new recipes in the kitchen. Get out real money and play store, practicing giving change. Begin plans for your summer garden. Behind in house work? Have a life skills day by organizing closets, washing and mending clothes, and deep cleaning.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

50 Life Skills That Should Be Taught At Home

Useful Life Skills Suitable to Teach in Winter

Useful Life Skills Suitable to Teach in Spring

#7 Field Trips

Do more field trips, especially with friends! Field trips teach kids through experiential learning. This is great especially if you have a kid who is a hands on learner. At field trips, kids can explore real places, rather than only reading about them in books. They can use their five senses to observe everything around them. It’s fun to watch how products are made or how a business is run. Visit local science and art museums, historical sites, the state capitol, theatrical performances, community events. Get ideas by asking your homeschool friends about some of the favorite field trips they have enjoyed.

#8 Do Less

Take a good look at your schedule. Are you doing too much? Sometimes when we are constantly running, we lose our inspiration for doing the things we love. We are being run into the ground.

Maybe this is a good time for you to pause and limit your activity. Allow space in your day for empty moments. The more free time I have without any pressure or obligations, the more energized I become. Free time inspires me to try new ideas.

Do less. The more margin you have in your day, the less burn out you will experience.

#9 Try Interest-led Learning

If your curriculum has lost its pizzaz, try following your child’s interest. Ask them what they want to learn. What is something they are curious about? Listen to them. What are they asking or talking about most? This might be something they want to pursue.

Think about it. When do you learn the most? When you have something on your mind that you are curious to know or master and you start searching for more information on that subject, THAT is a moment when you are learning the most.

#10 Remember why you started homeschooling in the first place.

Here’s a practice I do every now and then when I get weary of our homeschool routine. I mentally review the reasons that we chose to homeschool. Relationships. Discipleship. More free time. Then I imagine losing those freedoms.

Some homeschool days are pretty rough, but I can’t imagine NOT having the wonderful lifestyle that homeschooling has afforded us. Doing this gives me fresh perspective.

Homeschooling is never easy, but remembering why you chose to homeschool in the first place might energize you. It will remind you that it is WORTH it!

Share your Ideas for Helping Homeschool Burnout

I hope these 10 Simple Ideas to Help With Homeschool Burnout has infused new life into your homeschool! What changes have you made in your family to help with homeschool burnout? Share with others by commenting below!

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