10 Cures for the Homeschool Blahs
I don’t know about you, but I have found that it is common to suffer from a bad case of the homeschool BLAHS at this time of year. Sometimes I’ve been tired, or irritable, and just not all that excited about another day of teaching and training kids.
You will recognize the signs of the blahs:
- Feeling unmotivated when it comes to school
- A lack of joy
- Dreading another school day
- Physical fatigue
- No vision for your homeschool,
- You want to quit.
When you are dealing with the BLAHS, it’s easy to look at other moms, and think they are ALWAYS on top of things, cheerful, and ready to face the day. But the reality is that we ALL have days where we face the BLAHS. 
Knowing you’re not alone is encouraging, but more important is how you respond to these feelings, and what you decide to do to overcome them.
THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU GET THE BLAHS:
1. Go back to your reasons for homeschooling.
When homeschooling seems overwhelming and discouraging, and you start wondering what possessed you to do such a thing, remind yourself exactly why you are doing it. Go back to your homeschool mission statement and look at your original reasons.
Are you accomplishing what you set out to do? Often you realize how much you HAVE been accomplishing when you go back to your reasons and your goals, and you gain some of that initial excitement back again.
2. Remember your goals.
When you face difficult homeschool days, pull out the list of your homeschool goals to be sure you are focusing on what will help you reach those goals.
Often we let the academics distract us from the more important goals we find in the Bible.
God’s Word tell us clearly what our goals should be in II Peter 1:8 where it says to add to our faith, virtue (character), and to character, knowledge.
Give your kids a heart for God’s Word and teach them godly character, then work on the academics.
God will bless the remaining time for academics when you make His Word and godly character the first part of your day.
3. Spend time in God’s Word to encourage your heart, and give you wisdom.
Often when we are weary in our homeschooling, it’s because we are looking at our circumstances, or what we consider our failings, and we get our eyes off the Lord. Rather than seeking Him and His wisdom, we try to do things in our own strength which leads to more discouragement.
Everything you do as a homeschooling mom needs to rest on the foundation of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Therefore it is vital that you make a commitment to regularly spend time in God’s Word, as well as take time to pray and seek His wisdom.
Don’t let this time get pushed aside in the busyness of life. The busier you are, the more you need to depend on God and seek His wisdom.
RELATED: BUSY MOM’S GUIDE TO FINDING TIME WITH GOD
4. Remind yourself of the importance of what you are doing!
We don’t always feel like getting up and doing the whole parenting, teaching, training, correcting, and homeschooling thing all over again. Sometimes it seems so mundane, and we wonder if we are making a difference. Are the kids even listening? Are they growing in character at ALL?!
We must always remember how important our job as parents is! We are raising a generation of kids for the Lord. Every “little” thing we do daily for our kids is an act of service to God.
If we will remember that we are stewards and it is our job to disciple our children, it will help us to have a better spirit and perspective throughout the day.
5. Don’t compare yourself or your homeschool to others.
Comparison puts you on a fast track to a loss of joy, yet we so often fall into that trap. We look at what other moms are doing in their homeschooling, and begin to feel like we aren’t doing as good of a job as they are.
God says that we are not wise when we compare ourselves among ourselves! Ask Him what He wants for YOUR family, and be faithful to what He shows you.
6. Change things up a little.
Sometimes you (and the kids!) need a change. Take a break from the normal studies and do something fun and different.
This could be crafts, baking, watching a movie, reading a great book out loud, or switching to a unit study for some of your subjects for a few week.
Change is fun and brings a sense of excitement that will help get you out of that slump.
7. Connect with other homeschool families.
Join a co-op or get together with some other homeschool families in your area. Having the support system of other homeschool moms is one of the best things you can do, and will help you when you find yourself facing the blahs.
8. Don’t skimp on your sleep.
Fatigue makes everything seem more overwhelming, and discouraging. Make it a priority to get enough sleep every night. After a good night of rest things always look better.
9. Get moving.
Do some form of physical activity to get your blood flowing, and get those endorphins released. It will life your spirits, and give you more energy.
This is something you can do with the kids if you want, and can be as simple as going out for a nice walk, or a game of kick ball in the back yard.
10. Pray daily for your kids to develop Godly character.
You can have the best laid plans and use the most popular curriculum, but if your kids don’t have Godly character, you are going to have a hard time teaching them!
If a student is taught nothing else save character alone, he will be better prepared for life than those who are taught pure academics but no character.
True education seeks to train not just the mind but also the heart and soul. This is what we call character training. The most important area of instruction is not academics, but the development of godly character. It is the precious foundation-stone on which all other learning is built. If a person has great intellectual knowledge but little godly character, his life will not have much positive impact upon the world in which he lives. ~The How & Why of Homeschooling by Ray Ballman
Kathie Morrissey is the mother of 8 children, wife to Alan for 39 years, and a committed homeschooling mom of 31 years. She is the founder of The Character Corner, where she loves to blog about parenting, family life, homeschooling, and life in general. You can also find daily encouragement on her Facebook page.
Kathie is a popular speaker at homeschool conventions and support groups, as well as ladies retreats. Her heart’s desire is to help and encourage parents to be purposeful in raising Godly children with strong Christian character, who walk in purity, and have a heart for God.
She is also the author of two popular character curriculums, and several other books written to encourage parents and help them parent with purpose.
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