Before You Quit, Take a Break

I don’t know what I’m doing!

Everything is such a mess.

I can’t stay on top of everything.

I can’t do this anymore!

Sound familiar?

Homeschooling can be hard, I know.

The responsibilities of planning and teaching are huge. Combined with household duties and obligations outside of the home, it’s easy to feel like we’re failing.

It’s SO common to want to quit.

But I want to encourage you and make a suggestion…

Before you quit, take a break.

In my early days of homeschooling, I considered quitting pretty frequently. I didn’t yet have years of experience under my belt reassuring me that “this too shall pass” when things got really hard.

This meant that if a specific curriculum wasn’t working, I thought it was something that I must be doing wrong. That somehow I was inadequate and incapable of teaching well.

When one of my children struggled with learning to read, I worried that I didn’t actually have the necessary skills to navigate the challenge.

Staring at a sink piled high with dishes and children melting down, I feared that I didn’t have the necessary patience and stamina for homeschooling.

Struggling to get my children engaged in an activity that I’d spent hours preparing, I reasoned that perhaps I wasn’t dynamic and interesting enough to foster a deeply-held love of learning.

I thought that I was the problem.

And on these days when nothing seemed to be going right, you’d better believe I dreamed of quitting.

And yet…

Something kept me going.

Several things actually.

All of the things that led our family to homeschool in the first place.

Flexibility.

Family time.

Gentle mornings.

Adequate sleep.

Free time.

Autonomy.

Creativity and exploration and imagination.

The ability to think outside of the box.

I didn’t want to give up any of this!

Now at this point, I really wish I could tell you that I discovered a magic solution.

But I didn’t.

My years of homeschooling have been full of ups and downs, highs and lows, confidence and doubt.

But one thing that I try to implement regularly, that keeps me from quitting time and time again, is taking a break.

I want you to consider the following questions:

Are you doing too much?

What do your mornings look like?

Are your expectations realistic?

Do you need to outsource more?

How is your current self-care?

Action Plan:

Take a break

Are you doing too much?

Take the day off. Or the week. Like, NOW!

Toss the math curriculum to the side and abandon language arts for a bit. Go to the park and get ice cream instead. Or make popcorn and watch movies.

But for the love, PLEASE, take a break!

Start your mornings gently

What do your mornings look like?

As a self-proclaimed night owl who struggles to wake up early, I do not suggest this lightly. I know it can be tough to get up before the rest of the household when your bed is oh-so-cozy!

But I also know that even 20 minutes spent making your coffee and enjoying the quiet can set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

So if at all possible, ease into your mornings.

Select your “Big 3”

Are your expectations realistic?

What are the three most important subjects for you to cover?

Maybe you decide that daily math, reading, and writing are the three areas you will currently focus on. Or perhaps you’re feeling the need to prioritize science, music, and history.

But only choose three!

If time, energy, and desire allow, then by all means, go ahead and add more. But keep your expectations realistic here and begin with only three.

Select your “Big 3” and direct your focus here

Identify ways you can outsource

Do you need to outsource more?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

You should not be doing it all!

No successful homeschooling mama that I know has been the sole teacher for every single subject and every activity their child has done.

No way!

This is, in fact, a recipe for disaster.

I’m talking about the epic meltdown, frazzled and burnt out, raging and resentful type of disaster.

And this isn’t good for anyone in your family!

An outside vendor, an online class, a tutor, a co-op, or a friend or family member. If you’re willing to look around, I guarantee you’ll find a lot of support available out there.

Identify ways you can outsource so you can get back to enjoying your life!

Revisit your self-care strategy

How is your current self-care?

Are you drinking enough water?

Are you running on empty?

Take some time to identify a few ways you can incorporate self-care into your daily routine.

Make your favorite cup of tea this afternoon.

Go for a brisk walk.

Watch a favorite show tonight.

Just pick a few simple ways you can begin to focus on yourself.

And start TODAY.

Homeschooling can be really hard. Believe me, I know. But the benefits and rewards can be so incredibly rich and wonderful. Before throwing in the towel altogether, take a step back and rest for a bit.

Before you quit, take a break.

Do you currently feel like you want to quit homeschooling? What specific challenges in your life have you overwhelmed?