Homeschool burnout and keeping your kids engaged in their lessons can be a real struggle, and trust me, all homeschool parents, new or veteran, have been there!
This is why we asked our community for their best tips for when they are feeling homeschool burnout, how they keep their kids engaged in their schoolwork, and what they do on a tough week of homeschooling to keep their spirits up.
You are going to enjoy the incredible advice, and encouragement they have shared! Here are a few of our faves (many thanks to everyone who left a comment; we loved reading all of them!)
Tips For Dealing With Homeschool Burnout
Do A Funtrip!
Take a day off to remind yourself that homeschooling means YOU GET TO SPEND TIME WITH AND BOND WITH YOUR KIDS and no one is going to require you to explain why they didn’t school today.~Julie Davison
3-1 Learning Method
We do school for 3 months and then take a month off, typically we work on 2 or 3 subjects 3 months at a time and then we take a month off. However, reading and a little writing is still occurring in that month off.~Cliff Latting
Embrace The Lifestyle
"Homeschooling is a lifestyle- a family choice. Stop every once in a while to ensure you’re enjoying the moments together. If you’re not, relax your expectations; and, if you are, enjoy the joy and love that surrounds you and yours."~Jennifer Ingalls
Build Memories
"Take a break. Go somewhere fun like museum, zoo, outdoor fall event or camping. Go anywhere and build a memory with your kiddos. Leaning something new can be done anywhere not just in books."~Andrea Paulson Harrison
Sometimes Less Is More
Take a break. Then reevaluate what you are doing and see if it's too much. I usually am doing too much, so I start seeing where I can cut back. Not only in homeschooling; maybe I have committed to too much at work or another area of my life.~Ashley Wright
Take A Race Break
"We had a race outside!! Everyone was angry and frustrated. By then end of the race we were all laughing"~Carley Napier
Remember The Why
Take a break and go over your WHY of homeschooling (the reasons why you started homeschooling). Often doing that helps gain the focus that we lose in the burnout.~Zara Saad
Tips For Keeping Your Kids Excited About Learning
Minimal Workbooks
"I try to make their learning activities hands on and experience based. I keep the workbook stuff minimal, not at all for my youngest 2 and only a half hour a day for my 7 yr old."~Vania Aufderklamm
Unit Studies In Rotation
I do child led learning, so we work in unit studies and they get so excited when they get to pick the topic they wanna learn about. Since I have 3 school age kids we do a rotation on the topics youngest to oldest so everyone gets their interests in and it makes it so easy now.~Hope Galvan
Cheerleader, Coach, Teacher and Parent
Make it exciting. YOU must be their cheerleader, coach, teacher, and parent. Cheer for them when they do well. Support them when they need help. Teach life lessons that are important and fun. Console them when they fail.~James Wolfe
Two Birds, One Stone
"If our kids wanted a day off.... they were allowed to do two days work in one day. Then they had a free day. They were self motivated when it was their choice. No pushing and dragging them along."~Caroline Harnden
New Name
Put a different name to it (schoolwork). Our learning is more like part of life. So when he's doing, it doesn't seem like it's a obligation. It's just a routine~Lucy Pino
Emotion Regulation
Teach them emotion regulation and that it’s ok to feel bored or disinterested. It’s still something we have to do though (schoolwork).~Paula Harris
Tips For A tough week of homeschooling
Friday Gameschool Night!
"We always have Friday as a "learning games" day. It's the most relaxed day of the week, and we all look forward to it. If we're having an especially hard week and nothing (more sleep, exercise, water time, etc.) seems to be working, we might move it up to a Thursday or Wednesday instead."~Anna Ashcraft
Karaoke Time!
Turn on YouTube and sing some karaoke- singing it out dissolves it away. The worse I do the more laughter it gets!~Alicia Artibee-Gring
Mix It Up
Take breaks, start later in the day, come back to the activity later or finish that challenging concept a few days later, find/implement hands on activities to practice, dance, water break, snacks/meals, go outside.~Marneishia Wilson
Give Them A Brain Break
Call it a day and do something fun. Normally that means my son needs a brain break. Most the time we do this and eat dinner then after dinner he wants to do work. So always a win, win!~Jennifer Marie Renfort
