For the ones of you who have homeschooled several years: How do you get over burn outs? I am in a major one.
I don't know how helpful this will be, Lorna, but first of all, you've had plenty to deal with lately so 'burnout' is excusable. In my own case, I had a major burnout a couple of years ago, but it was in EVERYTHING ... I felt like everything was crumbling ... and some of it actually was. Over time, I came to see there were battles I could win, and some minor skirmishes that I had turned into battles for no reason. After sorting through it all, of course the needs of my kids emerged as paramount and I knew I wouldn't be able to pick up the pieces if I didn't throw myself into my resolve to homeschool, in spite of my personal issues. Sooooooo, that's what I've done. My thoughts are of them and their schoolwork ... I somehow don't feel lost in the shufle because if I manage to place the cherry atop this huge magnum opus one day, I WILL feel moments of glory in the shadow of five lives I shaped ... hopefully well. Grab a focus Lorna, and go with it. That's the best I can say.
Hang in there Lorna. Some days you just have to take a break. My best cure for burn out is time out. We change gears, and at times just do nothing. A little time away can work wonders. My mom, always recommends prayer and lists. Writing down what is burning you out might give you room to focus on what isn't. With summer here take some time to simply relax. Are the kids burned out too? There are lots of options if the curriculum is causing the burn out. Change curriculum, go with no curriculum, make the library your school room, do school fewer days a week, do something for yourself, read a book that has nothing to do with homeschooling, use some educational computer programs, watch educational shows and just discuss them. Plant a garden for summer. At the end of each year, I go through my files and books. Then I write down what worked, what didn't, what I want to change, what the kids want to change. I know each year is differnent. In the end I try to focus on what is working and what isn't. Every year I change or add something to keep all of us interested. You hang in there, you are not alone. Tammy
