My friend Jessica Waldock has inspired me over the past couple years as she’s prioritized her own physical health and mental wellness in the midst of a full working homeschool mom life. I am delighted to bring this guest post to you from Jessica. She puts her own self care principles into practice and encourages each of us to do the same!
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Taking care of ourselves is paramount as homeschool moms. We’re too busy to be sick! That’s why self-care isn’t selfish at all.
Taking care of yourself is the best way to avoid homeschool mom burnout. But how can we find time to take care of ourselves when we’re so busy? What’s the best way to practice self-care as a busy homeschool mom?
Keep reading to get my top 4 tips for taking care of yourself as a homeschool mom. Plus, discover some of my best realistic self-care methods for moms.
Homeschool Mom Burnout Is Real
Ask any veteran homeschool mom about their biggest struggle and they might say avoiding burn-out. Most of us experience homeschool mom burnout from time to time. Even if our kids love learning and we have the perfect interest-led curriculum, burnout can still happen.
Homeschool mom burnout is real. It’s so easy to fall into a place of feeling “burnt out” when you’re continually pouring from an empty cup. Over time, I’ve come to a place where I had completely forgotten about myself and self-care felt completely unattainable.
When you find yourself wearing lots of hats, prioritizing self-care and your wellness often takes a backseat. However, it’s important to continue making time for ourselves and our own needs. Acknowledging the importance of self-care is crucial for maintaining a healthy balance and avoiding homeschool mom burnout.
Self-care can feel like a luxury we just don’t have time to indulge in. However, mom wellness is a necessity that keeps us resilient and healthy. Establishing a dedicated time for yourself can help you overcome feelings of burnout before they become overwhelming.
4 Tips To Take Care Of YOU
With that in mind, and in the interest of avoiding homeschool mom burnout, I’ve got 4 tips to take care of you this year. These are some of the tried and true ways I’ve learned to prioritize self-care and make it work as a busy homeschooling mom.
Tip #1: Make Time
I know what you’re thinking. How are we supposed to make time for anything that feels “extra” with a busy homeschooling schedule? Finding time for yourself, especially if you’re homeschooling an only child like us, can feel too hard. Practicing strewing and learning lunch help buy me some self-care time, even amid a busy homeschool day.
Strewing is all about creating opportunities for our kids to interact with new items and learn independently. Since the point is for me to be hands-off, it’s the perfect time to squeeze in self-care and avoid burnout.
Tip #2: Parallel Self-Care
Getting time alone for me isn’t always possible. Often, I have to create ways to fill my cup and avoid burnout alongside Emily. The plus side is that this kind of self-care sets a great example for her of what it means to prioritize your health.
One way we practice parallel self-care is by engaging in fun YouTube dance videos together and going on family walks. Reading independently on the couch or journaling are good ways to build in self-care time too. We all love doing these things and it’s a chance for me to lead by example.
Tip #3: Lunch Plan
Our lunch routine is the result of my avoiding homeschool mom burnout. I’ve put lunch on autopilot by prepping meals for both of us at the beginning of the week, so we can just grab them when we get hungry and avoid hitting the pause button on our lessons. It’s a way I can eliminate decision fatigue and clear space for myself throughout the week.
Additionally, I’ve set up something I like to call “learning lunches” where Emily gets to eat her lunch and watch an educational video while I take a step back and do something for myself. This is the perfect time for me to call a friend, get some quiet time in my room, and squeeze in some essential self-care. Since Emily is still learning even though I’m not in the room, it’s a win-win!
Tip #4: Gameschooling
Sometimes we all need a break from the books. Gameschooling is a great way to avoid homeschooling mom burnout and kid burnout too. We love practicing concepts and learning new things through gameplay together.
Did you know you can find games for every subject in your homeschool? There are games to help kids learn about geography, history, and even art appreciation. You might be surprised by how quickly your kids master their math facts with a dice game like Yahtzee or spelling rules with a good game of Scrabble!
Taking Care Of You IS Taking Care Of Your Family
When you’re finding it difficult to make time for self-care, remember that taking care of you is taking care of your family. When we make time to refill our cups and meet our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, we’re better able to be there for our families and be the kind of homeschool mom we want to be.
If we fail to take care of ourselves, burnout is inevitable. We might even face physical and mental health problems when we become overwhelmed. That’s why self-care is the opposite of selfishness.
We need to care for ourselves so we can better care for our families. That’s how taking care of ourselves becomes not just a way to avoid burnout, but a path to being a better homeschool mom too. My Realistic Guide to Self-Care is a resource designed specifically for busy homeschool moms.
This guide is all about helping moms feel less overwhelmed and encouraging homeschool moms’ wellness through sustainable self-care to avoid burnout and help us stay physically and emotionally healthy throughout our homeschooling journey.
Jessica Waldock is a writer, photographer, and homeschool mom of one living in sunny Florida. She founded The Waldock Way as a way to give back to the homeschool community that she loves so much. At The Waldock Way Jessica shares tips, tricks, inspiration, and unique resources that help ignite a love of learning in children that will last a lifetime. She inspires families to engage in homeschooling as a lifestyle where relationships come first and interest-led learning prevails. Jessica also has a fabulous collection of unit studies on her website and shares generously on her YouTube channel. You can also find Jessica on Instagram and Facebook.
You may also enjoy:
- The Homeschool Reset: Fall in Love with Learning Again
- Balancing Structure and Flexibility in Homeschooling an Only Child | An Eclectic Approach
- Spiritual Formation for the Homeschool Mom
- Encouragement for the Homeschooling Mom with Chronic Illness
- From School to Homeschooling: How to Deschool and Craft the Homeschool You Dreamed
- Homeschooling with Confidence in Times of Crisis (with Vicki Bentley)
- Lifestyle of Learning: Homeschooling an Only, Morning Basket Fun, and Gameschooling (with Jessica Waldock)
- Pelvic Health: pelvic prolapse, diastasis recti, and other common pelvic floor challenges
- My free homeschool planner calendar printables include daily dockets for Mom to track habits, water consumption, reading, Scripture, and favorite quotes