So what's the answer to it all? My school calendar says I have to school through June, the kids are not finished with their books, I definitely don't want to take a three month summer break (that's madness!). I am a believer in year round homeschooling. I think you don't need two months without learning of any kind. Life IS learning and our children are sponges waiting to soak up all the details. The longer I homeschool the more God shows me life is in the little details and learning is in everything, depending on how we approach it. I'm amazed everyday at the new words my second grader can read, words I haven't taught her, words on the back of cereal boxes and on storefronts. No my burnout hasn't caused me to decide to become an "unschooler"...I'm too much of a planner at heart for that. But I am realizing that when it's time for a break we should take it. My OCD mind looks at the schedule and says "NO!!!" but my heart says my kids probably need the break as much as I do and we will be more productive when we return to our work in a month. Yep, I said it. At the risk of those audible gasps and questions about why would we choose to take a break now and finish our books in the summer, we are taking a month break to recharge our batteries. I fight the urge to follow a schedule to the letter at all times but remind myself that this is a very unconventional lifestyle we are living and the bottom line has always been to do what is best for our family even if that means going against the normal line of thinking. We are trying to teach our children to be free thinkers and take control of their own educations. So for this next month I'll practice what I preach and do what I know we need rather than what my schedule says I have to do. Yes I know that means finishing up our books while the other kids are enjoying summer break but we play in the snow and make Christmas cookies in December while everyone else is at school so I guess it all equals out in the end.
It's nearly the first of May and I'm feeling it, that burned out feeling. I love the beginning of the year with its thrill of new ideas and excitement. Somehow at that time of the year I'm always blissfully forgetful about May and its year end blahs. Even after seven years of homeschooling, the euphoria of August and its illusion of a perfect, fun-filled year of learning overshadows my memory of that end of the year burnout. Thankfully having a network of other homeschool moms on Facebook helps me to see that I'm not the only one. For the past few weeks I've seen enough posts about being happy for the year to be over to keep me from feeling like a complete failure. As I was looking at the calendar last night, wishing June were here already, I was hit with a novel concept. We homeschool, which means WE control our schedule. I think I just heard an audible *gasp* from the public school system when I wrote that. But as I sat there simultaneously looking at the calendar and Pinterest for ideas to inspire me, I realized that if we just limp our way through the rest of the school year on the fumes of our burned out excitement we aren't being successful. I can't write a post giving tips on how to avoid year end burnout. Frankly, I don't think that's possible. It happens. Sam Keen wrote "Burnout is nature's way of telling you that you have been going through the motions, your soul is dead, you are a zombie, a member of the walking dead, a sleepwalker. False optimism is like administering stimulants to an exhausted nervous system." I don't think there is a way to completely avoid getting burned out from anything you do on an ongoing basis. New inspiration from blogs and Pinterest can help us limp through a few more weeks but personally I don't want to limp, or crawl, or simply just get by until the dates on my school calendar are filled in. I want that fresh wind of euphoria I had at the beginning of the year. That kind of excitement only comes after a time of recharging and the only real cure for burnout is rest. Taking a break resets our minds and recharges those used up batteries transforming zombies with our third cup of coffee in hand, praying for June, into someone who inspires her children to challenge their minds.
So what's the answer to it all? My school calendar says I have to school through June, the kids are not finished with their books, I definitely don't want to take a three month summer break (that's madness!). I am a believer in year round homeschooling. I think you don't need two months without learning of any kind. Life IS learning and our children are sponges waiting to soak up all the details. The longer I homeschool the more God shows me life is in the little details and learning is in everything, depending on how we approach it. I'm amazed everyday at the new words my second grader can read, words I haven't taught her, words on the back of cereal boxes and on storefronts. No my burnout hasn't caused me to decide to become an "unschooler"...I'm too much of a planner at heart for that. But I am realizing that when it's time for a break we should take it. My OCD mind looks at the schedule and says "NO!!!" but my heart says my kids probably need the break as much as I do and we will be more productive when we return to our work in a month. Yep, I said it. At the risk of those audible gasps and questions about why would we choose to take a break now and finish our books in the summer, we are taking a month break to recharge our batteries. I fight the urge to follow a schedule to the letter at all times but remind myself that this is a very unconventional lifestyle we are living and the bottom line has always been to do what is best for our family even if that means going against the normal line of thinking. We are trying to teach our children to be free thinkers and take control of their own educations. So for this next month I'll practice what I preach and do what I know we need rather than what my schedule says I have to do. Yes I know that means finishing up our books while the other kids are enjoying summer break but we play in the snow and make Christmas cookies in December while everyone else is at school so I guess it all equals out in the end.
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About MeI'm Becca, a former chocolate junkie, herbal enthusiast, curriculum writer, homeschool mom to four active kids, wife to my jack of all trades hubby, blessed child of God. Archives
November 2018
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