16Mistakes
Weary
Homeschool Moms Make
By Melanie Wilson
Every homeschool mom has times
when she is weary of it all . . . .
The baby will not stop crying, your toddler is fighting with the preschooler, your second-gra- der refuses to work on anything
without you, the fourth-grader asked permission to go to the bathroom an hour
ago, you’re late getting your sixth-grader
to dance class, and your husband wants to
know what’s for dinner.
These are the days we just want to go
back to bed, the days we lash out in anger or dissolve into tears or wonder why
we ever thought homeschooling was a
good idea.
Every homeschool mom has times
when she is weary of it all, even with an
only child. By the grace of God, these
days usually pass. But make these mis-
takes and a bad day can become serious
burnout, threatening the future of your
homeschool. Avoid them and you can
be happily homeschooling again much
sooner.
1. Neglecting Devotional Time
The number-one reason we moms become overwhelmed is because we’ve
become self-sufficient Christians. We
weren’t designed to do all things in our
own strength but rather in His strength.
Even with babies, late nights, and busyness, we must treat time in prayer and
the Word like it’s as vital as eating. It absolutely is!
2. Not Leaning on Your
Husband
We are called to be our husband’s help-
meets, but our husbands are also called
to care for us. How often my husband
has rightly pointed out that I’m doing too
many of the wrong things—like making
a meal for a new mom when I had just
had a baby myself! Pray that God would
speak through your husband to encour-
age and guide you.
3. Keeping an Erratic Sleep
Schedule
One of the blessings of homeschooling
is a flexible schedule. That blessing can
become a curse, however, when we don’t
sleep at roughly the same time each day.
Immune suppression, irritability, and
poor functioning result, even with the
same amount of sleep. Use an alarm to
remind yourself to go to bed on time.
4. Too Many Outside Activities
Another blessing of homeschooling is
the variety of opportunities for our families to participate in. Again, this blessing
can become a serious source of stress
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