EnhancedWatch: the video interview
hand holding pen writing Dear Durenda
I’m feeling burnt out on homeschooling. How did you push through and get excited about it again?
I have been there. In fact, I don’t think there is a homeschooling mom out there who hasn’t felt what you are feeling!
I think the first word of encouragement I would give you is not to give up. It can be easy to consider throwing in the towel when things become difficult, but that only makes things harder because it takes away our need to problem-solve and turn to God for wisdom.

There are good reasons each of us decided to homeschool and the fact that homeschooling is hard at the moment doesn’t change that. However, struggles along the way can indicate any number of things:

1. We need to simplify what we are doing for a period of time. Often removing unnecessary expectations temporarily and getting back to the basics for a while can help us think more clearly.

2. We need to dial back our activities outside the home. It can be easy to keep adding more to our schedule thinking that it makes us better homeschooling parents or will eliminate the age-old worry that we are not doing enough. The truth is that more isn’t always better, sometimes it’s just more.

3. We are struggling with hormones, lack of sleep, or lack of self-care. As moms, we need to be intentional about taking care of ourselves. Our nutrition, sleep, and exercise should never fall so far down the list of priorities that we can’t function in the way that our family needs.

Sometimes just having some time to pray and process or meet a friend for coffee can make all the difference, but that isn’t always possible, at least not immediately. As Christian moms, we have a very real, very present God to cry out to in our struggles knowing that He cares and can make a way of peace through the burnout. We can pray for wisdom to be able to remain faithful, despite our feelings, and pray for God to bring us restoration and refreshment.

If God has called us to homeschooling, He is not going to leave us without resources or help. He wants to meet us in the burnout and exhaustion and continue to make a way for us to keep moving forward with what He has asked us to do.

As we see Him meet us again and again, we will find it easier and easier to trust Him as our homeschooling journey unfolds.
-Durenda