| Thinking of homeschooling your child? Have you | | | | schooled child rather hard. Perhaps we compare |
| already decided to assume responsibility for | | | | our homeschooling with the 8:30AM to 3:30PM |
| educating your children? You may not be aware, | | | | rigors of public school, and assume that is how |
| but burnout can be a common problem with | | | | they are supposed to do it. In question many |
| home-schoolers. Your child may suffer burnout, | | | | homeschooling families, parents report that their |
| but you also are liable to suffer some degree of | | | | child learns more and tends to progress faster |
| burnout. Many causes can be found that | | | | than their child's counterpart in a public school |
| contribute to this burnout, and the good news is, | | | | setting. So relax about schedule. Do not go |
| it can be easily addressed. | | | | overboard. Help your child to have signal for |
| Cause of burnout may be as simple as illness, | | | | stopping time when they have had enough. Trust |
| changing family dynamics like a new child, changing | | | | that they will want to learn, because they do! |
| work requirements for the parents or modest | | | | Take breaks in the routine if tension starts to |
| changes in household schedule. The actual signs | | | | increase. Consider a change in your style of |
| and symptoms associated with burnout can | | | | educating. As an example, children like to carry |
| manifest as loss of patience, over-indulging, | | | | out their spelling practice if a game is made of |
| boredom, emotional bouts with no obvious | | | | quizzing them by and with an adult. Or why not |
| explanations, anger or complacency. Interestingly, | | | | cook a pizza, and learn fractions by slicing the |
| a burnout doesn't have to be such a negative | | | | pizza into halves, quarters, eighths, etc. |
| event. In fact, what better life experience for | | | | Avoid driving your child too hard. Be careful of |
| your child than to learn how to deal with it from a | | | | overreaching goals in activities for socializing your |
| young age. After all, we all have had experiences | | | | child. A grouchy mom or dad may lead to a |
| with burnout in our jobs. | | | | grouchy kid. The result is unhappiness for |
| If this happens to you or your child, it can serve | | | | everyone. Remember to allow your son or |
| as a wake-up call; an indicator that the situation | | | | daughter to voice their likes and dislikes. Check in |
| may need adjustments. Perhaps you just need | | | | with them; see how your child feels about |
| time to step back and reassess both short and | | | | homeschooling. Bring them in on the decision |
| long term goals. Maybe this is an opportunity to | | | | making. The final decisions reside with you, but |
| communicate and problem solve with your child. | | | | the child feels valued and involved when they can |
| Preventing or even avoiding a burnout can be | | | | offer their perspective. Ask them if there is |
| done once you have observed the early warning | | | | something they would like to add to their learning, |
| signs. | | | | or activities they would like to do. |
| First, check your expectations, and make sure | | | | Allow your son or daughter to choose the subject |
| you are not asking too much of yourself or your | | | | from time to time. For example, your child wants |
| child. Avoid being the perfectionist. Accept the | | | | to learn about the stars. Teach them the basics |
| good days, and make room for the not so good | | | | about the types of stars, planets and |
| days. When things do not appear to be working, | | | | constellations. Talk with them about what peoples |
| search for alternative solutions. Flexibility is one of | | | | in history used to think about the heavenly |
| best tools in catching burnout early, or avoiding it | | | | objects. Then take them to a museum, |
| altogether. A child's interest in learning will ebb and | | | | planetarium or to the library. Provide them with |
| flow, over days weeks and months. Allow | | | | resources, and then let your child go about figure |
| yourself to relax schedules and objectives, allow | | | | out how to find out more on their own. |
| for unproductive or down times, and that will go a | | | | Remember, give a man a fish, you feed him for a |
| long way toward alleviating burnout and enhancing | | | | day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a |
| the learning experience. | | | | lifetime. Let your child have a say in their own |
| For more than 100 year perhaps, public schools | | | | education. |
| have had roughly the same schedule; 5 days a | | | | Remember to ask for support from your spouse. |
| week, 9 months a year. By necessity, teachers | | | | Communication within the family is all important. If |
| spread the curriculum out over that period and | | | | you are the primary mentor-parent, ask for time |
| keep up their marching orders toward certain | | | | off and have your spouse take over one day a |
| objectives within certain deadlines, heedless | | | | week. Find neighbors who are home schooling, and |
| rhythm of the 30 or so children in the class. This | | | | locate other home schooling support group. Don't |
| process is designed to satisfy the needs of the | | | | attempt to accomplish everything by yourself. |
| teachers and administrators, but is not tailored to | | | | There are just too many resources out there. |
| meet each individual child's needs. There is a | | | | Remember, your job is to be a mentor for your |
| process in learning; receiving information, then | | | | child, not the know-it-all professional teacher. Learn |
| assimilating what has been learned. You will find | | | | how to provide the resources for your child to |
| your child's appetite for learning voracious at | | | | educate themselves, provide little motivations |
| times, and other times they just need to take | | | | here and there, and help them to pursue what |
| time off. | | | | inspire them. Keep in mind that home schooling |
| Parents often have a tendency to push a home | | | | should also mean "happy schooling". |