Feeling Overwhelmed?.....You Are Not Alone!

Homeschooling is a big job!  Whether this is your first year or your seventh it is easy to become overwhelmed especially at the beginning of the school year or after Christmas break.  There is so much to do and not enough time to do it.  Trust me, you are not the only one who is feeling that way.  Here are some of the ways I conquer being constantly overwhelmed.

• We ease into our school year a little at a time.  You can read my blog post on how we do it here.
• Some people like to get up before their children.  I have very early risers so I don't do that, but I always get things like the dishwasher and washing machine running first thing in the morning so that those things will be going as we are doing morning school work.  Then I can unload and fold laundry after lunch.  
• Get a crock pot meal going in the morning so if you get busy during the day the thought of cooking supper won't stress you out.
• Focus on today.  Don't look at your schedule for the whole week.  If I looked at everything I had to do in a week I would be so overwhelmed I wouldn't get anything done!  Make a list of what needs to be done today and check it off as you go.
• It is impossible to do it all.  Ask your husband what things are most important to him that you get completed in a day and focus on those.  Add in the others when you can.  For example my husband wants hot food when he gets home, clean clothes for work the next day, and his lunch made for the next day.  He doesn't care if the closet is messy (although some day soon I will get to it!)
• Cut back on outside obligations!  I really need to take my own advice on this.  Especially this time of year we have a lot of things going on that we have to leave the house for that causes me to get behind on other things and when thongs start piling up, I get overwhelmed!
• Get your kids involved.  3 baskets of laundry that needs to be folded?  During read aloud time have them fold while you are reading.  
• Do 3 quick clean up times during the day.  Before lunch, before daddy gets home, before snack time have the kids clean up as much as they can in 15 minutes.  You'd be surprised how much can get done.
• Don't, Don't, Don't compare yourself to another homeschooling family.  Whether it's your best friend down the street or your favorite blog writer, your family is not going to be the same as theirs.  Don't feel like a failure because they are doing great History and Science projects and you can barely fit in Math, Handwriting, and Reading.  The beauty of homeschooling is that we all can cater our homeschools to our families.  You have to keep your focus on yourself and your family not trying to measure up to some else's homeschool.
• Don't be afraid if something is not working for your family to stop using it and try something else.  Catalogs and recommendations are great, but you will never know how it's going to work for you until you try it.  If you or child dislike it and it's not working, stop beating your head against the brick wall.  Try something else.
• Pray!  Pray for wisdom and direction.  Pray for patience.  Pray that God will give you a vision for your homeschool.  Pray that He will help and guide your decisions.  Pray with and for your children.  Pray without ceasing!

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