When a parent takes on the responsibility of homeschooling his/her child, burnout is ultimately a risk they may face at some time during their homeschooling. The main reason homeschooling parents face burnout is due to a lack of a realistic structure of the child’s homeschooling curriculum. Often unrealistic goals are set, as the parent believes they have the opportunity to advance their child beyond what would be achieved in a public school system. This is obviously one of the key reasons for choosing homeschooling, but ideally it will result in burnout if order and structure is not adhered to in the homeschooling curriculum. There are other reasons that may also lead to this burnout they could be: an illness, an additional baby, added responsibility, change in routine etc.
When it comes to setting your child’s homeschooling curriculum, a realistic set of goals need to be set. Although your child is at your disposal, you need to be reminded that it is still a schooling environment you are creating at home. For this reason, frequent breaks and variation of educational techniques are crucial to ensure both you and your child to not experience homeschooling burnout.
The symptoms of burnout may vary from lack of patience to overeating and crying without any apparent reasons. Surprisingly, a burnout need not be such a bad thing. It is a wake-up call – an indicator that things are not going well and that you need to reschedule. Reversing or avoiding a burnout is possible if you get fair and early enough warning. Most importantly you need to communicate frequently with your child- let them (within reason) evaluate your homeschooling techniques to see what is helping them to learn more efficiently.
If you feel your child is experiencing homeschooling burnout, you should lower your expectations immediately. Do not be a perfectionist- your child will sense this and will result in unnecessary stress and anxiety. Take the good days with the bad- and always encourage your child no matter what the result. When something does not seem to work, look for alternative methods. Flexibility is a key factor- and crucial to your success in homeschooling. If tension starts to mount, take a break and pick up where you left off the next day. When necessary change the style of teaching. For example younger children may respond better to visual exercises, whereas older children will respond better to more interactive exercises.
Avoid homeschooling burnout by regulating the amount of teaching you give your child. An exhausted mother or father will result in an unhappy child- there is no doubt, which will result in no benefit from your homeschooling. Get support from your spouse or a neighbour or if needed a homeschooling support group. Don’t be too hard on yourself! Homeschooling is not something anyone should take on alone- the load needs to be shared to avoid burnout.
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