As with all things that take self motivation it is crucial to have some encouragement to help you keep going. All homeschool families know that there will be tough days, even weeks and sometimes tough months. But the key is to keep your self motivated. Here are some tips to help you as well as some encouraging thoughts!
- Don’t give up and don’t expect perfection. There will be days where the house is a mess and you think nothing has been accomplished. All teachers have these days.
- Make sure that your house is as organized as possible and that discipline is consistent and reliable. This is not to say that the house will be ready for an inspection at all times but if there is general order under the surface chaos you will feel much better about things and you will be more efficient. As for discipline, expect much of your children but expect them to be children. Following through with discipline and always being reliable with it are key factors to success.
- Take time out. There is not a parent alive that should be cooped up with their children 24/7 for 365 days per year! Remember that you are part of a marriage and that you are an individual (you may be single but you still should go out and have a great time). Your relationship with your husband should be a number one priority. You should also know that if you don’t get the things that you need, you really are not all that you can be for your children.
- Find a balance in all things. I tend to be quite “all or nothing” about most things. This puts your whole life into a tail spin so if you are like me keep things in check. There is a time for all things: homeschool, housework, reading a book for enjoyment, a hot bath, a date night, daily fitness, shopping and more. You get the point. Just have moderation in all of it.
- Use a chore chart and see if this doesn’t help with things around the house. I am the kind of mom that hates to have to spell out every little task. I have one son that comes to me and says “Is there anything I can do Mom?” and I love that but most of the time if he looked around he would see that the same old things need to be done and the greatest gift would be if I didn’t have to spell it out. Chore charts prevent this repetition. Even for those that can’t read you can do picture chore charts. Younger children love these. I have found that certain chores need a time limit or you may have dishes that take two days to get done. All joking aside, chore charts are a great mother’s helper.
Hopefully you have found a few uplifting ideas or even renewed some ideas that you have always known would work. Be sure to give yourself permission to step back and relax. You will come back with a renewed motivation.
