Manic Mondays/Extra Crispy

The No.2 pencils are sharpened and all in a row.  Your dry-erase board has new markers and contains a cheeky, up-lifting message *scrolled in fancy print*. Each child has a color coordinated pencil box, filled with super cool character erasers, neon paper clips, princess/super hero stickers, and that rad bendy ruler you got with a coupon.You couldn't sleep last night. You woke 30 minutes early to make coffee, and rearrange your neatly printed school schedule one more time (you forgot to include "How to Write a Symphony in 3 Easy Steps"). Oh, you are positively GIDDY with the prospect of 180 days of school bliss! You can hear angels singing! Okay, maybe that is the baby crying, but it sounds exactly the same to you.

NOTE:

If you related to the above paragraph, you are either a first time mom in her Kindergarten year,

  OR

you are on crack.

Burn-out. It's inevitable. It can become chronic IF you are not willing to change things up a bit. It can become positively ominous if you don't pray about it, and ask the Lord to guide you back into some of that Kindergarten bliss. Okay, maybe those Kindergarten days are over, but there is no reason why you can't get those engines re-fueled. If God has called you to home school, then He will equip you to do it. The key is allowing Him to make the necessary changes. 

 

When the Play-Dough is dried out:

 

Start Fresh & Try Something New.

One of the biggest changes we made a few years ago, was switching to year-round home schooling. This was particularly helpful to our child who struggles with schedule changes. It helped all three of our kids to retain what they had learned, as our summer break is now only a month long. It's just long enough for me to re-order new school books, and everyone to catch their breath. It's short enough that we don't fall out of our schedule, or forget our times tables. There is a very long list of benefits we have reaped from this type of schedule, but we'll just stick to the point I am trying to make: It seriously helped us avoid a lot of burn-out. It gave us a lot more freedom. Never be afraid to start fresh, change something up, or throw out a book that isn't working. If it's not working, why keep doing it?

P.S. I am guilty of trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole. This is all new to me, so I am learning this on a daily basis. It's always easier said than done. Which is why...

You need to call in reinforcements.

YOU NEED A SUPPORT SYSTEM. Perhaps you need a large group to lean on, which is equipped with a plethora of advice and encouragement. Maybe you are like me, and just need someone who relates to you, cheers you on, and has similar challenges in her home school life. Maybe you need both. Whatever the case, get support! You cannot do this alone. 

Is your brain reduced to crumbs and syrupy residue?

Pull your brain off of the waffle iron of life, and cool off with some mommy time.

A friend and I try to meet monthly. We discuss writing (something we both love), teaching kids with challenges (something we both do), and sip tasty lattes (something we would not normally splurge on). I always leave feeling refreshed, and like I still had 20 more things to talk about. But, hey, there's always next time. ;) It keeps our brains from turning extra crispy on the waffle iron of life.

Stalk Groupon for hotel deals in your area. 

It's time for 

~Drum Roll~

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT! 

After finding said deal, invite a close friend, book hotel (split cost), and get ready for a girls' weekend away. Pack books, nail polish, comfy clothes, snacks, laptop (if you like to write), and whatever else you might need on a girls' weekend away. Plan on being total couch potatoes. Don't set the alarm. Sleep in late. Forget the free breakfast downstairs, you can always save your pennies and eat brunch somewhere else. This is about TOTAL VEGETATION. Here is the important part: Just do this with one girlfriend at a time. If you have a room full of women, you will end up staying up late, and returning home exhausted. That is counterproductive. You can always plan more nights away with other friends, if you like. 

Your Turn!

Do you have some burn-out busting strategies? If so, please join the conversation. Otherwise, I am just talking to myself. ;)

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit." (Ephesians 3:16)

Cheering you on and checking the fuel gauge,

Layla