"I mean, I'm in my home All.The.Time but yet my dishes aren't done, the laundry's not folded, dinner is late - again - and we're behind on our schoolwork. How am I ever going to get everything done? Maybe I should put the kids in school. That would lighten my load considerably. My only other alternative is to forget about everything else, and I don't think that's an option."
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Sound familiar? My guess is that it probably does. If you aren't already, at some point in your homeschooling career you will be overwhelmed. I know I've been there; more than once. But if you truly feel called to homeschool, why are you now thinking your only option to achieve sanity is to put them in school? There has to be another answer.
There is, and you already know what it is and you're rolling your eyes. Yes, you have to be organized, but before that you have to prioritize. Even more important than that? You have to accept your prioritization and live it.
Let me explain.
Give and Take
First off, you have to accept that you can't be great in all the areas of your life at the same time. If you are doing well in one area, it only stands to reason that other areas of your life are suffering.
This thing you're rocking right now? It will probably ebb and flow with the different seasons of your life. And by seasons, I mean it could be as little as a semester or as long as a couple of years.
You have to learn that you can really only focus on a couple of different areas, and be successful in them, at one time. If right now school is going well and dinners seem to be timely, count that as a win - even if the laundry is notoriously behind schedule!
Prioritize
If you know you can't get everything done you need to get done to your standards, the best thing you can do for your stress level is to prioritize.
I want you to pick three things that are the most important to you right now.
- Is it catching up and staying on track with schoolwork?
- How about getting your meal planning together?
- Want to take the time right now to rock a new chore chart?
- Maybe you need to prioritize your health for awhile?
- Do you need to spend some time deep-cleaning your house?
Whatever your main concerns are, pick the top three and make those your priorities. Then determine how long you'll need them to stay that way. Will it be until the school year ends? Don't worry, during the summer, you can have a different set of priorities.
Let the Other Stuff Go
This is a very important step! Once you determine what you want to focus on, you need to let the other stuff go.
By that I mean, yes you still have to do the laundry but you can't stress over it if it isn't done perfectly. Maybe the kids help out with the folding and putting away to take some of the pressure off of you for now.
If you're putting all your attention on catching up with grading papers, sticking to a new schedule and meal planning, then you'll have to cut the laundry a little bit of slack.
Letting go of your expectations in some areas is necessary in order to accomplish your other goals. Work it out with your husband so that he's on board, too. That will make things a whole lot easier.
Remember, It's Only for a Season
Trying to get it all done day after day is stressful. However, family dynamics change and the school year ebbs and flows.
Make sure to take advantage of those natural rhythms to make adjustments to your priorities. Work with your life, not against it.
A good time to rethink what you want to focus on is:
- after having a new baby
- during the summer
- when the new school year starts
- right before a move and then right after a move
- after a life-changing event
- with the new year
- changes in who is home and who isn't anymore
Take some time to reevaluate whenever things get overwhelming again. Remember, you're in charge so take charge! Don't let these things take over!
So What's it Gonna Be?
I'm hoping that you're relaxing a bit and are starting to see that there might be light at the end of the stress tunnel. And while you might not still get everything done, you won't be so anxious about it.
Cut yourself some slack! You are in charge of educating your children, which is an awesome responsibility. It's akin to working a full-time job. The only problem is that you're working in your home so you're constantly reminded of all of the other things that need your attention.
Take a step back for a moment and remember to prioritize what needs your focus right now. Work on those top three things and when you feel you have a handle on them, pick three other things.
By consistently focusing on your top priorities, you will greatly reduce your stress level and feel accomplished at the end of a long week.
Prayers for you! You've got this!