Remember on the flight instructions when they tell you to put on your own oxygen mask before assisting your kids? Helping yourself before helping your children sounds insane! However, the reality is that as a homeschool mom, you can’t help your kids until you’ve helped yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t give your kids the education and attention they need if you are burnt out. Here is why you should prioritize self-care as a homeschool mom.
Children require A LOT of attention
It’s no surprise that children require a lot of attention and care. According to The Economist, working parents spend about 104 minutes with their children per day. This is actual “in the moment” time. I, for one, am shocked at this number. But what’s more shocking is that this number is double than it was fifty years ago. If you are homeschooling your children, this number is roughly between 720 and 1000 minutes depending on bedtime schedules. Homeschool moms don’t just drop off their kids at the beginning of the morning and see them later that afternoon. Homeschool moms usually end up spending all their waking hours with their kids! You might spend from 7 am-9 pm, or later depending on your schedule, or the kid’s schedule. Moms who don’t homeschool their kids usually won’t see them from about 7 am-6 pm depending on school hours and work hours.
Being a teacher and a mom requires juggling multiple jobs
Being a mom is the same as having a full-time job. There are a ton of studies on how many hours stay at home moms work and what that would translate to in the workforce. Imagine handling another fulltime job on top of that! Being a teacher and a mom requires juggling multiple jobs simultaneously. Both of these positions within your household are precious and valuable and only you can perform them the way you do. BUT, you should prioritize self-care as a homeschool mom. It is imperative to your overall health.
You will burn out quickly as a homeschool mom
Homeschooling your children requires a lot of work. While it may sound like a carefree and easy-going job, it’s a lot of grading papers, preparing assignments, and way more than you may have originally anticipated. Not only is it a lot of physical work, but the mental aspect of homeschool is also great as well. Homeschooling moms are constantly thinking and worrying about if they are doing enough? If their child is learning? Could they be doing something better? This along with the stresses of everyday life and parenting can cause you to burn out quickly if you are not careful.
Kids can be stressful!
One of the most overlooked reasons why moms need to prioritize self-care is because it boils down to the fact that kids can be stressful. They can be grumpy and not cooperate, and those bad days will make it more difficult just to get through your lesson plans. Regardless of how simple your lesson for the day is. Kids are a huge cause of stress to some parents, especially when you’re trying to teach them something new. Maybe dad or aunts and uncles can make play dates so you can have some time off, even if it’s just for a couple of hours. This might be a good day to try bringing in some technology into your homeschool classroom. See this post for some inspiration: How to Use Instagram in Your Homeschool
How to Use YouTube in Your Homeschool
How to Homeschool Using a Kindle
You will be a better teacher when you take care of yourself
Whether it’s a bubble bath once a week, binge-watching your favorite show on the weekend or reading a few chapters of your favorite book, self-care comes in many forms. Being well-rested and taking care of yourself will make you a better teacher. Think of it like starting with a clean slate and refocusing on your classroom when you come back. A teacher who has had time to take a break will be more attentive to her students and be able to focus more easily. Even though you homeschool, you are a teacher and your children are the students. It is a teacher/student relationship.
These are just some of the reasons why you need to prioritize self-care as a homeschool mom. I know that it may sound selfish and not important right now, but if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t give your kids the education they deserve. And mom, you deserve some “me” time here and there as well. Take it! You may also enjoy reading my post about the end of year self-care for teachers.