February Homeschool Burnout: Tips To Keep Going
As I write this, the temperatures are below zero. My family is struggling to care for our menagerie of farm animals and pets, start the new school term off with gusto, and stoke the wood burning fireplace that can’t quite keep up with this weather.
Even though I am wearing three layers of clothing, I am still smiling, because being home with my seven kids and my husband and about 50 animals create some interesting scenarios that keep me laughing.
I found this sign on my toilet yesterday…….#boymom
This time of year, can be challenging, and being cooped up can lead to frustration, short tempers and February homeschool burnout.
Let me tell you how my family is fighting against winter blues, while cooped up, cold and weary.
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Staying on Schedule
The public and private schools are canceled for bad weather. The universities around us are canceled for bad weather. My husband is working from home because of the bad weather.
Do you know who still has schoolwork, chores, and all the other duties of regular life?
Homeschool kids.
We don’t take snow days, we take beautiful weather days off of school.
Actually, we start school each year in the blistering hot August weather, so that we can finish school by the first week of May. Noone wants to do school in May. No student. No teacher. No moms. We work hard to finish the year early.
In order to have that early summer freedom, we stay motivated in the cold winter months by keeping a tight schedule. Here is a link to an article I wrote this fall about our family school schedule. We are staying true to this.
A Homeschooling Schedule for a Large Family
Combat February Homeschool Burnout by Starting Something New
As a long time homeschool mom (11 ½ years) I know that the Homeschool February Burn Out is a real thing.
One of the ways that I stay motivated and keep my kids motivated is to start a new Morning Time subject.
These must be high interest, low prep and lots of fun. Last year, we studied Architecture.
Using these books and YouTube, we approached Architecture from a historical viewpoint and learned about many famous structures and architects. The children each wrote about their favorite structure as an end of unit project and presented it to their dad.
Starting a new morning time subject is a great way to invigorate your homeschool and keep things fun and interesting for your kids. Family style learning is a wonderful way to create memories!
Have Hobbies
I have preached it before, in a homeschool, hobbies are so important. They are especially important in the wintertime when we can feel cooped up.
Cold weather is a great time to begin new hobbies or to pull out your old ones.
For hobby inspiration, these are my favorite posts.
Hobbies for Homeschoolers: New Year Resolutions
Unique Hobbies for Homeschoolers- 14 New Ideas
Individual Hobbies are Important
Since this blog is called Homeschool Hobbies, you can expect that my children are 1) Homeschooled, and 2) have a lot of hobbies. Both are true.
In my household, everyone has their own unique hobbies and interests. We all enjoy each other’s endeavors, and it gives each person something unique to share with the family.
We are together a lot, but each person is free to pursue their own ideas and find what feeds them spiritually, academically, physically and creatively.
Highschool Hobbies
My 11th grader has started a firewood business, a trailer restoration business and keeps up with his youth group and social life. He has also been playing more piano (he no longer takes lessons), and teaching himself guitar.
My 9th grader has been hired as a farm sitter this month, and works on Saturdays at a horse barn. He does a lot of farm work at home and is planning to breed his pigs this spring. In his spare time, he loves woodworking.
Middle Grade Hobbies
My 6th grader cannot stay inside, even in the subzero temperatures. He is monitoring our pond for ice and water levels, driving his RC car a lot, and sledding with the neighbors. He loves commerce, and buys and sells on Facebook Marketplace, under my guidance.
My 4th grader has been cooking his way through my cookbooks. He has made fruit leather, snickerdoodles, and other tasty treats. He also reads a lot, takes his RC tank out in the snow and creates cars from old boxes.
Early Years Hobbies
My girls (ages 4 & 7) have been practicing and performing dance recitals for the family. They love to sing and wear leotards, tutus and dance shoes. I would say their style of dancing is mostly “interpretative dance.”
They have also been working on a fairy garden, doing a lot of paper crafts and learning piano through the free app Hoffman Academy.
If you would like to sign up for Hoffman Academy through this link, I have a promo code for you! Enter LEARN in the promo field to try this great and easy piano program at a discount.
My two-year-old is loving Magnatiles, dinosaurs and dancing alongside his sisters. It is very cute. He is at that age where he is into EVERYTHING, so we all keep busy chasing him and cleaning up after him.
Hobbies for Mom
Since my kids are happily with their own interests, I have time for hobbies. I love to read, cook from scratch and plan home and garden projects.
Currently I am reading: Four Quartets, Crunchy Cons, and No Dig Gardening. I just finished Lessons in Chemistry (2 stars).
I have been baking a lot of bread. I would love to stop buying bread, but I can’t keep up with my family’s demand for bread yet.
Last year we eliminated vegetable oil and canola oil from our kitchen. I have been rendering lard and tallow from the hogs and beef we raised this year. I love cooking with the rendered fats and making soap from the tallow.
I have big plans for my garden this year and am planning to turn this space into a kitchen garden. Can you see it? Not yet? I do. Here are more details about my garden plans: The Homeschool Family Garden: Planning and Planting
Future Site of my Kitchen Garden
I also love writing, and working on this blog has become a passion of mine.
Planning for Next Year
It might sound crazy, but I have started planning for the NEXT school year. I like to take the summer completely off of homeschooling, and I have found that planning during second semester is the best time to assess my children’s progress for the year.
Some of the planning questions and points to consider:
- Strengths and weaknesses for each child
- History cycle for following year
- Science topics for following year
- Online classes for the following year
- Curricula that you already own than can be used for younger children
- Can you combine your children in any subjects?
- Read Alouds, Morningtime Studies and Special Project Ideas
- Will your family join co-ops or take classes outside the homeschool?
- Will any major changes happen next year? New baby, move, new student, etc.
I start writing down plans for each of my kids. Next year I will have six students, from 12th grade to kindergarten, and a three year old. It takes me a long time to plan intentionally for each of them, so January or February is when I begin.
Don’t Despair, Beat the February Homeschool Burnout!
Before we know it, spring will be here again! I hope this article helps you to stick to your schedule, find a hobby and begin to plan for the next year, as a way to fight February Burn Out and other winter blues.
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