Have you experienced any of these as a homeschool mom?
- Do you feel lack-lustre about your homeschool?
- Are you reacting to your kids with yelling instead of responding calmly?
- Are you beginning to resent homeschooling?
- Do you feel disconnected and isolated?
Whether you’ve just started homeschooling or have done it for a while, homeschooling can feel lonely. And loneliness can affect us emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically.
Loneliness doesn’t necessarily stem from not being around people because surely your kids are at home. But loneliness stems from a lack of connection and community. It’s that feeling that you’re doing something on your own and don’t have support, anywhere to ask questions or have someone cheering you on.
Effects of Loneliness
What we do in terms of our behaviour stems from our heart.
Proverbs 4:23 NKJV says,
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
Or another way to put it from The Passion Translation of the Bible is:
So above all, guard the affections of your heart,
for they affect all that you are.
Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being,
for from there flows the wellspring of life.
If in our heart we feel lonely, our kids will feel the effects of our loneliness as a result of our behaviour and they’ll know something’s not right.
What you fill yourself with will overflow to your kids.
If we desire for our kids to handle their life challenges in a healthy way, we too must develop healthy habits and watch what we’re putting or not putting in our hearts.
And here’s the thing: nobody’s going to do it for you. YOU need to take charge of you so that what you experience out of life, homeschooling and your family comes out of healthy responses from you!
Your first thought might be… “How can I create time for me when we need to homeschool?”
Here’s the thing, homeschooling will get done, I promise. But, if you leave yourself for last, your homeschooling efforts will suffer. Scheduling time for you is a non-negotiable and should be part of what you do as a lifestyle as a homeschooling mom whether you’re experiencing loneliness or not.
What To Do About Loneliness
Below are 8 ways to begin filling yourself with connection, encouragement and joy in your homeschool and life again:
- Read Books – there’s power in reading books written by homeschool moms. You are gleaning nuggets of wisdom, fresh ideas and encouragement that can really fill your cup!
2. Local Homeschool Support Group – if you have a local homeschool support group, join it! There are other homeschool moms where you live that likely feel just like you. This connection can bring a sense of community and belonging locally.
3. Listen to Podcasts – this is such a great way to hear from authors, speakers and other homeschool moms where you can grab a cup of coffee and feel like you’re sitting across the table from such wisdom.
4. Social Media Posts/Lives – often homeschool moms, authors and speakers write on their social media platforms or go live on Instagram or Facebook. Hearing from (or seeing) another homeschool mom can bring such a refresher to the day.
5. Blogs/Websites – reading various blogs and websites can also bring connection as you feel you’re interacting with someone like you.
6. Homeschool Mentorship – if you’ve looked up to someone that you know has homeschooled their children, get connected with them. Invite them into your home (or go to theirs), have coffee with them and ask them all the questions you can about homeschool, life and healthy habits to mine out their wisdom.
7. Homeschool Sisterhood – This is a new way to get connected to a community of homeschool moms. There’s nothing like having someone in your corner cheering you on helping you with:
- CLARITY (clear goals/plans)
- CONTENT (right resources/tools for YOUR family! Each one is unique with different needs)
- CONSISTENCY (This is BIG key for success)
- CONTENTMENT – (rather than wishing things were different, be content and trust God with the rest)
- COMMUNITY (real support & encouragement without comparison or judgement)
- CONFIDENCE (another HUGE ONE! And that’s because they lack some other Cs)
- CELEBRATION (progress, not perfection)
Experience an online sisterhood that’s from the comfort of your home while giving you all that you’re looking for. Check it out here.
8. Homeschool Conference – these days, you can attend a homeschool conference (if it’s workable with your schedule and finances) or join one from the comfort of your home! This is such a great way to learn about homeschool materials, hear from authors and homeschool moms to be encouraged. If you’re looking for an online homeschool conference, you’ll want to check this one out!
Don’t let homeschool loneliness have its place in your heart. You need to make the time for yourself to be refreshed and rejuvenated. Your kids will be thankful for a mom who’s made time for herself.
And I hope that you’ve found encouragement here! Serving you and helping you in this homeschool endeavour through what has worked for us in our journey of homeschool and life is been my prayer.
Cheering you on, homeschool mama!
Anchored in Christ,
Melanie