Homeschooling moms have to be self-motivated. You are homeschooling because you have chosen what you felt was best for your children. Does that mean you wake up at the crack of dawn in a cheery Mary Poppins mood highly motivated to instruct your children? Or are you dragging along wondering how many cups of coffee it will take to get through the day?
Focus
What are you focusing on as you homeschool? It’s easy to dwell on how far you have left to go with your kids but take a look at how far you’ve come. What have they already learned that you taught them or helped them with? Focus on that. Celebrate your success!
Relationships
One of the biggest blessings of homeschooling is the relationship I have with my kids. Recently, a friend of mine was talking about the close relationships her college-aged kids have with younger siblings because of the years spent homeschooling. I felt my own motivation sky rocket listening to her story. This is one of my biggest desires in life: that my children would be close to each other and to my husband and I as their parents. I am motivated to keep homeschooling when I see my kids looking out for each other or missing each other when one of them is away; when I feel the close connection I have with each of them.
Friends Who Homeschool
Building friendships with other homeschooling families is vital to staying motivated. Sharing ideas and information with other homeschooling moms have given me the encouragement I’ve needed to make good choices throughout our homeschool year. After swapping stories and laughing about the ups and downs of homeschooling I feel uplifted. Who is going to help motivate me when I need it if I don’t have any homeschooling friends?
Identify the Problem
If you are lacking motivation, take some time and evaluate what is draining you. Are you physically exhausted? Are you emotionally down? Is clutter around your house overwhelming you? Have you been able to get a break from your kids on a regular basis? What can you do to start fixing what is bringing your motivation down? Fix that hole and then you can start filling your life up with what brings your motivation back.
Motivation Overflow
What motivates you to keep going with life in general? Do something that brings you satisfaction. Then watch motivation spill over into your work as a homeschooling parent. Clean the kitchen and the whole house feels clean.
Remember: the homeschool lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint. You can find the motivation you need if you look for it. Channel your inner Mary Poppins!
Sarah Brutovski is a homeschool mom of three children. She grew up just down the street from where she and her husband are raising their family now in rural Upstate New York. When she is not teaching her kids, grocery shopping, or drinking coffee you might find her training for a half marathon, escaping for a morning at the beach, or chatting on the phone with one of her four siblings. Sarah loves writing on her blog sarahswritingcafe.blogspot.com and currently teaches creative writing at her kids’ weekly co-op.