spellquizzer

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Homeschool burnout

This is the time of year when a lot of homeschool parents, and sometimes the children, are beginning to experience burnout to some extent. Perhaps it's the weather. Perhaps it's just too many days in a row of lessons without a break.

This is natural, I think, for any activity. But it's even more common among homeschoolers because they often feel like they're against the wall.

So many are feeling pressures from outside their family to make sure the children perform not just to standards, but above standards. Often, they are so caught up in the hype of the super-homeschooler that they forget that each person is unique and learns at his or her own pace. The pressure to perform begins to loom over them so heavily that they often forget the original reasons they even started homeschooling.

I want to let you know that you are not alone. But I also want to let you know it may be time to return to the "old paths". Take a breath. Sit back. Remember what homeschooling is truly about. It's not as much about exceeding educational standards as it is instilling a love of learning in your child. Once a child is captivated by learning, education will occur.

See, education isn't just the dissemination of facts and figures, then hoping the child will get it all memorized so they can pass a state's standardized test. Education is opening doors for a child so that he or she will enter into a world where imagination and curiosity lead to learning. It's fostering a love of learning that will remain with the child throughout a lifetime.

Education doesn't stop at the end of the school career. It never stops. Education is alive and growing. Let your child begin to explore and discover. Let him find himself and his gifts. Let him be who God created him to be.

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4 Comments:

At 2:04 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks again for sharing. I've really enjoyed your blogs. I really love that last paragraph you wrote. Education doesn't stop as I've learned and as I'm sure you've learned too. All the best.

 
At 1:14 PM, Blogger Ann crum said...

Thanks, Mimi. My own mother instilled a love of learning in me, and I'm still learning each and every day.

 
At 8:01 PM, Blogger TheNanny612 said...

Wonderful Article!! Yes, I know the "burnout" all too well. When I first started Homeschooling my children Preschool I felt that I needed to prove to others that my children will learn more than they would attending a Preschool. These thought didn't last long.... I became burned out and I no longer was enjoying homeschooling. Now-a-days I don't worry about anyone else's opinions, and you know what?! My Preschoolers know just as much as any Preschooler attending a Preschool.... actually probably more!!

Thanks for the great post & keep up the good work!!

Shana Albert
ABCHomePreschool.com
Preschool Education & Everything Preschool Blog

 
At 8:43 PM, Blogger Ann crum said...

Thanks so much for the input, Shana. I found that if I ever tried to keep my eye on publicly schooled children, my own children suffered and weren't enthusiastic about learning.

A couple of days ago, though, after watching Apocolypto, my 21 year old son mentioned that the natives used an atl latl to throw spears. I said how did you know that? He said, we learned it homeschooling! lol

 

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