How do I keep myself sane?

[Juvysen]

This may not be in the best tone, but I just need... someone to tell me it's possible to stay sane while homeschooling!  (I'm sort of in panic mode here, talk me down, but be kind?)

I love my kids, of course, but they make me crazy.  This will be our first year homeschooling, though I've been an at home mom for 6 1/2 yrs.  I'm tired... no, I'm exhausted.  I'm burnt out. 

That said, it just appears that homeschooling is the best plan for our family (for completely other reasons, of course)... so I'm sort of putting my head down and going for it.  But, how do you stay sane? 

[rootzdawta]

Personally, I thrive on routine.  We generally do our studies in the morning and then I make sure to have some activity for the afternoon.  A playdate or a class or a walk in the woods or just simply going to the library to sit and read.  In this way, at least for half of the day, the onus is not on me to keep them occupied.  

[Juvysen]

I love that idea, in theory... but my youngest is 2... which means going to a class or the library (or most playdates, since most of the people I know have older kids) means I'm chasing him the entire time... which is completely exhausting!  I will be planning to do walks in the woods, since we just moved to a home with easy access to the woods, but the kids don't like to do it every day...

[rootzdawta]

Yes, I *highly* recommend walks in the woods with a 2 year old.  :)  A good carrier, some water bottles and you are good to go.  LoL.  Running around after the 2 year old is par for the course.  Does he nap?  If so, I would make that time quiet time for everyone.  The older kids can do whatever they want to do so long as it's a quiet activity and you could get some down time to do something that nourishes you.  

[Juvysen]

No, he's given up naps :( 

[greenemami]

I have a wild 2-year-old too, so I can sympathize.  It is exhausting. But it will get easier.  Comparing dd now to her at 2 is just crazy!  She stopped napping at 2 as well, but ds (knock on wood) is still napping.  I fear the day he stops! I'm only half joking :) 

I do try to have an activity to do, even if it is just playing outside.  When we are all sitting around the house, things tend to get too chaotic.  I also try to have an activity  for ME to focus on, even if it is just getting the laundry hung up while they play for a few minutes, just to have 5 minutes alone in my own head :)

I am super excited to homeschool, but worry about burning out too.  I pretty much never get a break since dp works long and odd hours, and I also WAH after the kids are asleep and on weekends, so-yeah.  It is worth it though!

[Juvysen]

I hope it is!  I have all kinds of grand visions, and reality never EVER meets them, so we shall see.  LOL 

Beyond that, though... I'm just tired of dealing with the kids' whining and arguing (over every.thing.) and I just really really WANT to send them to ... somewhere else all day :-/  We have "good" public schools, but I just don't think they fit our family well.  I want quiet :-/  I'm burnt out, as I said.  And all the advice on how to get "un-burnt out" doesn't really fit our lives at all, or else I'm already doing it, and it hasn't worked (or it has and my life would just be THAT.MUCH.WORSE???).

I started taking supplments suggested by "the Mood Cure", yesterday, hoping that it would make me more able to roll with the punches.  It's likely all things that need to change on my end, I just need to find the "key", you know?

[SweetSilver]

When I read the original post, I thought "I bet she has a toddler."  Sure enough!  Having kids younger than 4 in the mix can make even thinking about HSing exhausting.  My girls are close in age, so I just have seen this over and over again when mamas post about HSing seeming impossible and they have little ones.  Easy enough for those of us who don't have a broad age spread, but tricky for those who do.

How old are your oldest kids?  

I started a thread recently that has a few suggestions, not so much for the HSing side of things, but the staying sane side of things:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1354115/staying-mellow-when-you-cant-get-breaks

Good discussion, some good ideas.

[Juvysen]

My older two are 6 1/2 and turning 5 this week.

[Juvysen]

Sadly, my toddler is my easiest kid :-/

[onlyzombiecat]

I think I've stayed sane so I guess it is possible. :)

I only have one child but there have been many days that I wanted to send her off to boarding school. You aren't alone feeling that way.

I do tell my dd that I need time alone- now she tells me that she needs time alone! When she was younger I set a timer and she had to leave me alone until it went off.

It may not be easy with 3 kids who don't nap but could you institute a quiet time every day where they have to go to separate areas and do a quiet activity for a set amount of time?

Maybe get a babysitter or trade child care with someone so you can get away by yourself for awhile?

[SweetSilver]

Find out what your local regs are and plan to do the bare minimum to satisfy them.  The 5yo is likely to be too young to need any homeschooling.  Connect with NY moms and find out, realistically, what would be the minimum for your oldest (in our state, we don't declare until the age of 8!).  You need to know this so you can look at it realistically and not be overwhelmed by what you think you need to do.  Even in states with high regs, many people overdo it.  Start slowly.  Build incrementally.

Read snippets here and there about the advantages of delaying academics.  You really don't need to read an entire book, even if you had the time.  This will make you feel better about not diving in a pushing academics right now.  

[Juvysen]

Well, the reason we've decided homeschooling is the way to go is because my kids are pretty advanced already, so public school would be more like, just daycare... which just feels wrong to me on so many levels. 

Dd's going into first grade and is working at a 3rd grade (on avg) level... she's reading more like 5th or 6th grade, and pretty driven to learn, on her own.  She basically begged me to teach her how to read.  Ds went to preschool for a year and by the end was sounding out words pretty well, though I wouldn't say he's reading, yet.  I'm not planning to do a lot.  My problem is more that just being around them makes me nuts :(

[Knittycat]

Give Sue Patrick's Workbox System a try!  Even your 2 year old can have his own workboxes :)

*HUGS* I know what having a wild toddler who gave up naps at 18 months old and trying to homeschool is like - it does get better!
 

[Savoir Faire]

Keep chocolate in the house.

Also...for me? A daily latte in the afternoon typically keeps me very slightly semi-sane.

[Juvysen]

HAH!  Yes, chocolate is a MUST!