I love my kids but...

[Heavenly]

Sometimes I get scared and overwhelmed at the idea of homeschooling because I will never ever be away from them. I don't want to be away from them really but sometimes when I am very overwhelmed I think I am nuts to be planning to homeschool. Does anyone else ever feel that maybe it's too much?

[Dar]

Homeschooling doesn't mean you're always with your kids, especially as they get older. Actually, for us it's meant a lot more sleepovers, because they're not limited to weekends. My kid has a full, busy life, and a lot of it doesn't include me.

Also, being with a 5 or 7 or 9 year old all day is a lot different then being with a baby or toddler all day... often Rain and I don't see each other all afternoon, even though we're both at home. And even when we're together, it's more of a hanging out thing, it's not the same kind of neediness you have with young children. When Rain was a toddler I often felt like I'd run screaming down the street if I didn't get some space, but I don't feel that way with her now... and if I do need a break, I say, "I need an hour to myself, I'm going to take a bath - do you need anything before I go in?"

Dar

[khrisday]

Mine are still little enough that they ARE with me all the time, but I make sure to get my time alone, which keeps me sane. DH and I both have a "night off" where we trade bedtime childcare.

[guest^]

It's a lot sometimes, but it's not too much....

We too are together a lot,so I have needed to deliberately schedule time away from them on a regular basis. I have a mommy break once or twice a week while dh is with them. Also, dd goes to a drama class and just started soccer. I leave her at the drama class(1 hr) and dh takes her to soccer. Next month we are going to start having dd go to dhs office for two hours every other week-as a trial basis. She can work on one of the computers there and just loves taking workbooks,etc to do there. There have been many times when we're alone all day(especially this winter) and i'll tell her that we each need some alone time and I will send her or myself off to our rooms.This is of course when ds is napping! Then there are playdates...at her age, she will go over to her friends house for at least 3 hrs. And when friends come over, half the time they are off trying to do their big girl things away from ds and I,sometimes disappearing in her room for a couple of hrs(of course I check on them! ). And I do think I am on the extreme end of this topic as we have no family in town and so far, we don't do real babysitters...though we're hoping to soon.

mamapoppins

[zannaL]

Being with the kids gets easier as they get older, since they become a lot less labor-intensive, and more likely to do things on their own.

It *is* important to make sure you do get breaks, and you might need to schedule them with your partner or a babysitter (the homeschool community is often an awesome source for sitters, too!) My partner travels, so when he's home, I usually get time on my own two or three times a week, and when he's away, we schedule a sitter for either one or two nights. I attend a writer's workshop, and I spend time writing in a bookstore or coffee shop, and it does wonders.

[mamanonymous]

Personally, I think that a bit of time away is VITAL to my sanity. My kids are younger (5 and 3) so especially with the younger it's still a lot of hands on. With the older it's a lot of games, reading, projects too. I don't want or need the 6 or so hours a day away of a traditional school setting, that would just change our relationship and my kids personallitys too much, but a couple of hours a week is SOOOOOO helpful. We just moved near Grandmas so that is really helpful and I have also considered a hs teen I met coming over to play with them while I write or work on other projects. I also do "quiet time" some days where they can do what they want in their rooms quietly (although I usually attempt to snuggle with the younger until he falls fast asleep) and I just have a bit of silence from all the joyful noise that children bring. I think finding balance is key and realizing that we are not going into this to be martyrs. Best wishes.