How Do You Stay Motivated When Homeschooling is Hard?

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I can honestly say I'm looking forward to the start of the homeschool year, just like I do every year. At the beginning of the year, there's a sense of anticipation and excitement. But realistically, I know that it won't stay that way throughout the school year. There will be times when I am just plain tired and feel like I don't have the energy to get through the week. There will be times of frustration and discouragement, for me and for my student. And even this close to the finish line of graduation, I suspect there will be times when we wonder whether we can really pull this off, or if we've totally messed up or missed out somehow. 

How Do You Stay Motivated When Homeschooling is Hard?

I've learned that I have to remember why we chose homeschooling in the first place. We didn't decide to do this because we thought it would be easy. We chose homeschooling because we believed it was best for our kids and our family. Is it still best, even though she didn't get to sing and act in a school musical? Even when math or science are so hard and frustrating that we wish someone else had the responsibility of explaining it and grading it? Even when we feel like we have no clue what to do next or how to prepare for college? It doesn't always feel like it, but YES, it's still best. If I believe that - and I do! - that helps me find a bit of stick-to-it-tiveness to power through some hard days.

A big part of our conviction that homeschooling is best comes from our belief that it's God's best for us. No matter how hard it is to teach tough subjects, or how exhausting it is to deal with crappy attitudes, there's no way I can believe that any of my kids would have been better off in a godless institutional school surrounded by questionable influences. Right?! So when I need to get a new infusion of motivation, the place to start is prayer and Scripture. That's why I choose a School Scripture every year. That's why I need to start every day in the Word.

When I or my daughter need a reset after a really challenging or discouraging stretch, often the answer is as simple as going out for ice cream or a Starbucks date! Promising a donut as a reward for slogging through a hard chapter in the algebra book has been surprisingly effective. Having a special event or a little break from routine to look forward to will help renew our motivation too. 

And one of the most helpful motivators I know is the support network of homeschooling friends that I've made over the years. I'm part of a homeschooling fellowship group that's offered a Homeschool Moms Night Out every month (actually, I've been in charge of that event for a few years, which is why I never miss it, but still. It's important and that's why I do it!) and that simple evening out with friends keeps us going sometimes. There's something so encouraging about those simple evenings out where a group of like-minded homeschool moms can share our stories. We "get" the struggles of dealing with issues like dyslexia, curriculum that's not a good fit after all, laziness, and bad attitudes. We understand that homeschooling isn't all sunshine and lollipops so we don't get judgey when one of us is just so done or feels like the yellow bus might be a good option after all. And then - we rejoice with each other when we have triumphs as small as a perfect spelling test or as momentous as graduation or the college acceptance letter! 

How do you stay motivated when homeschooling is hard? Rely on God for wisdom and strength, and for renewed joy; remind yourself that you're doing the best job; reward yourself (and your students) or reset by taking a break; and build relationships with others so you can encourage each other.

See my related posts:

Encourage One Another (how a support network can help moms stay motivated)

From the High School Lesson Book - Time Management and Motivation (the importance of teaching high school students to manage their own time, and how to keep them motivated)

How do you find motivation to keep you going? Leave a comment and let me know! Make sure to visit the Homeschool Review Crew Blog to find more motivational tips from other homeschool moms in the 5 Days of Homeschool Encouragement Blog Hop!

Use the linky tools to visit the other participating bloggers, or start with these:

Jennifer @ Dear Homeschooler

Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory

Kelly @ Hope in the Chaos
Karen @ Tots and Me...Growing Up Together

Kellyann @ Walking Home ...

Kimberley @ Vintage Blue Suitcase

Kristen @ A Mom's Quest to Teach

Laura @ Four Little Penguins

Linda @ Apron Strings & other things

This post is part of the January 2019 Homeschool Collection on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

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