7 Tips for the Introverted Homeschool Mom
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The past few weeks have been rough. When I first started homeschooling I had these idyllic images in my mind of sitting around and reading with my kids all day. Little did I know how wrong that idea was. With a house of four boys and two girls, there is almost constant noise. Add all of that noise to the fact that I am an introvert, and I find myself struggling almost every day to find a little peace and quiet. I don’t have all of the answers at all, but I do have some 7 tips for the introverted homeschool mom that have helped me on the days when I just wish I could send the kids to school.
Introverted Homeschool Mom Tips
The following tips for introverted homeschool moms have helped me when I was at my lowest, and if we are being honest, I’m in a pretty low point right now. I thought homeschooling three older children with a newborn, 1 year old, and 2 year old was tough, but I honestly feel like having a 2 year old, 3 year old, and 4 year old on top of homeschooling my older kids is really giving me a run for my money.
Each day drains a huge amount of my energy and I have to recharge or I explode. It’s not pretty and it does happen on nights when my husband works long hours. Now, I’m no stranger to solo parenting since I’ve been through deployment and countless trainings, it’s just now we live in an area where we have zero family support, so if he’s not around I literally have no one to lean on even for one day a month!
Build in Quiet Times
Quiet time is essential for a homeschool mama. My kids are loud! Some of my kids are introverts, but a lot of them are actually extraverts who love to be around others and they make a lot of noise a lot of the time. My husband is the king of quiet time and I can always count on it when he’s home. I do my best to get all the kids to settle and be quiet at least once during the day when I’m the only one in charge.
Find The Thing that Recharges You and Do It
I have to do something alone at least once a day. Often after dinner I will take a bath and read. It’s the only uninterrupted time I have and I cherish it. I need those breaks from the chaos to recharge.
Choose Extracurricular Activities Wisely
We can’t be out of the house every day and expect to get any homeschool work done. I carefully choose activities that take us away from the house a maximum of twice a week during the day. I prefer to keep our evening outings to only once a week, so we combine kids in activities as much as possible. Of course, we have church on Sundays, too, and that’s plenty for me!
Don’t Be Afraid to Bring in Help
I’ve been reading the book Introverted Mom by Jamie C. Martin and one of the things that struck me the most was that she had to bring in help to get a break. That is such a hard thing to admit as a wife and mother. That I need help. Right now, bringing someone in to a paid position isn’t really in the cards, but if it is possible to hire someone to clean or a mother’s helper to watch the littles so you can recharge, don’t be ashamed to do it.
Make Friends
We all need friends. I am probably one of the world’s worst at maintaining friendships, but in this season of my life I have been blessed to connect with moms of our local homeschool community. Just having someone to listen to the struggles and bounce ideas off of is refreshing, even if we only talk every few weeks!
Find Extra Time Early In The Day or Later
When do you take your quiet time? Some moms can get up earlier in the day, while others prefer to stay up later. I generally stay up 30 minutes to an hour after my kids. It’s the only time I have to watch TV or read a bit more of a book I’m really interested in!
Take Pockets of Time to Yourself When You Can
When things get really crazy in my house, I will often slip out the back door and sit on my back porch swing. It usually only takes a few minutes for my kids to realize where I am and follow me, but it gives me a chance to escape the noise, and they typically quiet down a bit when they come outside. Plus, the sound just doesn’t echo outside like it does inside! If you have a chance to go out shopping by yourself on the weekend, don’t feel guilty for doing it! We all need to be able to take some time without feeling guilty.
If you’re a struggling introverted homeschool mom, know that you aren’t the only one! I’m right there in the trenches with you! What are your biggest tips for introverted moms?
I need to find those quiet times to recharge. I’m an introvert homeschool mom too, but I also have to work part-time outside the home and that makes time an even more scarce commodity. It’s so tough.
I resonated with all parts of this post! There are definitely days I want to crawl into a cave and hide… I have that Introverted Mom book, and you reminded me to finish reading it!
I appreciate you sharing about having a quiet time and doing activities that allow parents to recharge. Wearing multiple hats can be draining but having a support system and an activity to relax is a good way to destress.