Banish Homeschool Burnout

EP230: Banish homeschool burnout with these nine simple tips aligned with Waldorf-inspired homeschooling so you can reignite your enthusiasm and bring joy back into your days with your kiddos.

The tips in this episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast get to the heart of the matter ~ connection.

We all experience burnout and fatigue at some point on our homeschooling journey. And it’s so important to be able to identify when you’re burning out, so you can reset and rest. And then get back to connecting with your kiddos on your homeschooling journey.

The Taproot Teacher Training, held every August in northeastern Ohio, might be just the experience you need to banish burnout, reset, and reconnect with your homeschool vision. At Taproot, you’ll experience hands-on lessons as though you were the student, right alongside other like-minded homeschoolers. Part continuing education for homeschool parents, part personal retreat, and part summer camp, Taproot is a transformational experience!

For ongoing support and community, join the Inspired at Home online membership.

Find the Show Notes here  https://artofhomeschooling.com/episode230/

Come to the Taproot Teacher Training 2025
https://artofhomeschooling.com/taproot2025

Join the Inspired at Home community https://artofhomeschooling.com/inspiredathome 

Chapters

• 1:47 #1: Start late, instead of staying up late
• 2:38 #2: Plan from behind
• 3:09 #3: Main lesson at home doesn't look like main lesson in a brick-and-mortar school building
• 4:05 #4: Find teaching resources that fit
• 4:44 #5: Simplify your lessons
• 5:24 #6: Don't drink the comparison schlager
• 6:47 #7: Rhythm rather than rigidity
• 7:43 #8: Inner work
• 8:19 #9: Get outside

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

You're listening to the Art of Homeschooling podcast, where we help parents cultivate creativity and connection at home. I'm your host, jean Miller, and here on this podcast you'll find stories and inspiration to bring you the confidence you need to make homeschooling work for your family. Let's begin Welcome to the Art of Homeschooling podcast, where we help you embrace head, heart and hands in your homeschooling journey, while also keeping it real. So today we're talking about something many of us feel but don't always voice aloud homeschool burnout. I have some simple yet powerful tips for you in this episode to help you banish homeschool burnout whenever it rears its ugly head. Maybe you've lost your spark, maybe the rhythm feels off, the lessons feel heavy or you're just plain tired. Friend, you are not alone. In this episode, I'm sharing nine gentle, waldorf-aligned ways to banish burnout and bring more ease, joy and inspiration back into your days. These are practices I've returned to again and again on my own homeschooling journey and I hope they serve you too. Let's take a deep breath together and dive into the nine tips to help you banish homeschool burnout.

Speaker 1: 1:47

Number one start late rather than stay up late Rather than staying up late into the night. Planning, preparing, searching, do what you need to do and get ready for each day in the morning. Get up before your kiddos a few days each week, or let them play after breakfast while you prepare. You'll be more focused and efficient in the morning and more realistic in your preparations. Do only what you have time to do and let the rest go. Staying up late into the night often leads to endless scrolling and searching and burnout for sure. Getting a later start in the morning may mean that you have to plan in a snack to get everyone through until a later lunchtime, but it's well worth it. Number two plan from behind. Have you ever heard of this one? You can journal about what you did accomplish each day, or even make notes on a calendar. This is often called a reverse curriculum, where you create the curriculum based on what you actually did after doing it rather than what you plan to do beforehand. It's a fun way to experiment a little bit and mix it up a bit. So give this one a try.

Speaker 1: 3:08

Number three your main lesson time can include a variety of activities. Just because a main lesson in a Waldorf school lasts for about two hours does not mean that you have to engage your homeschool child at the table for two hours. Your main lesson can be broken up into couch time for reading and narrative material, a walk or some physical activity and time at the table for working in a main lesson book. Then get on with your day and allow some spaciousness for your child to explore their own interests and direct their time, and for you to pursue your own interests as well, outside of homeschooling, such as baking, gardening, home decorating, oil painting, reading, playing music or any other activity that fills you up and is something you can do with your child nearby. Number four find tools and resources that are a good match for your teaching style and your kiddo's learning style by seeking ideas and suggestions from like-minded homeschoolers, either in your local community or support groups like Inspired at Home, an online community of Waldorf-inspired homeschoolers. And remember if something's not working, you can let it go. One of the huge benefits of homeschooling is that we can observe our children. Give them different resources to try and find what works for each of them.

Speaker 1: 4:44

Number five simplify your lessons. I talk about this all the time and you really can simplify it down to one beautiful story, one meaningful activity, one focused lesson at a time is often enough. I'll remind you of my 20-20-20 rule, which is the minimum viable homeschool day 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of math and 20 minutes outdoors, which is science and you're good. Trust that depth matters more than breadth, because overcomplication is the enemy of sustainability. Number six don't drink the compare schlager. It's a nasty drink, I promise you. This funny term comes from life coach Marie Forleo At least that's where I first heard it, and it always makes me laugh. Humor is a good way to steer away from unhelpful or even unhealthy thoughts and habits. So if you find yourself comparing your homeschool to photos on social media or to homeschooling friends who appear to have it all, be doing it all, whatever that means, just remind yourself that you and your family are on your own path and you can stay in your lane. This reminds me of this year's theme for the Taproot teacher training coming up in August, which is bloom where you belong. Think of it this way. You've heard the phrase bloom where you're planted right. Well, you can bloom right where you are, and where you are is where you belong. So the next time you find yourself comparing your homeschool to your perception of someone else's, remember don't drink the comparison lager. Say that to yourself and keep in mind that you can seek guidance if comparisonitis gets too feisty. Come to the Taproot Teacher Training where the team and I can help.

Speaker 1: 6:47

Number seven return to rhythm, not rigidity. I think letting go of a rigid schedule or this sense that we have to tightly schedule the entire day is a really good place to get to Focus on a gentle breathing rhythm, alternating active and quiet times or active and quiet days, lessons in rest, outer work and inner nourishment. Yes, a simplified rhythm can restore balance and help vanish burnout. Rhythm creates a sense of security without pressure. When burnout sets in, it's often because we're overscheduled or feel like we're falling behind, and there's a lot of pressure and tension that comes along with that. So return to a simple rhythm. Number eight tend to yourself as carefully as you tend to your children. Prioritize soul care. This, to me, is what inner work is all about Finding activities or personal practices that fill you up from the inside. Light a candle before lessons, journal or paint after bedtime, read poetry. Nurture your own creativity. A nourished parent brings more presence, more patience. Burnout often means that you are depleted.

Speaker 1: 8:20

And number nine get outside, let nature be the teacher. Nature walks, gardening, observing seasonal changes all of these awaken a sense of wonder and restore our energy. Even a spontaneous picnic or a barefoot walk can shift the mood. Fresh air resets everyone mind, body and spirit. When my kiddos were young, I kept this list inside the kitchen cabinet where all the teas are stored, and it was called what to Do when All Seems Lost At the very top of the list go outside. Seriously, it can be a real mood shifter. Just last night, on our evening walk, Ryan and our dog Gus and I stopped to visit with a neighbor who has a toddler. It was that time of day between dinner and bedtime, and this new mama was saying that when things fall apart at her house she has two strategies either go out for a walk or take a bath. These strategies can be so helpful to remember all the way through our kids growing up years.

Speaker 1: 9:32

So here's a quick recap in conclusion, a recap of the nine tips to banish homeschool burnout. Start late rather than stay up late. Plan from behind. Your main lesson time can include a variety of activities. Find tools and resources that are a good match for your teaching style as well as your kiddo's learning style. Simplify your homeschool lessons. Don't drink the compare slogger. Return to rhythm, not rigidity. Tend to yourself as carefully as you tend to your children and get outside and let nature be the teacher.

Speaker 1: 10:16

Burnout doesn't mean you're failing. It simply means you need a pause or a reset and a little more support. Remember, you don't have to do it all. You're allowed to go slow, to simplify, to come back to what matters most connection, presence and love. If this episode spoke to your heart, I'd love for you to share it with a fellow homeschooler who might need a little encouragement right now.

Speaker 1: 10:43

And if you're craving deeper support, there are two ways I can help you. The first is I invite you to come to the Tepper Teacher Training in August. It's an in-person retreat that will give you time over a four-day weekend to replenish alongside other heart-centered homeschoolers, while learning about and experiencing all the Waldorf-inspired goodness of main lessons, the lively arts, nature study, inner work and so much more. Plus, there's yoga, hikes in the woods, swimming in the lake and lots and lots of laughter. And the second way is an invitation to join us inside the Inspired at Home membership. We have a whole community of kindred spirits from all over the world walking this path, right alongside you. With a library of masterclasses, group coaching, calls and loving support. You'll feel more prepared, aligned and ready to be the leader in your homeschool.

Speaker 1: 11:46

Thanks so much for joining me today. Until next time, keep showing up with love and courage. Choose one of these nine tips to help you banish the burnout. You've got this. That's all for today, my friend, but here's what I want you to remember Rather than perfection, let's focus on connection. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you on the next episode of the Art of Homeschooling podcast. Thank you.