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Do You Feel Overwhelmed? III

This is what I’m hearing from so many homeschool moms. I’m not sure I can do it another year. How can I do it all? How can I do even part of it well? I hear you.

©Lori Laws & Write the Vision

This is what I’m hearing from so many homeschool moms. I’m not sure I can do it another year. How can I do it all? How can I do even part of it well? I hear you.

This is what I was hearing from myself too as we finished up our annual planning time and I marched into the new week with a long list of things to accomplish.

I think I felt this way ever year of our 21+ years of homeschooling. Some days I still feel that way and my children have all graduated and I’m no longer homeschooling.

Some simple things I do to handle the stress are:

1) Prioritize – This way the important things are sure to get done. There was a season in our homeschool that my husband decided that if we got devotions and Scripture memory work done we had a good day. [Tweet “There are seasons like that and we need to recognize them and not beat ourselves up over them. “]

2) You can catch up on academics but character training needs to be done daily. It’s difficult to repair character issues so we need to place these above academics. Training our children in Godly character must be at the top of the list. I know it’s challenging to stop in the middle of a lesson – again – to cover something we just covered five minutes ago, but you will reap the rewards down the road.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Gal 6:9 KJV

3) Stay in the Word. Do whatever is necessary to stay connected to the source. “I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 KJV

[Tweet “Do whatever is necessary to stay connected to the source. “I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 KJV”]

4) Stop and evaluate often. Talk and pray with your husband. If something isn’t working ask your husband and the Lord what you should do. Often times our husbands are looking at the big picture and see things we don’t see, and the Lord always has great ideas.

When we started homeschooling we had three children under 6 and our youngest had leukemia. When I asked the Lord how to homeschool under those circumstances He helped me plan to pack a bag of all our homeschool supplies and each time we had to make a hospital or clinic run Emily grabbed her bag and we homeschooled in waiting rooms etc. I share more in our article Homeschooling with Chronic Illness 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer 29:11 NIV

[Tweet “He does know the plans He has for you and is anxious to share them with you – all you need to do is ask.”]

What do you feel the most difficult situation you are facing right now?

©Write the Vision

Finding Joy in the Journey,
Phyllis

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Phyllis Sather

Proclaiming God’s Faithfulness at:
http://www.Phyllis-Sather.com

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77 Comments

  • Melissa Vera
    Posted March 19, 2015 at 2:18 PM

    This is so true sometimes we are so overwhelmed by our circumstances that we forget that God can see us through anything.

  • Kelly @ A Mother's Design
    Posted March 18, 2015 at 2:14 PM

    I love this list. We are getting ready to embark on our homeschooling journey so this is a great list. This applies to so many areas of life.

  • Alice @ Earning My Two Cents
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 10:16 PM

    I agree with prioritizing. Stopping and putting things in perspective brings me back to reality and I can drop some stress when I realize that I don’t need to worry about some things in the moment. If i can’t control it, I shouldn’t stress about it 🙂

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:53 AM

      Alice, prioritizing really does help. I keep a separate list of what I’m doing today so I’m not so tempted to see the big list of all I have to do.

  • Sophie
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 9:41 PM

    Wow, your homeschooling story is inspiring. Thank you for sharing, really useful info for both those that do and don’t homeschool.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:52 AM

      Thanks Sophie. Hoping you can apply some of my ideas.

  • Elizabeth Duke
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 6:22 PM

    I’ve never homeschooled my own children, but it is something I have strongly considered in the recent months. After watching my best friend homeschool it seems a little overwhelming to me. However, I can certainly see the benefits of being at home with your children all day. I’m still going to consider it for the near future. Thank you for sharing.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:51 AM

      I know you wouldn’t regret homeschooling your children. It is challenging, but the results are well worth the time and energy it takes.

  • michelle h
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 6:07 PM

    The character issues are the ones we have been lacking and now it feels like an uphill road 🙁 Any suggestions for ways to start teaching them now?

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:57 AM

      Michelle, I would start with the one that bothers you the most. Don’t try to work on everything at once in an effort to make up – work on one until that is in place, then the next one. We used to study one character quality a month and we would all work on it as a family. We would encourage the children to point out when they saw someone practicing that character quality. I would post the character quality and it’s meaning on the fridge on a big 8 X 11 paper as a reminder to us all, with a Scripture to go with it. Please feel free to write me if you have more questions. Phyllis@Phyllis-Sather.com

  • susiefruitcake
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 4:25 PM

    Hi Phyllis – Yes I do feel overwhelmed right now and I don’t even have children!
    I can see you learned a lot from homeschooling though. Thank you for sharing your tips.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 18, 2015 at 10:51 AM

      I’d love to know what’s behind the name susiefruitcake! Thanks for stopping. Take a deep breath and prioritize – that’s what I’m telling myself right now.

      [Mat 6:34 ESV] 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

  • Maketta
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 12:22 PM

    My parents homeschooled me and my siblings and I loved it! If I have children I would homeschool them. Thanks for sharing this with us!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 17, 2015 at 2:43 PM

      Great! I enjoy meeting homeschooled adults and am delighted to hear that they would homeschool their children too. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Trena Quesenberry
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 7:29 AM

    This is great advice even for those who don’t home school. We need to instill character into our children daily. Thanks for sharing!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 17, 2015 at 11:15 AM

      It really is one of the most important things we can do as parents. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Ashley
    Posted March 17, 2015 at 7:07 AM

    I don’t homeschool my children but I do like to focus on education during the summer months. These tips should prove useful when I am feeling overwhelmed. Thank you for sharing.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 17, 2015 at 11:16 AM

      Glad you will find them useful. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Cristina
    Posted March 16, 2015 at 9:34 AM

    I don’t homeschool my children, but my mother homeschooled my step brothers and sister. I would say that she’d agree with your tips, especially #2. She was definitely working on their character moment to moment. She was very intuitive in this regard.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 16, 2015 at 11:38 AM

      Thanks for stopping by Cristina and sharing this. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

  • Pam McCormick
    Posted March 16, 2015 at 7:27 AM

    I applaud your efforts with Homeschooling. You have included so great tips as well. We can do anything with a little FAiTH! 🙂

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 16, 2015 at 9:26 AM

      Thanks Pam, but I just kept looking to the Lord and taking the next step. Hope some of my ideas are helpful.

  • Crystal Green
    Posted March 15, 2015 at 6:03 PM

    These are some of the best homeschooling tips I’ve ever read. It’s so important to keep all of these things in mind, and many times they seem to get lost in the mix of it all. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 15, 2015 at 10:04 PM

      I’m delighted that you found it helpful. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Staci
    Posted March 15, 2015 at 2:37 PM

    Do I feel overwhelmed? I’m not sure there is anything else I do feel every day.
    I have to remember to prioritize things in a different way. Unfortunately, everything on my list each day seems to be a top priority, but there has to be some that aren’t. I just have to dig deeper and truly prioritize for a greater good!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 15, 2015 at 4:43 PM

      I have to agree with you Staci – I usually feel overwhelmed much of the time too. Right now I’m trying to spend more time prioritizing and just putting the top 3-4 things on my days to-do list. If I finish them I go back for the next item on the list, but I don’t like starting out with a long, long list so I feel defeated before I begin.

  • Whitney McGruder
    Posted March 15, 2015 at 1:04 AM

    Usually I’m having a stressful day if I’m expecting too much of myself or I’m trying to please too many people. When I have a ton of things to do, I try to do the important stuff first, and it usually involves daily scripture study. Once I do the really important things, the other things just fall into place. But reading the scriptures helps me to calm down, get perspective, and remember that the Lord wants me to succeed, even if it’s just a silly to-do list.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 15, 2015 at 4:41 PM

      I find the same thing Whitney – after time with the Lord in the Word, the other things fall into place.

  • Shelle @ PreparednessMama
    Posted March 14, 2015 at 9:27 PM

    My 7 years of homeschooling our youngest daughter taught ME many valuable lessons too. I still prioritize my day each day, evaluate my course and make corrections, even to this day. Your commitment is to be admired.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 15, 2015 at 4:42 PM

      I often have so much to do that if I don’t prioritize my head just spins and I don’t know where to start.

  • Chellie
    Posted March 14, 2015 at 6:36 PM

    Great advice, thank you so much! I am in my second year of homeschooling. I love how you said character training comes first. That is so encouraging. 🙂

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 14, 2015 at 7:55 PM

      I’m glad you were encouraged Chellie. Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic time homeschooling.

  • Felecia Efriann
    Posted March 14, 2015 at 10:07 AM

    I was homeschooled growing up, and I love the flexibility of my schedule. My parents for sure focused on, “You can catch up on academics but character training needs to be done daily”, character over academics. Which is what makes homeschooling different than public school and some private schools. It neat to hear the behind the scenes of someone who homeschooled. 🙂

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 14, 2015 at 2:45 PM

      I just love meeting adults who were homeschooled. Do you think you will homeschool?

  • Barb J
    Posted March 13, 2015 at 4:19 PM

    I’m always overwhelmed. Yesterday was a horrible day, but when I finally prayed, I had a sense of calmness and was able to handle things without having a nervous breakdown. I work full time from home and if I had to add homeschooling on top of that I would probably lose my mind so my hats off to the homeschooling moms.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 7:51 PM

      I’m so sorry you had such a rough day, but glad you turned to the Lord. That’s what homeschool moms do too!

  • Angela McKinney
    Posted March 13, 2015 at 3:29 PM

    Great post! I am not a homeschooler but my daughter is only 3. I have been thinking about it and will have to come check out the rest of your blog when we are ready to decide.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 4:01 PM

      Oh do that Angela. You will never regret homeschooling! I can guarantee that. It’s been such a blessing to our family. We’re hopeful that all of our grandchildren will be homeschooled.

  • Bonnie Way
    Posted March 13, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    These are great ideas. I’m just starting to homeschool this year (my oldest is in Grade 1) and we’ve had a good year so far. Next year my second daughter starts Kindergarten and my husband is a bit worried about how I’ll teach two kids but I’m looking forward to it. It’s still good to know how to prepare and to be ready for things. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 1:13 PM

      You’ll do fine Bonnie. I would guess that you are already doing kindergarten with your daughter – working on colors, animal sounds, counting…most school happens during the process of every day life.

  • Lisa @ Saving Cent by Cent
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 10:04 PM

    I don’t homeschool, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed trying to take care of my three young children and manage all the day-to-day things. Thanks for these tips. They can still apply to what I do on a daily basis.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 1:12 PM

      Homeschooling isn’t a prerequisite for feeling overwhelmed. They certainly can apply to being a wife, mother, and homemaker.

  • Jennifer Corter
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 8:18 PM

    Such a great post, I can relate to some of it as a secular homeschooling mom! Thanks for the tips!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 1:11 PM

      Thanks for stopping by Jennifer. I’m glad you were able to get some good information out of my post.

  • Keelie Reason
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 7:51 PM

    I love that first picture that you started off with. Thanks so much for reminding us to prioritize and stay in God’s word during difficult times. Thanks for this 🙂

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 1:10 PM

      The best place to be is right in the center of God’s will. 🙂

  • Cheri Gamble
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 6:17 PM

    Great words of encouragement! I am sharing this with my homeschooling friends!

  • Deb Wolf
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 4:18 PM

    I really wish I’d considered homeschooling when our kids were young. I really didn’t even think of it as an option, but I am confident that even with its challenges I would have kept them at home today.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 13, 2015 at 1:08 PM

      We can only make the best decisions with the information we have at that time. I’m sure you did a good job of parenting even if you couldn’t homeschool.

  • Cristin @ Pampered Teacher
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 10:18 AM

    Your words are so true for any large undertaking, especially marriage and parenting.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:29 PM

      Definitely! You can easily get overwhelmed if you don’t have a plan.

  • Jaime
    Posted March 12, 2015 at 6:40 AM

    I think character building is so important, home schooling or not! Thanks for sharing.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 7:38 AM

      My husband always said, You can catch up on academics, but character needs to be taught while they are young. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Beth McIntire
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 5:05 PM

    Nice post. It’s interesting to read about homeschooling, though I feel plenty overwhelmed even though I don’t homeschool.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 7:39 AM

      Homemaking is a full time job, and so is homeschool. When you homeschool you have two full time jobs.

  • Katisha
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 4:35 PM

    Thanks for the tips. I don’t have children yet, but when I do I plan to homeschool them. My parents homeschooled myself & my younger sister and I think they handled it very well.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 7:40 AM

      Nice to talk with another grown up homeschooled woman. Good to hear that you had a positive experience and plan to homeschool too.

  • Amy
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 4:32 PM

    Great post! This is great advice for every challenge you face in life.

  • Michelle
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 4:17 PM

    I am not a homeschool mom, but I feel this way often with work and raising the kids and family. I loved your post and I think it will hit home to a lot of moms. Thank’s for sharing!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 7:41 AM

      Thank you for your encouraging words. I do think most women deal with a level of being overwhelmed most days.

  • Shannon
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 3:57 PM

    What good advice to remember. I’ve been a teacher for a big district for 15 years. I sometimes wish I could home school my kids. Best of luck to you! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:34 PM

      It’s good to know there are good teachers in the schools, but I too wish you could homeschool. It’s been such a blessing to us. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Val @ Love My DIY Home
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 3:40 PM

    Really, 1 – 4 could apply to everything we do – it’s just good practice. I home schooled for many years in different ways, but always tailored to the kids’ needs. It’s exhausting and I have to admit I’m glad it’s over. BUT, I’m also glad I can look back and say I did all I could to get my kids, along with others’ kids, on their feet and on their way as educated well versed adults. What can be better? Keep going! You’re doing a good thing for your kids.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:36 PM

      You’re right Val. When we finished I felt like I was suddenly unemployed. Come August and there were no lesson plans to work on. But now I’ve settled in and with three young adults at home in various stages of work/school I still find plenty to keep me busy.

  • Candi
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 3:36 PM

    I am not a homeschooling mom, but working from home and still taking care of the house and family is very overwhelming. Thanks for the tips!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:37 PM

      Homemaking is a full time job – anyone who has done it knows. Hope you found something helpful in my article.

  • Staci
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 3:17 PM

    Wow, I’m in awe of your commitment! Twenty one years of homeschooling is a huge accomplishment, especially given the medical obstacles. Congratulations and thanks for the advice that I think applies not only to homeschooling, but life in general!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:38 PM

      It does apply to all areas of life Staci. Thank you for your thoughtful words.

  • Jennifer @ Emulsified Family
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 3:17 PM

    While I don’t homeschool our kids, #2 can really apply to anything. Godly training of our kids has to come before other things. It’s easy to forget that when we get busy. Thanks for the reminder today!

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:39 PM

      It certainly is Jennifer. I’m glad you found it helpful.

  • Cami
    Posted March 11, 2015 at 2:22 PM

    I am not a home school mom, but I found these tips useful for where I am in my life now. Especially “Prioritize” and “Stop and Evaluate Often.” As a new mom it is so easy to get lost in the hustle of everything you have to do. But those tips help you take stock of yourself and make sure you are getting done what “really” needs to get done, and casting aside less important things.

    • Post Author
      Phyllis Sather
      Posted March 12, 2015 at 2:30 PM

      So true Cami. Having a plan really takes care of a lot of the pressure. Thanks for stopping by.

  • Create With Joy
    Posted February 26, 2015 at 3:47 PM

    Thanks for joining us for Friendship Friday at Create With Joy, Phyllis – I hope you are having a fabulous week!

    Did you know that there are now TWO link-ups at each party?

    The first link up is ONLY for the prescribed social media link-ups of the week. I am only allowing social media link-ups on this list to make it easier for participants to follow one another.

    The second link-up – the one with the photos – is the traditional Friendship Friday Blog Hop.

    Could you please add your post to the second list – the Friendship Friday Blog Hop? I don’t want anyone to miss out on your wonderful post.

    Thanks so much for blessing us with your godly words of wisdom each week. Have a wonderful weekend!

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