Building boundaries, whether you're a homeschool parent, a public-school parent, or not even a parent, can be a challenge.
But you, homeschool mama, have the responsibility of an educational program, surrounded by kids' needs and noise 24/7, so you can predict you could be easily overwhelmed (and quickly)!
Enter the necessity to address homeschool mom boundary challenges.
How to address homeschool mom boundary challenges when your kids need you, continuously, yet, you're also a human being with needs?
The 9 typical homeschool mom boundary challenges we need to address...
- boundaries around your energy,
- your needs,
- your goals,
- and boundaries around your peace,
- your quiet and personal space,
- your cleanliness,
- also your time,
- your communication,
- and definitely around your organization.
Boundaries are simply this: you respect yourself & your needs and expect others to respect you & your needs too.
Teresa Wiedrick, author of Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Nurturing the Nurturer
When our goals and needs are met, we have energy and mental space to extend to those around us.
I've gathered insights from homeschool moms who've overcome their boundary challenges, and I want to explore these challenges with you.
1. From time management to creating personal space and communication boundaries, there's a lot to tackle. But first, how to manage your time...
Every human has the same amount of time each day, even homeschool moms! You get to decide how you occupy that time.
What matters to you? Since you can't do everything, you get to decide what you want to do.
For yourself, with the kids, with significant others, for work, for homeschool, for housework, and play.
What you can do:
2. Setting boundaries around routines and learning the art of time blocking.
When you've become clear on how you are occupying your time (your time audit), then you determine how you want to spend your time (your priorities), and you block that time in.
What you can do:
3. Designating quiet time and personal space for everyone's well-being.
You know you need quiet, of course. But your kids need time away from each other too. They might not have the routine overwhelm that schooled kids experience, but they still have their siblings day in and day out. And though they'll likely grow to love and cherish those friendships (yeah, they really will, I've watched it!) they need separate time away from each other occasionally.
What you can do:
4. Embracing single-tasking for a more focused homeschooling experience (aka a screentime discussion for homeschool moms).
It's not just our kids that have too much screen time. It's our entire culture.
And since you're reading this: I ask, how do you determine when you choose to be on a screen?
It'll benefit your sleep, your sanity, your presence, and your happiness if you monitor when and if you use your screen too. (Just as you know it affects your kids too).
What you can do:
- Put your phone in another room when you're engaging your kids, whether their homeschool work or during eyeball-to-eyeball time with them.
- Tell yourself you can check social media notifications after dinner for an hour.
- Determine to own your cell phone, rather than let it own you!
5. Connecting boundary building with meeting your personal needs.
When we don't acknowledge ourselves as a separate human who has separate needs, we don't insist that others honour them.
That's why YOU have to first be convinced that you're a human, not a god-like creature capable of giving everything to your kids, and it's also why you have to believe you're a personal worthy of respect and honour:
Boundaries are simply this: you respect yourself & your needs and expect others to respect you & your needs too.
Teresa Wiedrick author of "Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Nurturing the Nurturer"
6. Handling intrusive questions and crafting responses to not let those questions derail your homeschooling joy.
Just because others ask a question doesn't mean you have to answer them.
Just because someone asks a question about homeschooling doesn't mean they're questioning your homeschool choice either.
This ain't Groundhog Day, you know people will ask you questions, so determine in advance what you might say. No snark required!
What you can do:
7. Teaching respectful interactions and modeling healthy communication.
There's nothing more challenging than modeling healthy communication and respectful interactions within your homeschool family, but there's also nothing more important and useful in your kids' education than this.
What you can do:
8. Space and organizational boundaries: strategies to maintain a clutter-free homeschool environment.
First of all, clutter and disorganization will always be yours as long as you live with children in your home.
So my first encouragement would be to train yourself to live beyond the mess (really, I'm not saying this lightly. I know it's irritating, but dirty dishes, laundry in the dryer, and random Barbie shoes or Lego will always be with you as long as you homeschool).
What you can do:
- Create a housework plan. One or two hours on a Saturday, perhaps.
- Assign weekly chores. "When you live together, you clean together". (Assume kids won't clean as you would, teach them over a long time, and eventually, you'll be super grateful you did!)
- When your hour (or two) of cleaning has ended, put away the mop, the broom, the counter spray, and walk away from the cleaning closet: you're done for another week. The mess will be what it will be for the rest of the week.
9. Identifying your needs: assessing your boundaries and recognizing where you need growth.
You don't consciously know you have needs unless you declare them out loud to yourself.
Because you're a human being, you will grow. It's a law. Humans grow and change.
When you accept it, you can sign up for it.
So what personal growth journey are you being called to presently?
What you can do:
By understanding, implementing, and respecting boundaries, homeschool moms can prioritize self-care, empower their journey, and create a fulfilling homeschooling experience for both themselves and their children.
I've got resources to help you navigate your boundary challenges!
And remember, if you're facing those big B boundary issues and need a supportive conversation, reach out—I'm here to help.
Let's strengthen your boundaries, clarify your needs, and own your homeschool mom journey.
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Teresa Wiedrick
I help homeschool mamas shed what's not working in their homeschool & life, so they can show up authentically, purposefully, and confidently in their homeschool & life.
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