There is such an art to balancing the time you have with your kids, your community, and yourself. An extra spec is enough to tip your harmonic scale to one side and leave you unaligned.

How do we avoid the fatigue and burnout that comes from overscheduling and saying yes to too many things? Is it possible? The more empowering question would be: how can I say no to the things that aren’t a ‘hell yes’ so I can say yes to what truly matters. This can apply in our own lives, in our family, and in our homeschooling world. 

If you think of your homeschooling time and overall time with your kids as a buffet of options, it can be both exciting and daunting. The exciting part speaks for itself: the endless opportunities for your children to grow, learn, create, participate, socialise, and contribute. The daunting part hits the moment you schedule in that extra catch-up or activity. You know in your gut you have overcommitted yourselves and can foresee the burnout to come because you have been there before. 

1. Hell Yeah or No

Author and entrepreneur Derek Sivers has proclaimed, ” If you’re not saying ‘HELL YEAH!’ about something, say ‘no'”. Now, this might sound easier said than done, but is it really? What’s behind your hesitation to say no if you are either on the fence about it or your heart isn’t 100% into it? Could it be that you are worried about what the person you are turning down might think? Is this a people-pleasing tactic?

Spend some time journaling or just sitting with this notion and reflect on the following questions:

• Is it a must in your child’s life or your life?
• What are the potential trade-offs to saying yes?
• What are you saying no to by saying yes to this request or experience?
• What are some alternative powerful yesses that can fill this space?

2. Trial and Error

If you have the flexibility, you can semi-commit to something for a small period of time to see how your week looks and feels. A weekly catch-up or activity is probably the most applicable in this scenario, giving you the option to opt out after trialling. Or, see how your rhythm changes when you have attended two homeschool catch-ups in one week.

Can you tweak things to better suit your children’s needs?

Are mornings off limits because that’s when you are all the most productive?

Nothing is ever set in stone, and even if you have signed up for a whole term of tennis, you can always change your mind. You won’t be able to get your money back, but at least you have guarded your time, which is your number one non-renewable resource. 

3. Schedule in Rest Time

Be intentional with how you use your time. If you know you have a busy week ahead, make sure you block out some time to relax within your days.

This could look like:

• An afternoon of gardening
• A relaxing movie
• A picnic in the backyard
• Yoga at home
• Reading on the couch or in bed together
• Watercolour painting
• Baking something delicious
• A herbal tea before dinner
• Cubby house making

Some other solo ways to do this after the kids are sleeping peacefully would be:

• Epsom salt bath with lavender or bergamot essential oils
• A chamomile tea on the couch
• Some light stretches before bed
• Meditation
• An infrared sauna session
• A phone call with a dear friend or loved one

4. Circuit Breaker Days

I don’t know about you, but we can’t go more than three adventurous days in a row without feeling off-key. On the odd occasion, if we do have four days in a row, we make sure we have circuit breaker days on either end of that joyful ride so that we can rebuild our energy and enjoy uninterrupted time with each other in our peaceful space.

Our Mondays are a no-go. We don’t see anyone, have any classes on, or make plans. It’s our special family day that we honor. After an eventful weekend, we look forward to our Monday breather, where we can be in our space and enjoy a slower pace. We might decide to do a day trip in nature or simply enjoy relaxing in the garden or at home.  

5. Intentional Mapping

Instead of letting other people direct you on your homeschool journey with their kid’s interests, make the time to be intentional and design the way you spend your time on your own child’s interests.

Whilst you might love the idea of joining a friend for weekly violin, if this is something your child doesn’t love or hasn’t expressed an interest in, why make the effort? Remember, when we are saying a half yes to something, we are saying no to another potential HELL YES to something else.

It isn’t just a half-hour session; it isn’t just one hour of your life. It’s the time it takes from the moment you step out the door. Also, that extra mental effort and the preparation leading up to it, too.

Spend time with your child and follow them. Follow their interests, passions, curiosities. If they haven’t expressed anything specific (which I find hard to believe because we are all so unique), then explore this space with them, and you will quickly see what they don’t like, which will lead you to what they do like.

You won’t have time to fit everything in, but maybe for the first three months of the year, you’ll explore tennis, and then switch to soccer or violin halfway through the year. This is the beauty of homeschooling: nothing is set in stone, and you are doing it right if you are following your child.   

If this resonates and you’re ready to explore what homeschooling could look like for your family, start with my free guide — 5 Simple Steps to Start Homeschooling.