How to Beat Homeschool Mom Anxiety with a Positive Attitude

Homeschool mom anxiety is definitely a thing. It’s a lot of pressure to decide to homeschool your kids. And it’s very easy to feel like you’re carrying the world on your shoulders.

In this post, I want to look at some practical ways that you can beat homeschool mom anxiety in a positive way. And how you can prevent it from (hopefully) coming back in full force again.

It’s normal to feel anxiety from time to time. But if you feel like your anxiety is interfering with your life, please seek help. Find out if you have an anxiety disorder here and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any of the symptoms.

What Causes Homeschool Mom Anxiety?

Obviously, different things stress different people out. But I have found some common things that homeschool moms find stressful, based on my podcast guests and my Facebook group members.

Homeschool moms can feel anxious because they…

• feel external pressure from friends, family and society
• put pressure on themselves and want everything to be perfect
• don’t know what to do and where to start
• are overwhelmed with curriculum choices
• have children who are resistant and reluctant to learn
• can’t manage to keep on top of housework//laundry/cooking etc.

As you can see, anxiety can come in many forms and from many sources. But I don’t want to dwell on this. Let’s look at some ways to beat homeschool mom anxiety with a positive attitude!

Under Pressure

We want to do things perfectly and make the people around us proud. Pretty normal, right? Sure, but I can guarantee you that this adds unnecessary anxiety and stress to your life. And when it comes to homeschooling, the whole experience will be better without this pressure.

So what are some ways to get out from under this heavy burden?

• External pressure can be really hard to get rid of. So apart from telling people to jump in the lake, which I know isn’t easy for most of us, you can find a community of supportive women. When you have people in your corner it’s much easier to face the naysayers.
• Being okay with doing your best, is one way to get rid of the internal pressure that many of us women feel. Rather embrace the imperfection and find your own messy way forward. Once you ignore your inner critic, you’ll be surprised by what you can actually accomplish!

Just Go For It!

Someone asked me recently if I had tips for women thinking about starting to homeschool their kids. And my honest gut response was to just go for it! I know that’s easy for me to say because I started back in 2017. But to be honest, I did jump into homeschooling and I have never regretted it!

Was it always easy? Nope! But has it been a success. Absolutely! So if you’re at the beginning and you don’t know where to start, then I say just take the leap. But let me also give you some tips for when the homeschool mom anxiety threatens.

1. Decide on a date and then start getting your mind around this.
2. Find a community to support you.
3. If you live in a state that needs a homeschool record from you, then find someone who can give you a hand with this.
4. Do some research on deschooling, because it’s going to be your best friend!
5. Be prepared to spend some time figuring it all out.

I think the biggest thing when you start homeschooling is to get your mindset right. You need to be open-minded, willing to learn, and also willing to fail! It’s a great time to work on your growth mindset.

The Curriculum Crisis

A lot of new homeschoolers spend a lot of time on finding the perfect curriculum. I totally get why. It gives guidance, direction and a feeling of security. But there is a lot of choice out there. So this task can easily cause a lot of anxiety.

Apart from all the options, it’s very easy to choose a curriculum that doesn’t actually suit you and your kids. Seeing someone else you admire use a particular programme, can easily influence you to buy it too. This can cause homeschool mom anxiety when you’ve spent a lot of money and your kids are just not into it.

I have some alternative ideas to choosing your curriculum right at the beginning. And I’m positive they will reduce your stress level.

• Figure out how your kid learns. Do they like to work online or do they prefer workbooks? Do your children love to read or do they prefer watching videos. Spend the time really getting to know their learning style. This is going to save you so much time and money later on when you choose your curriculum or resources.
• Allow your child to play and decompress – especially if you’ve taken them out of public school. They’re going to need some time to adjust to the new normal. And once they’re ready, you can think about the curriculum you want to choose.
• Get your kiddo involved! At school, kids are never asked what they want to learn. But homeschooling is the perfect opportunity to allow them to take ownership of their learning. Ask them what they want to learn and you’ll have a much better idea of what kind of curriculum to choose.

Face the Resistance to Reduce Homeschool Mom Stress

Having a child that is resistant to learning causes so much homeschool mom anxiety! Ask me, I know! My kids are so reluctant to homeschool, that I’ve even had to rebrand. We now do fun time learn time. 😁

Facing their resistance has definitely been one of my biggest struggles. And I know lots of homeschool moms who have the same issue. So let me give you some proven ways to overcome even the most unyielding learner.

• One thing that has really worked for us, is to homeschool year round. This gives us so much more flexibility but also allows us to do less every day.
• I incentivize my kids. Once they’re done with their learning, they get some time on YouTube. I know lots of people frown on this but trust me that it’s so much less stressful than fighting and screaming.
• My boys get Fridays off. It’s a day when they can do what they want and they love it! But it’s dependent on them meeting their goals during the week.
• We have taken many, many, many much needed breaks. Sometimes it’s really best to stop and then to regroup. If you kids just don’t want to, then maybe you need to rethink how and what they’re learning.

Bless this Mess

Finally, if you’re overwhelmed with housework, chores, meal time, laundry and mess, then I see you. We’ve all been there! And it can be really hard to get used to it. But in this case, acceptance is your best defense.

Letting go of the idea of a Pinterest-perfect house, is going to reduce your stress so much! Not to mention accepting that it’s ok for kids not to eat the most nutritious, fresh meal every time.

Laundry can wait a few days. And who really needs ironed shirts or sheets? And if someone comments about some dust balls or grimy windows, give them a cloth and ask them to help out!

I do however have some solutions for managing your house in a more manageable way.

• Do a load of laundry every day.
• Cook a little bit extra every time and freeze it.
• Clean one room or area daily.
• Get your kids involved.
• Have one room or area where the kids can make the mess they need to learn.

Final Thoughts on Homeschool Mom Anxiety

If you need help and support on your working homeschool mom journey, please reach out. As a coach, it’s my mission to alleviate the stress and anxiety of being a working homeschool mom.

Having someone who gets it, is so powerful. Because it will show you that you can do it. And that you’re not alone!

Follow me Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more homeschool shenanigans, advice and resources. And please book in a coaching call with me if you feel you need some extra support or encouragement.