April 6, 2022 – What to Do When Mom is Exhausted

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Getting out of the Slump

How do I get out of this slump? I’ve lost the joy I once had. I’ve been so tired and worn out physically; I’m hungry spiritually; and things are frustrating or nagging me. Let’s look at these areas:

TIRED?

Take naps with the little ones. Get to bed at a reasonable time. Make sure phone use ends an hour before bed, or your mind will stay awake processing all that information before it can shut down. Go for a walk with the kids. Catch up on reading while you rest (free magazine app at TOSApps.com).

FRUSTRATED?

Clear your mind by writing down what’s nagging you. Take care of one item a day. Delegate. Take a day off to get things back in order. A little bit of daily organizing keeps things from piling up. If it’s too late, tackle the piles twenty minutes a day.

Are your children regularly disobeying or causing strife? Consistent daily training (not yelling or berating) goes a long way towards peace. Make “rule and reward” cards together and post them.

HUNGRY?

Cut out the bad carbs and eat more protein and veggies. Your body and mind will wake up. Most importantly, eat Godly bread every day. Find a prominent spot in the house to place a verse and meditate on it all day long. His Word satisfies like nothing else.

For example, let’s meditate on the following verse:

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11

1. You will show me the path of life: If I am lacking direction, I have probably begun to walk my own path. Only God is able show me the path for my life. I can read books or blogs, talk to friends, and purchase the right curriculum, but ultimately it is God alone who will show us His path.

2. In Your presence is fullness of joy: Nothing and no one else can bring me joy. I can look to other things or people but will only find it in the presence of the Lord. I can look for joy in material wealth, physical healing, close relationships, dreams fulfilled, or just the lack of chaos. But I will never find fullness until I am in His presence. It’s not about what comes to my life or leaves my life in order to have joy. It’s all about being in the presence of God and the presence of God in me!

3. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore: I tend to seek pleasure away from closeness with God. I am prone to wander and look to earthly things or people. It is found at the right hand of God: very close to Him. A wandering heart will only find pain and loneliness and confusion. He is our pleasure in this life.

There’s no place I would rather be, and I will bring my kids there with me as I keep them Home. Where They Belong.

~Deborah

For more ideas on how to homeschool through exhaustion, check out these articles from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

Under Pressure: Peace for the Driven Homeschool Parent by Jeannie Fulbright
What To Do When You Are Nice and Crispy by Mary Hood Ph.D.
Saving the Shrinking Flame by Naomi Musch

Have fun and boost your child’s learning. Massive discounts for Old Schoolhouse readers: Math, Word Skills, Typing and Reading for learners aged 5 – 15+ www.edalive.com

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

Fight Exhaustion by Attending a Convention

Feeling tired and overwhelmed? Have you forgotten why you homeschool? Has your smile disappeared and your get up and go gotten up and gone?! Then you need to go to a homeschool convention—a live, in-person, event filled with homeschool moms and dads.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a big homeschool convention, but if you haven’t, you’ve missed out on a great resource. I know for some homeschool moms, it’s better than going to Disney World.

Not only can you get hands-on time with just about every kind of homeschool material imaginable and get pumped up by great speakers, but you get to rub shoulders with hundreds or even thousands of homeschoolers.

Some veteran homeschoolers state, “Yeah, but I don’t need that anymore.”

Baloney!! You sure do. In fact, you may need it even more. And even if you didn’t, there might be some homeschooler there who NEEDS YOU. I can’t tell you how many times my wife has been encouraged by another mother who happened to be in the nursing mother’s room, sitting at a concessions table, or standing in the same booth as my wife.

So GO!!!! Find a babysitter, and go!! I haven’t even talked about the possibility of some much-needed ‘date-time’ with your spouse. Which reminds me, Dad, you need to take the lead and insist that you and your wife attend an upcoming convention.

By the way, if I happen to be at your convention, make sure you stop by and say, “Hey.”

Be real,
Todd

Need more convincing? Check out the classic homeschool book Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe. You’ll be glad you did.

About the author

Todd Wilson is a husband, dad, grandpa, writer, homeschool conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker all across the country and a guest on Focus on the Family. As founder of The Familyman and The Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind moms and dads of what’s most important through weekly emails, podcasts, seminars, and books that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, homeschool four of their eight children (the other four are homeschool graduates) in northern Indiana and travel America in the Familyman Mobile. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Jodi Riddle

Pillar of Faith
Jodi Riddle – He Will Give You Rest

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

Some days we get exhausted from the day-to-day work we do. Sometimes it is our own fault, and sometimes it’s just the way things are. Most of us wear many hats throughout the course of a week, or even a day: wife, mom, daughter, neighbor, nurse, chef, maid, taxi driver, referee, and encourager. Just reading the list can make one weary.

Jesus, however, gave us the remedy. He said in Matthew 11:28, ”Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Do you start your day going to the power source? Do you plug yourself into the charger God provides? He has given us His Word and promises to commune with us if just take the time to go to Him. Some may think they just can’t afford to spare any time reading their Bible or praying. But it’s quite the opposite. You can’t afford not to. He is your energy source. Put your faith in Him. He will give you rest.

About the author

Jodi started her journey with TOS in April 2016 and serves as the Operations Manager. She and her husband, Duane, have been married over 30 years and have spent over 20 years in the ministry. Along with being a pastor’s wife, she homeschooled her 3 (now grown) sons for 18 years and also taught in the private and public-school settings. Jodi enjoys teaching, playing the piano, and making cards. Her heart’s desire is to serve others and use her gifts to glorify the Lord.

On those days when you just need a break, it’s time to pull out the videos. As a SchoolhouseTeachers.com member, you have access to the SchoolhouseTeachers.com video library where you can choose from 450+ videos across several academic areas, as well as kids’ entertainment, marriage and parenting, apologetics, Bible study, and holidays. All of this can be found in one place, and there’s no need for you to have to search and wonder if the content is appropriate for your children.