3 Practical Steps to Recover from Homeschool Burnout
If you have been a homeschooling parent for more there a year, there has surely been a day when you thought, “I can’t do this anymore!”
Have you ever stopped to consider what got you to that point? Which factors contributed to that place of utter desperation that urged you to consider enrolling your children in public school? What is lacking, and what is in overabundance (i.e. always being together)?
Corporate Book to Homeschool Reboot
The 6 Types of Working Genius is a corporate organizational book I read over a year ago that caused me to think about my role as a homeschool administrator differently than ever before. And it may help you define your role, your strengths and your propensity for burnout in a whole new way as well!
The premise of the book is that people have two “geniuses” (i.e. characteristics) in each of these three categories:
Working Geniuses
Working Competencies
Working Frustrations
There are six geniuses—-Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement and Tenacity (p. 181)—-and the types are grouped into three categories based on the Three Phases of Work that occur during a typical business project: Ideation, Activation and Implementation (pp. 193-194).
Geniuses, Competencies and Frustrations Explained (pp. 183-184)
Geniuses
Now each person has two Geniuses; these are talents that come natural. They energize you! In fact, you could spend all day doing these tasks, and even though you might be exhausted by the end of a long day, you would feel accomplished and proud as you fall into bed that night. :)
Competencies
The two Competencies are tasks that you are capable of doing, and you can do them for a while; however, in excessive amounts, they will start to exhaust you because they are not your core competencies.
As a general example, maybe you’ve learned to be sociable because you moved around a lot as a child, however, you are innately an introvert and invariably hit that tipping point when you need to have some alone time to rejuvenate.
Frustrations
And finally, your two Frustrations are tasks that are not your strengths, and if you are required to do them in more than just a little, you will feel absolutely zapped, devoid of meaning, and want to quit your job. Read: burnout!! (Has anyone ever gotten to this point in homeschooling before?!)
All hope is not lost! Here are three steps you can take to kick burnout to the pavement and accelerate your best homeschool attributes!
1 — Err Your Frustrations
Write down all of the things you love about homeschooling and all of the things you dread. If there are some things you’re ok with in small amounts, make a list of those as well. This can be cathartic, too, so be sure to do this step!
Here’s an example:
Homeschooling Tasks & Responsibilities
Things I Love Doing
Teaching writing
Brainstorming fun, immersive learning opportunities like theme nights
Planning field trips and outside-the-home learning opportunities
Scheduling extracurricular activities
Planning daily assignments
Things I Dread
Science experiments
Motivating an uncooperative student
Having to make a phone call to get something done
Grading (especially when the handwriting looks like it’s foot-writing)
Things OK in Small Amounts
Encouraging a defeated or emotionally upset child
Keeping children on task for cleaning or schoolwork
Planning/implementing celebrations for accomplishments
2 — Identify Your Geniuses
Identify your geniuses (Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, Tenacity), and seriously operate within those contexts as much as you can during the day. You can take an assessment for insight into this. I highly recommend you read the book for more context and examples so you can brainstorm ideas on how this can play out in your homeschool world.
A Note about the Book: The allegorical literary style of this book caught me off guard initially, and to be honest, I was irritated during the first half of it. I didn’t expect a business book to teach through fictitious recounts. I typically want to get to the how-to “meat” of the book as soon as possible!
I almost abandoned “Six Types of Working Genius,” but I’m so glad I stuck with it because the final sections bring it all together in a very useful way so you can implement it into your own life. I now consider my role in groups, including my family, with more grace and understanding. It’s also extremely insightful to look for geniuses in your children and make opportunities for them to really shine in household operations.
3 — Find Other Geniuses (people not gifts)
The final step is to utilize your network and find other geniuses who can fill in your weaknesses. This may come in the form of a spouse, grandparents, a co-op, a tutor, a nanny or even a class offered through a local municipality.
Read: Off-load as much of your weaknesses as you can. This is really, really important because it keeps YOU stable, it keeps YOU effective and it significantly reduces the chance of burnout. (By the way, we all need breaks and vacations, so go ahead and schedule those in while you’re at it!)
The Six Types of Working Genius: Homeschool Edit
Continuing with the aforementioned concepts and example list, here are three ways this exercise might play out in your homeschool:
Example #1
Problem: Mom finds it hard to get science done because she dreads the labs. Finding all of those supplies, cleaning up the mess and having to read the instructions 10 times to make sure she doesn’t mess up the whole thing is onerous…so she procrastinates, perpetually. Science doesn’t get done, and at the end of the day, she feels bad because the kids are falling behind in this subject.
Possible solution: Dad is basically a walking scientist and has no issues with getting stuff done (his genius is Tenacity), so they devise a plan to create Science Saturdays when he’s available to moderate those experiments and perhaps even add a few fun activities of his own! Mom doesn’t have to be the “doer” in this case, so science gets done, and Dad puts his Tenacity genius into full use. Kids get educated. It’s a win-win-win!
Example #2
Problem: Lately, Mom has struggled with getting things done around the house—including the school list. When she talks to the kids, it feels like her words drift on by those precious ears like a bellowing spring wind. She’s frustrated that no matter how many times they have discussions about responsibility and keeping up on tasks, nothing seems to get done.
Possible Solution: Grandparents are wonderful resources because they have much life experience. Generally, they are at a point in life where they can slow down and focus on what’s most important in life (i.e. relationships). So Mom plans a Grandparents Day where the kids visit their house to play, recharge, and get lots of hugs and encouragement.
This emotional reboot is good for all involved:
Mom can step away from utilizing a “Competency” trait (i.e. Galvanizing) for a bit so that she doesn’t spiral into the pit of burnout.
The kids get what they’re longing for: attention, encouragement, praise, etc.
The grandparents get to share their wisdom and love with their grandkids for a set period of time (as to not get overwhelmed).
Everyone rejuvenates before the week ahead!
Example #3
Problem: Mom loves brainstorming! Everything is an opportunity for something to be created: graphics, websites, day trips, learning opportunities—the list is unending! But these sessions cause some kids to roll their eyes and yawn, sinking into a deep, active rest that only adventure—or solving a problem—can cure.
Possible Solution: Mom notices which kids are also sparked by creativity and offers to work together with them on special, creative projects. She pairs up other family members who have similar interests like woodworking, construction/remodeling, building a rock wall and camping so that they can learn and bond over shared interests in a context that is authentic for them.
No need to force a tenacious person to play the role of a dreamer!
Now Go Work Your Geniuses!
These are just three examples to get you thinking about how to shift your focus—and your lifestyle—in ways that elevate your Geniuses and minimize your Frustrations.
By focusing on the things that keep you going strong, you’ll have a happier, more productive household and a great working family culture.