Dear Homeschooling Homesteading Mother: You Need To Hear This Today

Life as a homeschooling homesteading mother is not for the faint of heart. It is emotionally draining, physically exhausting, and yet, the most fulfilling job I’ve ever worked. But there are days when life as a homeschooling homesteading mother becomes overwhelming. There are days when you’ll feel like you’re not enough and that you cannot do any of your jobs well. If you’ve hit that day today, my friend, then you need to hear this today.

There is a lot to manage as a homeschooling homesteading mom. Feeding hungry children (who never seem to be full), navigating how to keep attention for multi-aged children, creating engaging learning opportunities, daily homestead chores, and keeping up with housework is a lot for one person to handle. If you look at the traditional school setting, you’ll see a different person taking on each of these roles: a janitor to clean, a cook to feed, teachers at multiple grade levels. But for homesteading homeschooling moms, a full plate sits on the table as she takes on each of these jobs within her home.

Today, I’m hoping to offer you some encouragement on your homeschooling homesteading journey. It will be ok, though the day seems long. Every mom needs to feel some affirmation and hear some encouragement sometimes. I hope these words find you wherever you’re at and help you to make it through.

Dear Homeschooling Homesteading Mama: Recognize that you are human.

Learning this is essential if you’re planning on homesteading and homeschooling. Though you want to be everything to everyone and everything, you simply cannot. And it’s important you accept this! Because once you do, you’re going to free yourself from some of the guilt that you’re carrying around. It’s ok that there are dishes left in the sink at the end of the day. If you just go back to plain workbooks one day of school, the kids will still be fine. Laundry can stay in the baskets. Allowing yourself some grace in your daily duties can make a huge difference.

So, how can you work through this struggle?

Talk to your husband

Make sure your husband is on the same page as you. If he comes home from work and sees a sink full of dishes and dinner not started, what will he say to you? Help him to understand your roles and your struggles. Make sure that he knows that you’re doing your best everyday, and sometimes, even with your best, some things aren’t going to get done. Having the support of a partner can make a world of difference in making sure homesteading homeschooling mothers stay afloat.

Prioritize: What needs to be done?

There are some things that are going to need to be done each day. Animals are going to need to be fed. Children will need to be fed. Learning time, as we like to call school, needs to happen. Everything else can, and maybe will have to, wait.

Making a list each day that says “what needs to be done today” and “what needs to be done if I have time” can remove some of the stress and overwhelm you might feel when you look at everything all at once.

Set “Days” for Extra Tasks

Something that pioneer women did was set specific days for certain tasks. By doing this, they weren’t face to face with all of the work ahead of them for the week; instead, they provided themselves with opportunities to spread the work out. This allowed them to get the things done that they needed to get done while breaking the work into manageable chunks.

The old adage goes like this: “Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Thursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday.”

While some of those chores might still apply to you today on your own homestead, you can of course adjust this schedule to fit your family better.

For a homesteading homeschooling mother today, your chore weekly checklist might look more like this: Milk and Dairy on Mondays, Clean coops on Tuesdays, Weed on Wednesdays, Shopping on Thursdays, Laundry on Fridays, Baking on Saturdays, and Rest on Sundays. Don’t forget the rest part, though. That part is important and often neglected!

Ten Minute Clean Up Time

There is a lot that can cleaned up in 10 minutes. After a morning of breakfast, snacks, learning time, and play time, there might be quite a mess happening at your house by lunch time. Before lunch each day, we take a 10-minute clean up break.

I don’t know about you, but I really struggle when I’m working in a messy environment. It’s distracting to me and makes me feel like I’m failing, and takes away my attention from other priorities.

Setting the timer for 10 minutes, asking everyone to clean up, can make a world of difference. It gives your brain a chance to recognize that clean-up time is coming and to let go of the need to have a clean house until you have designated time to do so. Ten minutes is also long enough to make a difference, but not so long that it takes over items that should be priority. It’s also a great lesson for your children to find a sense of responsibility and importance, as they recognize that they can help alleviate some pressure off of their mama by doing their part.

Build a routine for your family

Children, in particular, thrive on routine. You don’t have to create a time specific schedule, but having a routine of what you do in a day can help children to transition, creating smoother days. If you’re struggling with children acting out, it might be because they are unsure of what to expect for the day. Providing them with the stability of a routine can really help with behaviors.

A routine for homesteading homeschoolers might look like this:

Morning:

• Everyone goes outside to do chores together
• Play time while mom cooks breakfast
• Bible and devotions during/after breakfast
• Reading lesson tied to Science/Social Studies/Art/Music activity
• Outside time

Afternoon:

• Lunch time together, refocus with a read aloud story
• Math practice
• Rest/Quiet Time (kids can read books, play independently or together quietly, watch a movie, or nap)
• Writing lesson
• Outside time

Dear Homeschooling Homesteading Mama: This is only a season; It won’t last forever

Something else that homesteading homesteading mothers might need to be reminded of is that this time right now is only a season.

As homesteaders, we know how fast a season can go. We watch as the snow melts away into new spring grass. We see the sun stay up in the sky a little longer and the crops grow. And we watch the fall cold creep in and prepare everything for winter. Each season offers something.

This season of your life right now is just that: a season. Your baby won’t be a baby forever. Your six-year-old who loves to grab your hand during the middle of the day won’t always reach for your hand. Your four-year-old’s thumb won’t always be in her mouth. Toys won’t always be scattered around the house and there won’t always be piles of dishes in the sink.

There will be a season where your house is clean and your bedrooms are empty. And though it’s hard today, these are days that you will miss. Ground yourself in that thought as you look at your baby with marker all over her face and as you wipe up the spill of milk from lunch. Each day is a gift in this season, and each day has something to offer.

Some seasons are busier than others

In the busy seasons on a homestead, like calving and canning season, give yourself some grace. There are lots of practical lessons that can be learned during these seasons, and your school schedule doesn’t have to follow the traditional one. Take time to find a rhythm for your family, and be ok with breaking away from the traditional school schedule.

Dear Homeschooling Homesteading Mama: It’s ok to feel sad.

I think as mothers, we oftentimes feel like we have to hold everyone else together and that means we can’t have emotions of our own. But, really, that’s not healthy either. It’s ok to feel sad some days and to feel overwhelmed. And, you know what? It’s ok for your kids to see their mom have emotions sometimes, too. It helps them to know that it’s ok to feel different emotions, and you can use that to teach them how to move forward when they do feel that way.

Use it as a learning opportunity

Let your kids know “mommy is sad right now, but that’s ok”. Make sure they know that it’s not their fault, and show them what you’re going to do to move forward. Perhaps you’ll read a bible passage together or take a walk outside. Teaching them that it’s ok to have emotions and then helping them to cope with those emotions are huge and important lessons beyond textbook learning.

Dear Homeschooling Homesteading Mama: You are good enough.

Don’t allow yourself to go down the hole of darkness that says you’re not good enough. Because at the end of the day, God created you for your children. If you are doing your best for your children every day, you love them unconditionally, they’re physically cared for, and you show support and encouragement towards them, your children have everything that they need (and more than many kids ever get). You are good enough and someday your children will confirm it.

Dear Homeschooling Homesteading Mama: Remember why you started in the first place.

Don’t forget what led you to becoming a homeschooling homesteading mother in the first place. On days when it’s hard, remind yourself of the core values of what led you to this life. What was it that led you choose to homeschool? How about homestead? More than likely, your kids were a part of that decision.

Writing down those reasons in a book or on a posted piece of paper can be really helpful on days where the moment feels hard. Read through those reasons then, and help yourself remember that the overall goals you have are bigger than the challenge you’re feeling right now.

---

Final Thoughts

As you work through your day each day, just try to go easy on yourself. I know it’s easier said than done, and sometimes even the best laid plans aren’t going to be fool proof. Just know that you’re not alone; there are others who have been on this road before. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help; it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. You are a human who is doing the best you can to be everything to everyone. So, homeschooling homesteading mama, remember to give yourself credit and grace. You’re doing a great job.

Pin this post to encourage others!

Looking for more?

Read more posts on simple homestead living here.