burnout Archives - Schoolio

Signs Your Child Needs to Be Homeschooled: Recognizing Public School Burnout

As the school year pushes into the spring, many families hit a breaking point. What started as typical back-to-school jitters in September has morphed into deep, chronic exhaustion by April.

If your mornings are a battleground and your afternoons end in meltdowns, you aren’t alone. You are likely witnessing public school burnout.

Here are the three undeniable signs your child needs to be homeschooled, and how taking control of their education can restore peace to your household.

1. Severe After-School Restraint Collapse

Does your child hold it together perfectly all day for their teachers, only to completely fall apart the minute they get in the car or walk through the front door? This is called “after-school restraint collapse.” The sensory overload, social masking, and rigid demands of the public school system drain their nervous system. When they finally reach their safe space (you), the dam breaks. Homeschooling eliminates this exhaustion by allowing them to learn in an environment calibrated to their sensory needs.

2. The “Sunday Scaries” Have Become Daily Terror

It is normal for kids to groan about Monday morning. It is not normal for a child to experience severe anxiety, stomach aches, or panic attacks every single night before school. If your child’s mental health is rapidly deteriorating due to academic pressure or bullying, pulling them out isn’t “giving up”—it is rescuing them.

3. Their Spark for Learning is Gone

Every child is born curious. If the standardized testing, relentless quizzing, and strict pacing of the public school system have convinced your bright child that they “hate learning” or “aren’t smart,” the system is failing them. Homeschooling allows you to pivot to an interest-led, adaptive approach. If they love dinosaurs but hate reading, you can teach them reading through dinosaurs.

The Transition Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

Many parents recognize the signs but hesitate because they think they don’t have the time, patience, or qualifications to teach. The truth? You don’t need a teaching degree to rescue your child’s love of learning. With an open-and-go curriculum like Schoolio, the lesson planning is already done for you. You just open the book and learn alongside them.

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A complete “open and go” curriculum bundle with 4 core subjects perfectly curated for families transitioning out of public school.

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Home(schooling) for the Holidays: How and Why to Take a Break

Home(schooling) for the Holidays?: How and Why to Take a Break

By Chelsea McLeod

Just as Self-Care is essential to the homeschooling parent puzzle, so is taking breaks from the planned curriculum. Homeschooling offers many benefits, one of which is a flexible schedule. Homeschooling doesn’t often follow a traditional school day; you have break time during the day as the requirement of time spent schooling differs. As a homeschooler, you do not have to follow a traditional school calendar; you can choose your calendar, but taking breaks from your planned learning on your family’s schedule is essential.

Taking needed breaks is easier said than done for so many of us.

Homeschool Holiday

Home(schooling) for the holidays: How and why to take breaks from homeschooling.

We often feel guilty for taking time off or become overwhelmed by the concept that there is too much to do to take breaks. However, this is not the case, and on the contrary, it can be very healthy for you and your children to take breaks from traditional schooling. So first, you must allow yourself to make the mental space for holidays. You cannot worry about lessons and learning 24/7/365, or you will burn yourself and your children out.

There are many types of breaks, from planned, spontaneous mental health days or unplanned; permitting yourself to take those breaks, whether planned or unplanned, is crucial to the success of your homeschooling journey. But how? How to take these breaks is a different story. In the case of planned breaks, you can follow a traditional school calendar or even look at the work holidays of your spouse and friends.

This may include family or community commitments, events, or simply taking the summer off to allow your children to have a similar schedule to their friends, and you get some much-needed time off. Conversely, unplanned breaks can come from sicknesses, family deaths or unexpected hospitalizations. These things are unavoidable; however, sometimes we need to take a breath, make space for family connection and forget about the calendar for a short or even long while if necessary. The routine, plans and learning will be there waiting for us when we are ready and able to return to normalcy.

Why You Should Take Breaks.

Why you should take breaks is easier to break down. Just because you have chosen to homeschool doesn’t mean you are not allowed to make space for some separation. You school from home, but you do not live in the school. This is an important distinction. I’m sure you know from experience that when you are doing too much of something, it can lead to burnout.

Well, the same applies to learning. You must care for yourself and make space for your interests and hobbies. In the same way, your kids need to have some time and space not connected to a learning outcome. On top of that, there are many reasons (we can only name a few here) why you should take breaks and direct the focus away from traditional learning.

Here Are Some Reasons Why Breaks Are Important:

You are in Charge.

Like many, you chose to begin homeschooling in the first place to take charge of your time and calendar, right? So why not use that to your advantage and plan your break when it works for You? You make the plan; you know what to focus on and when. Could you make space in the plan for holiday breaks? So whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the Winter Solstice, you can plan your days off from teaching and learning to best suit the schedule you set out.

Family First.

Similarly, being with and connecting with your kids is crucial to their emotional development. You are a parent first, and your children need you for more than just teaching them academics. Life skills and emotional development require an emotional connection. Taking the time to bake cookies together or read a Christmas story is okay because it will help your child build emotional intelligence. Family traditions, religious/non-religious holiday practices or time spent together are always more important than academic learning.

Tomorrow is Not Guaranteed.

This one sounds sad to say, but it is true. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, so take the time to make those memories. If you skip picking out a Christmas tree together or carolling with a relative to keep going with your curriculum, you risk losing your children. What if that relative isn’t around next Christmas? So take the time while you know it is here to create those memories and connections.

Homeschooling Requires Less Time.

Most homeschooling families complete their lessons in less time than a traditional in-person school day. For this reason, you often get naturally occurring breaks during the day or only homeschool for part of the day. And, if you are a curriculum person who likes to follow that checklist, you will easily find and plan how to push through or make up for lost time at a later date.

Learning Isn’t Just Planned Lessons.

Learning happens all the time, especially for children. Baking cookies with your kids can include measurement learning; volunteering can involve learning emotional maturity or gaining “subject area knowledge,” as well as early civic or community engagement lessons. So much “counts” as part of a well-rounded educational experience for your child, so worry less about planned lessons and take in some other types of learning while you spend time with your kids.

Everyone Needs A Break, and That’s OK.

The holidays, no matter which ones you celebrate, often come with much busier schedules. So while you are running around with various get-togethers, holiday concerts or wherever else the season brings, take the time to enjoy it. Remember, you are making memories, and the change of routine often means occasional periods of downtime, rest, and relaxation. After the holidays, you will be able to start fresh.

A Break is A Good Time to Make Changes.

Speaking of starting fresh, if things in your homeschool plan are going differently than you envisioned after a break is an excellent time to make changes. You can take the time during the holidays to explore other approaches or make new plans. Then, when you’re ready to return to it, you and the kids will have had a natural break, which can make the transition easier.

Other Relationships Are Important Too.

Whether those relationships are with friends, mentors, extended family or activity leaders, the holidays are a great time to make space for these. So give your children the opportunities to connect with others outside the immediate family group. It can be problematic in your everyday routine to find time to do this, but holiday events often shift focus to spending time with important people to your child.

They will Grow Up; You Don’t Want to Miss It.

That’s right, I said it! And no, I am not trying to “rush” you or make you cry, but the reality is that before you know it, your littles will be grown, and your traditions will have to adjust. Your holidays will no longer be entirely a time of downtime but could involve part-time jobs and studying for finals. Eventually, they will grow up, move out and get their apartment. They may be going off to university or work, and while they may have time off, they may not be able to get home on all their days off. So be intentional with the time you have now, and put down the lesson planner; the algebra problems or the poem unit you had planned isn’t as important as building relationships with your kids.

Summary: Home(schooling) for the holidays: How and why to take a break.

Amid the busy day-to-day of raising little ones, it is hard to imagine that it will ever be different; believe it or not, there will come a day when you will miss the “help” baking cookies, the constant questions (or screaming) and the stepping on toys at every turn. For now, take the time to enjoy your kids because your family won’t always be this easy to connect with; they won’t always be together under one roof. One day, they will be grown, possibly with a family of their own, and you want them to look back fondly, remembering their time at home with you and use those memories to create their traditions. After the holidays, a new year with new lessons will be waiting, but for now, embrace the change of routine and lean into the break for both yourself — and your kids.

Enjoy your family time.

Click Here to check out 15 ways to find joy during the holidays!

Parental Burnout

As parents, we often put ourselves at the bottom of the list regarding self-care and needs. Many parents stress that everyone is well taken care of but forget themselves. The dangers of continually doing this can lead to parental burnout.

You are hiding your feelings while neglecting your needs.

When you constantly put most of your energy into your children and their needs while neglecting your own, you can become more susceptible to parental burnout and compassion fatigue. A huge indicator is when you feel like you have absolutely nothing left to give to your family because your exhaustion level is high. Hiding your feelings and neglecting your needs significantly affects your mental health.

It can be easy to indulge in parental guilt when experiencing burnout. We tell ourselves that we should have it all together; we shouldn’t struggle. Because many of us think that our problems are exclusive to ourselves, everyone else must be perfect, right? That’s a false belief that needs to be corrected. This is why it’s important to note that burnout affects parents around the globe.

Savanta ComRes conducted a recent poll in 2021. The results showed that 45% of parents feel burned out. In the 1980s, Belgian psychology researchers identified parental burnout for the first time. Researchers Moira Mikolajczak and Isabelle Roskam were the first to describe parental burnout. They first described it as “an exhaustion syndrome, characterized by feeling physically and mentally overwhelmed.” The cause? Being a parent. As this syndrome was discovered in the 1980s, we can prove that generations before us have also struggled with parental burnout. It’s not exclusive to you, so don’t feel guilty.

Symptoms of parental burnout:

It’s important to remember that burnout can look very different for everyone. While some people may experience physical symptoms, others may experience emotional symptoms. And others may experience both!

Looking at the most common symptoms:

Feelings of hopelessness, self-doubt and helplessness.
Exhaustion or sense drained all the time.
Headaches, muscle aches, neck pain.
No motivation for basic tasks.
Distinct changes to sleeping habits and appetite.
You feel like you are detached from others and alone in the world.
Irritability.
Behaviours that are isolating.
Brain fog and confusion.
Forgetfulness.
Significant increase in stress levels.

You may be more prone to parental burnout if you have chronic parenthood-related stress. This chronic parental stress can come from several sources. Including the pandemic, virtual learning, school closures, children with special needs, health complications, homeschooling, single parenting, a lack of support, or parenting while working from home. These are just some of the risk factors.

Risks of leaving parental burnout untreated:

Many complications can occur if warning signs of parental burnout are left untreated. These complications include overwhelming exhaustion that is hard to cope with. Parents with young children usually tend to be physically tired. At the same time, parents with older children will usually experience emotional exhaustion. They are generally resulting from conflicts with their teens.

Additionally, burned-out parents will begin to distance themselves from their children. They are doing so to preserve their energy. Following this, many parents who suffer from burnout notice a loss of fulfillment in parenting. The consequences of parental burnout are different from common job burnout. As you already know, parents don’t get a vacation, unlike a job. Additionally, you cannot just leave your parenting roles the way someone can leave an occupation.

Burnout can cause parents to become violent or even neglectful toward their children if burnout is left untreated. I’m sure you’re aware this doesn’t just negatively affect the children; it also causes parents to feel shame. Shame they will dwell on, causing them to sink deeper and deeper into these negative feelings.

“Parental burnout is the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion one feels from the chronic stress of parenting.”
Dr. Puja Aggarwal

Pandemic parenting is incredibly exhausting.

Recent research by a UK children’s charity showed that more than 80% of parents struggle. These parents share that they have at least one symptom of burnout. The pandemic has adversely affected children’s education and mental health. And even more so are those effects on children when parents are burned out and inadvertently put their stress onto their children.

Luckily, parental burnout isn’t a life sentence. And with time and the right tools, you can overcome parental burnout and get back to being the parent you want to be.

Overcoming parental burnout

If you have noticed that you are experiencing some symptoms of burnout, then you must do the work now to get a handle on it before it gets out of control.

Some simple changes include:

Improve how you communicate your feelings.

Communication is key. If you are beginning to feel burnt out, your first step needs to be communication. Communicate how you feel to your partner and let them know you need extra support right now. We like to think that our partners can read our minds and know exactly what we need. But they can’t! So communicate. If you’re a single parent, try talking to a friend or family member you trust.

Be mindful of what you’re fuelling your body with.

If you’re feeling horrendously exhausted, the easy fix would be to grab more coffee or a sugary snack to bring your energy back up. This will provide you with that temporary boost of energy that you were looking for. However, it will also cause you to crash later. Try to break the habit of getting more coffee and sugar. And instead, choose to fuel your body with foods rich in nutrients. Aim to include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins in your meals.

Exercise.

You don’t have to do very much research to learn that physical activity can boost your energy and raise your feel-good hormones. Exercise also can reduce stress, anxiety and even depression. Exercising is an essential tool for fighting off parental burnout. Please don’t feel intimidated; you don’t need to go to the gym daily or run marathons for this to work. It can be as simple as taking a 15-20 minute walk around the neighbourhood. This will help clear your head and boost your energy while moving your body and breathing fresh air.

Stop feeling guilty for caring for yourself.

Never feel guilty for taking time for yourself or your partner. Focusing on your needs and relationship doesn’t make you a bad parent. It’s the opposite; taking time for yourself and practicing healthy self-care will make you an even better parent.

Talk to a mental health professional.

If you have concerns about your mental health, energy levels, or well-being, please don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Mental health professionals are trained to give you the tips you need to improve.

Use the Burnout Blueprint method.

In collaboration with Dr. Ben and Dr. Ashley, Daddy’s Digest has designed tools to help parents overcome parental burnout. These fantastic tools have come from Dr. Ben and Dr. Ashley’s 14 years of experience and have been tested on thousands of patients. The Burnout Blueprint has years of research, papers, and testing condensed into 11 unique modules designed to support burnout sustainably.

You can learn more about The Burnout Blueprint here.

You aren’t alone.

Parental burnout affects millions of parents around the globe. If you are struggling with it, please don’t feel ashamed. It doesn’t mean that you are a terrible parent. Or that you aren’t strong enough to manage it all. You are human, and you have needs. If you are struggling with parental burnout, please be kind to yourself. And take the necessary steps to get better.

Once you start feeling better, always be sure to add specific habits to your routine to keep parental burnout from popping up again because it is preventable with the proper steps.

Some simple ways to prevent parental burnout from taking over include:

Ask for help.
Communicate your needs.
Hire a babysitter from time to time.
Exercise daily.
Practice self-care.
Be kind to yourself.
Only set realistic expectations.

Resources:

Dear Exhausted and Burnt Out Parents, We’re Here to Help – Healthline

The Impact of Parental Burnout – American Psychological Association

COVID-19 is Still Causing Parental Burnout- Do you Know the Symptoms? – World Economic Forum

Book a Concierge Call.

If you aren’t sure how to get started or what programs would best suit your child’s learning needs, then you can chat with one of our experts on a one-on-one Concierge Call, completely free!
Click here to book a Concierge Call.

SCHOOLIO PARTNERING WITH DADDY’S DIGEST to Bring One-of-a-kind Burn-Out Course for Parents

Schoolio, a Canadian education startup, is thrilled to announce a unique partnership with Daddy’s Digest. With this new partnership, Schoolio and Daddy’s Digest aim to help parents make parental burnout a thing of the past.

“Schoolio partnering with Daddy’s Digest is a meaningful step towards our goal of partnering with brands already educating in all areas. Daddy’s Digest is serving parents in many different forms, and we think Schoolio families will benefit from what they are offering.” shared Sathish Bala, CEO and Co-founder of Schoolio.

The Burnout Blueprint, a remedy for parental burnout.

Through The Burnout Blueprint course, you can learn unique tips that will help you explore how to get back to enjoying your time again. This course is filled with information and lessons to teach you about the different stages of burnout and why your energy might be so low. In addition to studies about healthy sleeping patterns, stress connections, adrenaline & burnout. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about how hormones affect burnout and how burnout negatively affects your brain. In addition, you’ll also learn how to eat and exercise to recover from burnout or keep burnout from taking hold. While also learning how to set and maintain healthy boundaries while recovering from burnout.

“We are delighted to partner with Schoolio so more parents can begin their road to recovery after a very challenging few years.” Said Zoe Share, CEO of Daddy’s Digest. “My husband Stuart and I developed this course with Dr. Ben and Dr. Ashley after we sought support from our burnout and recovery from Covid, which my husband got while I was 38 weeks pregnant. We knew that other parents must be feeling the same way. This course was developed with dads in mind, but moms, you can watch it too! Working with Schoolio is all about getting families the best resources we can. So that there can be happier, more balanced and healthy families.”

The Burnout Blueprint results from deep research.

Dr. Ben and Dr. Ashley have years of combined experience successfully treating parental burnout. And as a result, they, in collaboration with Daddy’s Digest, have created this unique course. The Burnout Blueprint course is based on intense research and positive results from Dr. Ben and Dr. Ashley. They are utilizing tools that have been successfully used with thousands of patients. The Burnout Blueprint has an incredible blend of years of research, testing, papers and unique practice. This has then been condensed into 11 modules specifically designed to have a substantially positive and successful effect on burnout.

About Daddy’s Digest:

Daddy’s Digest aims to help parents experience parenting from a different perspective. They provide an online magazine, website, and video and audio channel focusing on fatherhood and family. While also exploring current affairs, popular culture, and human dynamics.

They also offer in-depth features, personal stories and expert advice to help both parents on their parenting journeys, with the overall goal of being better partners and parents.

Learn more about Daddy’s Digest.

About Schoolio Learning:

Schoolio is a Canadian education startup company that provides parents in Canada and the United States with a range of customizable Kindergarten to Grade 8 curricula, worksheets and digital content.

One of our primary goals is to empower parents to be teachers for their students. As a result, we have been engaging millions of students with the best home learning materials available for the most affordable price. We hope to continue doing so while empowering children to be fully prepared for their fantastic futures.

Learn more about our exclusive products.