Help for the Overcommitted Homeschool Mom

Feel overwhelmed by your to-do list? Don’t be an overcommitted homeschool mom! Manage your time as a busy homeschool mom well with these tips.

I am a people pleaser. I don’t like disappointing people, and I truly like to help. The problem is that too many times the ones who I end up disappointing are the ones I should be striving to please, my family.

As busy homeschool moms, we are often asked to help out in other areas. And, too often, it is SO hard to say no!

• Need a babysitter? Ask Misty, she’s home anyway!
• Baking for a fundraiser? Misty’s home, I’m sure she wouldn’t care to help
• Serving food at a nonprofit? Ask Misty! Her kids can help too 🙂

Before we know it, we are booked up, and school is the last think on our radar! People mean well, they do, but the assumption that because we are “home” doesn’t mean that we are not busy. And, we need to check our priorities. Daily.

So, how do we say no with grace? And how do we choose what outside commitments matter? Here are some things to ask yourself before saying yes, or no to an outside commitment.

Pray, and ask the Lord’s guidance.

I truly believe that the Lord wants peace for our home. This means that if I don’t feel peace about a commitment, it may not be in the Lord’s will for this season in my life. If you are struggling with the decision to say yes or no to a commitment, I encourage you to pray about it.  Ask your husband to pray as well. Prayer is often the encouragement for homeschooling moms that we all need.

Don’t make a rash decision.

If it is something, you are not sure about doing then ask for a day or two to think and pray about it before saying yes or no. Tell the person asking that you need to talk to your husband, or check your calendar. If they are unwilling to give you this additional time, walk away from the commitment.

By saying yes, am I saying No to something else?

Homeschool moms, this is HUGE. Ask yourself before EVERY commitment,

“What will I have to say No to if I say yes to this request?”

If the answer is your children, your husband, or family time then you need to evaluate the importance of the request.  My husband helps with this a lot. He has urged me many times over the past few years to say no to things that don’t truly matter.  This encouragement to say no has made a huge difference in how I handle matters outside the home.

Now, does this mean you can’t say YES to something that YOU want to do? No, not exactly. It is important to give ourselves mom time. It is important to feed our own souls so we can better take care of our kids. But, if this commitment will drain you? It’s probably not a priority you need to commit to. The life of a homeschool mom is a busy one, our yes and our no matters!

Could someone else do this?

Is the person asking me to fulfill this commitment because I usually do it? If so, could someone else step in and take my place? Sometimes we get into the rhythm of doing things, or people expect us to do certain tasks. However, not every task is our ministry. Not every commitment is the Lord’s will. And, in fact, someone else may be better suited for that task that has you overcommitted.

Additional Tips to Help Avoid Overcommitting

As a people pleaser, it has been hard to sometimes say no to things. Especially when there are so many opportunities and activities that can fill up my calendar. However, saying no to things has been a huge blessing for my family. Here are a few ways we avoid over-committing.

Stay Home One Day Each Week

Each week we have made the decision to spend one whole day (at least) at home. This one day of rest and relaxation has been more beneficial than I could have ever imagined. Check your schedule. Are you running EVERY day of the week? If so, find one day where you DON’T have to. You can do this by combining errands, there’s no reason you can’t go to the grocery store AND the library on the same day. Have a weekly therapy? Run errands while you’re already in town. Or, schedule appointments on co-op day so you can get running done all at once. The key is to make sure you have one day at home each week. This gives you and your family the much-needed rest they deserve.

Limit Activities

I know, I know, everything they are doing they CAN’T drop, right? Wrong. I promise. The world won’t end if you cut back on a few activities. In our home, each child gets one activity per season. We have also chosen to only do one homeschool activity each week. That is it! This has been easier than I thought it would be and ensures that the chosen activity is one that they will truly enjoy.

Hope for the Overcommitted Homeschool Mom

Saying no can be hard at first. But, if you feel worn down, and feel that your home and family could be better blessed by saying no more often, I encourage you to do it! Get out your calendar and find activities you can cut back on or completely cut out. Once you have a more simplified schedule and have some practice saying no I would bet that you will feel a lot more relaxed and less stressed when you complete those “yes” activities!

 Need help finding your “BEST YES”?  I highly recommend this book!

Related Posts for the Overcommited Homeschool Mom: 

Time Management Tips for the Busy Homeschool Mom

Can a Homeschool Mom Do it All? 

How to Make Time for Homeschooling