Homeschooling on an Empty Tank

Homeschooling on an Empty Tank ~ 
Written by Amber O’Neal Johnston from Heritage Mom

Having a relaxed family schedule with plenty of time to rest and recharge is one of the many reasons my husband and I wanted to educate our children at home. We try to foster a healthy, balanced, and enriching environment, and for the most part, I think we do that well.

However, amid my efforts to protect the margin and downtime in my kids’ lives, there are seasons when I find myself ever-so-close to homeschooling on an empty tank.

Recently, I attended a talk by a naturalist who shared a fascinating fact: Cheetahs can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than three seconds. However, they can only maintain that speed for short distances before needing to rest.

Her presentation was about animals, but it struck a deep chord with me because it mirrors the reality of homeschooling.

Like cheetahs, we can go full throttle, tackling lessons, extracurriculars, and household responsibilities. But without adequate rest, we, too, face burnout. I wish I didn’t have much experience with exhaustion, but the truth is that I’ve homeschooled on an empty tank more times than I care to admit.

For me, the issue is two-fold. Sometimes, I’m simply not getting enough daily sleep. At other times, I’m in a season of feeling rushed and overcommitted, so I never seem to have time to be still and rest.

Homeschooling on an Empty Tank

When parents begin homeschooling, they often ask me questions about how to teach math and which science curriculum to use. Those questions are important, but I haven’t found sourcing academic resources to be the most challenging issue to tackle in home education. Knowing what to do isn’t nearly as difficult as doing it consistently through the days, weeks, and years.

The key to being consistent has been prioritizing balance in my schedule. I’m perpetually striving to value sleep and rest for myself as I treasure those things for my kids.

Respecting the rhythms of daily sleep and seasonal rest is directly correlated to my emotional and physical health and, therefore, the atmosphere of my home. My husband is fantastic, but our homeschooling days reflect my mood and energy level as our kids take their cues from me. I’m the hub of our home, so it impacts everyone when things are off with me.

One of my most significant issues stems from relishing quiet time. When everyone has gone to bed and the house is dark and peaceful, I should wind down and sleep, but I usually long to do the opposite. I crave those late-night hours.

The uninterrupted time to catch up on things left undone during the day, work on projects, or dig into a good book is often too good to give up. The issue is that staying up late leaves me with a grumpy sleep deficit that’s difficult to overcome.

When I get adequate sleep, I naturally wake up early (before my kids) and start the day feeling fresh. I have plenty of time to prepare for our day, enjoy a cup of tea, and serve a yummy breakfast. My children wake to a pleasant and patient mama, and they effortlessly match my vibe.

This tension between relishing my quiet late nights and needing adequate sleep is ever-present, alongside the risks of overcommitting while wanting to help my community. There are busy seasons when I may be getting enough daily sleep, but the relentless demands of outside commitments I’ve made threaten to topple any balance I’ve worked for.

I haven’t cracked the code to avoiding an empty tank, but I’ve spent time analyzing how and why I end up in cycles of exhaustion. Paying attention to my habits and simply noticing has helped immensely. I’ve learned that good sleep and adequate rest will never fall into my lap.

Those are things that I’ll constantly strive to get and keep, and it’s not easy. For today, I’ve decided that I need quiet late nights as much as I need my sleep, so our school day starts later than ever before.

Ironically, this later schedule has been incredible for my older kids as their natural sleep rhythms align well with the later start times.

Regarding outside commitments, I’ve found it easier to use “not right now” instead of “no” when asked to take on even small efforts. This season, I’m sticking with what I’ve already agreed to do and not replacing those projects as they naturally end.

Is this a perfect plan? Definitely not. It’s messy and haphazard at times, but it’s working.

The move from striving for idealized perfection to embracing realistic work-in-progress strategies has felt like a warm hug, and perhaps it can be the same for you.

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