Three Summer Survival Tips From a Homeschool Mom

It’s always so fun for me to watch the posts that come across my Facebook newsfeed as summer approaches. Tired moms eagerly anticipating [s]ummer break, much as I do, but before even a month has passed they grow weary of the challenge of having their children home 24/7. My first thought is always, welcome to my world, Momma!! But then I remember that they’re not used to my life. They haven’t spent day in and day out, all year long with their little ones at home, so I try to cut them a little slack.

See, as a homeschool mom I have had the task of attending to my children from sunup to sundown, and while I made that decision intentionally and wholeheartedly, I won’t lie and say that every day is full of rainbows and unicorns. And while I’d never desire anything other than spending the quality time educating my girls at home, it can be exhausting and exasperating. I can only imagine if you’re not used to it!

Photo courtesy of Brie Gowen

As a parent who spends most waking hours with my kids, I have been able to work through a lot of the issues that may abound if left to their own devices. So I thought I’d pass along a few tips to my Mommy friends who aren’t as accustomed as I am to having your kids staring you in the face while you’re trying to read a book with lamentations of “I’m so bored!”

Here are 3 Summer Survival Tips for the Homeschool Mom

1. Don’t bust the budget on expensive snacks. 

It’s so easy to get excited at the grocery store, especially when summertime rolls around. You’ll have wonderful intentions, great recipe and snack ideas brought to you by the likes of Pinterest, and a desire to feed your adoring offspring the treats they enjoy. My advice is don’t. Just don’t.

Realize that they will eat it all before you even pull into the driveway, most likely. And even if they do leave a box of Cheez-its behind buried underneath the Charmin, they won’t last long. You see, a strange thing happens when children are home. Their stomachs grow even faster than the Grinch’s heart after he almost stole Christmas, and they will eat you out of house and home. There’s no breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s just constant grazing at the Homestead Buffet. So you might as well save your cash for more toilet paper. Cause seriously, the more they eat, the more they poop. Be ready for a full-out food orgy followed by a commode-clogging exodus. You’ll see then why the fruit snacks ran out so quickly; they don’t chew them. Too much? I just thought you’d want to be warned.

Be prepared for many, many requests for snacks, followed by petitions for popsicles, and finally whining wails that there’s nothing to eat in the house. As a homeschooling mom, I probably spend more on groceries than our curriculum, mortgage, and car payment combined. Kids gotta eat, and boy do they ever! They’ll eat Great Value Peanut Butter on Saltines and bag cereal if they’re hungry; trust me.


Brie Gowen
Brie Gowenhttp://briegowen.com
Brie is a thirty-something (sliding ever closer to forty-something) wife and mother. When she’s not loving on her hubby, chasing after the toddler, or playing princess with her four year old she enjoys cooking, reading, and writing down her thoughts to share with others. Brie is also a huge lover of Jesus. She finds immense joy in the peace a relationship with her Savior provides, and she might just tell you about it sometime. She'd love for you to check out her blog at BrieGowen.com.

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