Homeschooling can consume us — if we let it. It can become not only what we do, but who we are, the sum total of our existence. Here are 10 ways to stay well-rounded and avoid becoming one-dimensional!
1. Spend time with God.
As a Christian, this is where my day starts. My faith informs every other area of my life.
Spending time with God means spending time in His Word. We have gathered dozens of free Bible study tools including devotionals, reading schedules, memorizing tools, and more!
2. Build relationships.
Of course, my next area of focus is others. Relationships take time to build!
Life can get too busy, if we let it. But if we are married, then we can start with our husbands. We also want to build strong relationships with our children. It also takes time to reach out to others in our family and our communities.
A focus on others only strengthens us!
3. Stay healthy.
Simple daily habits can help us keep on track in this area:
- Maintain good sleep habits.
- Eat a healthy home-cooked diet rich with whole grains, lots of fruits and veggies, and not so much sugar.
- Exercise. No, you don’t have to run in the next marathon, but 30 minutes, 6 days a week of aerobic and/or weight strength training will do wonders for your immune system, strength, bone density…and outlook!
If you have found it difficult to build new habits, you might check out these 10 ideas.
4. Read.
It is important to stay self-educated for two reasons:
- We cannot give what we do not have.
- Our children deserve our best.
When it comes to being well-rounded it is important to read widely (but also wisely).
There are many ways to expand our reading world!
5. Develop your hobbies and interests.
Yes, in this mom-as-tutor season of life they may by necessity need to be scaled back. But by working in only a few-minute blocks each day or even a few days a week, you will get something accomplished in an area that makes you you!
6. Spend time outdoors.
Fresh air and nature walks are not just for kids!
7. Give.
Again, a focus on others only makes us better!
There are many ways to give back, beginning with the needs of your family, church, or community. A few more can be found at U.S. News and World Report.
8. Forgive.
Carrying around bitterness toward another only hurts us. If you need reasons to forgive, check out these 10 things the Bible says about forgiveness.
9. Be yourself.
The world of homeschooling is really no different from the world at large. We have our “in” things and “out” things. We have the good and the bad among us. We have compassion, arrogance, servanthood, elitism, and cliques. There are labels some of us would never identity ourselves with, and there are others we assume more because it is what we aspire to be than what we actually are.
If we follow the rules and conventions we perceive necessary to “fit in,” we risk losing ourselves. We may also be guilty of judging others as to how well they are following the perceived rules and conventions. And, oh, how we suffer when we aren’t measuring up to the standard we have perceived!
There is no need to try to be something you are not. There is no need to “fit in.” What your family really needs is simply you!
10. Be thankful.
Find contentment where you are. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Have you seen my schedule? How do you expect me to get all of this in?”
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Schedule in blocks. Make a list of those activities that you wish to accomplish each week, and write beside them the amount of time you need to do them. Even if you can only allot 15 minutes each day to a task, by the end of the week you will have 1 hour and 45 minutes in on that task! It adds up, doesn’t it?
We cannot raise well-rounded children, if we do not stay well-rounded ourselves.
Additional Resources
Managers of Their Homes
Great helps for putting together a workable schedule. Read our full review.
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