Have you ever felt angry? Frustrated? Impatient? Irritated? DONE with homeschooling? Parenting is hard enough on its own but with the mounting pressures and responsibilities of homeschooling, it can be a volcano waiting to erupt. Some days are harder than others, some are easier. Sometimes you have a good strong streak and all of a sudden your temper flares up when you least expected it. It can throw you off track, it catches you off guard. Other times you feel stuck in a pattern or cycle of anger that you can’t seem to get out of. Today’s podcast episode is your lifeboat!
Today we are talking about some of the common anger triggers that homeschool parents face and some practical strategies to help you deal with them before they erupt and derail your day! Kind of like a fire drill, I’m going to teach you how to stop, drop and roll on the flames of your anger! Because it doesn’t have to control your day or be your reality anymore!
Show notes
I don’t think I mentioned any links in today’s podcast episode, but I did promise to have some of the common anger triggers and strategies listed for anyone who was looking, so here they are!
Common anger triggers…
- Personality clashes
- Lack of sleep
- Blood sugar (not eating)
- Disorganization
- Feeling out of control
- Fear (fear of failure, fear of your child being behind)
- Outside pressure
- Time pressures (need to be somewhere)
- Comparing yourself to others (not being thankful)
- Unrealistic expectations
- Hormones/health
Strategies to help you break the cycle when you feel it coming…
- Pray, read your Bible, take time with God
- Eat
- Take a break to breathe and cool off
- Slow down your life and the outside activities
- Take time to clean and organize so your days can be more productive
- Talk to your kids
- Employ some new family rules/family devotions
- Help your kids stay on task with incentives OR a notebook to help them manage their time
- Give your child a hug and say something nice, it breaks the frustration
- Pray some more
- Have a nap or better yet, go to bed at a decent time
- Vitamins and going for walks
- Re-assess what is working and what isn’t
- Try different curriculum
Intervene before you implode!
The point here is to catch yourself before you get to that point of anger and yelling. I know this isn’t easy, I know that stuff comes up and that we are a work in progress. You will make mistakes, I make mistakes every day. But show your kids that they are worth fighting for. Show them that you are working on yourself just as you ask them to work on themselves. Have grace for your kids and show them your struggles so that they will have grace for you.
Find support, lean in to your friends, talk about it more, and take a deep breath. You maybe can’t do this alone, but you absolutely can with a little bit (or a lot) of Jesus and a friend at your side.
Be someone’s life raft!
Comment below and help another homeschooler out! Share your best advice and strategies for dealing with frustration and anger in your homeschool!
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