How to Homeschool With Depression

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Life doesn't always go as we plan. In the same way, homeschooling doesn't always go as we plan. Sometimes we're thrown a curveball that we have to figure out how to hit in a hurry. For me, that curveball is depression.

1. Take care of yourself.

When you have depression, even getting out of bed is tough some days. You must take care of yourself in order to take care of your family. Set a good morning routine, including a shower and a good breakfast. Read your Bible regularly and spend time in prayer. Eat well and use natural remedies to help keep your depression symptoms in check. Taking care of yourself also means seeing a doctor or taking medication for your depression if necessary.

2. Create a routine for must do housework and food prep

For me, knowing that there are things that need to be done around the house is distracting. If I make sure that dishes are done the night before and start some laundry each morning, I know that the rest of my day will run a little more smoothly. I also like to do dinner prep at lunch time when possible. I brown meat, chop veggies, or throw something into the slow cooker while I'm already making a mess for lunch.

3. Make school routine

A routine is more flexible that a schedule. We generally start school by a certain time and progress through in a certain order, but I don't try to stick to a strict schedule with time. I also moved to a modular schedule where we study just a few subjects at a time rather than trying to fit everything in every day or every week. We focus on a few things for a longer period of time and this keeps us from getting overwhelmed.

4. Be Flexible

Some days are just hard. When those days come, take a break. A nap can make your outlook better. A movie or backyard schooling day is completely acceptable. Give yourself grace.