My ninth grade son and I just had what we call in the South “a come to Jesus meeting” about his schoolwork.
I won’t go into the details as I am sure this same scene is playing out in houses across the country, but let’s just say he is not doing his assignments like he should, and I just spent the last couple of hours going over his coursework and missed assignments and helping him get organized with a plan to move forward.
I have used up a significant amount of my daily motivation to get him motivated. And now I still have to open registration for a webinar, finish an email newsletter for our Pass Holders, set our email and blog schedule for May, and write this blog post among other things.
I assume some of you are dealing with the same issues trying to keep your kids on track as well as your own work.
Just know you are not alone!
Let’s help each other out with some positive encouragement and helpful tips/ideas…
First off, I have said this before and I will say it again:
CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK!
As every commercial, email, and PSA right now will tell you – we are living in unprecedented times. No one was prepared to be working from home while teaching math to 6th graders and navigating the anxiety of a pandemic and the possible loss of income or worse – loved ones.
No one is expecting you to be perfect. Don’t expect it from yourself.
Now, here are a few tips I have found help me get my work done when my mental energy is being used up elsewhere.
Wake up before everyone else
This one is usually HARD for me. I am NOT a morning person at all, but we just got a rescue dog and I have to get up with him in the morning to take him outside. I have found I can knock out a good bit of work before the kids get up and distract me. Except when I don’t because I just want to go back to bed myself. And that’s OK.
Set small goals each day
There are a couple of things I absolutely have to do for work each day. I make sure those get done and then see how I feel after that. That’s all I can do right now. And that’s OK too.
Treat Yo’self
Find a little reward for yourself after you work for a period of time or complete a project. It can be a fun treat to eat, playing a game on your phone or taking a walk outside, which leads me to…
Get away from the electronics
I noticed that all of my kids get cranky if they are on their phones, laptops or video games too long. And guess what? I do too. Whether it’s on my laptop for work, scrolling through social on my phone, or binging Netflix too long, at some point I need to get away from all devices or I get restless and can’t focus on anything.
Take care of your mental health
If your anxiety is contributing to your lack or motivation, call a therapist or health care provider for help. You can’t help your kids or yourself if you are struggling mentally.
And in case you missed it the first time:
CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK!
