3 Methods to Work on Your Mental Health as Homeschool Families

Recently, David and I sat down with Kimberly Bennett. Wow, what a great interview! She suggested many important mindset practices for families. Her tips can impact both homeschooling parents and homeschoolers. Ms. Bennett is the founder of Homeschool Counseling Network (HCN), a nonprofit serving homeschooling families. The nonprofit offers free advocacy and resources to help families. 

Also, Ms. Bennett is a licensed professional counselor and homeschool mom. She started homeschooling because her son was a preemie and needed extra support. Later, she started a blog that eventually turned into HCN. People were seeking mental health providers, and she wanted to create a place where homeschoolers could find them. 

• Focus on the relationship first.
• Set boundaries and practice self-care.
• Center your mind on the purpose of life. 

Care for Yourself and Your Homeschooler

First of all, focus on the relationship with your child. The relationship should come before academics. Release pressure for them and set down the public school system mindset. Instead, encourage their interests and learn alongside them as the parent. Be willing to pivot from curricula, learning methods, and/or activities as needed. Set aside what does not suit your family. 

Also, discuss mental health topics with your kiddo. Make room for your child to talk about their mental health and describe their emotions. For the well-being of your family, take brain breaks from schoolwork and build relationships outside the home. Encourage your child to make friends and find a community as a parent. It’s important that you all have friends and don’t live in isolation. 

Next, practice self-care. You must take care of yourself as a parent and show your child how you care for yourself. That way, they will learn self-care by watching you demonstrate these activities. Set self-care into your routine/schedule. 

Additionally, set boundaries with those outside your family and those in it. Protect your family unit and show your children the importance of boundaries. You may need to set boundaries with your children, and that’s okay. They need that, too, so they will learn. Also, rest and sleep. Ms. Bennett encouraged parents to learn the difference between the two. She also provided two tools from the HCN’s website for parents. You can access both the Free Mental Health Toolkit and the Provider Directory to find a provider for yourself. Both of these tools will help you along your mental health journey.

Lastly, center your mind on the purpose of life. What is your WHY for homeschooling? Zone in on that and keep it centered on your mind and heart. Also, be open to mental health conversations. As mentioned, discuss them with your children and create awareness about mental health. 

As a parent, look around you and see where you can serve others. In turn, this will show your children how to have a wide view. On a personal note, take time to work on your faith and relationship with God. All these steps will help you and your children focus on whole body wellness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ms. Bennett’s words help families look at the whole picture of life. Her heart and passion were evident throughout the interview. She supplied awareness of mental health and how to receive mental health care. Homeschooling families can push forward in life and find support through this interview. Ms. Bennett’s words show us that we never walk alone and we don’t have to on our homeschooling journeys.

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This information came from a resource in the interview with Kimberly Bennett.

- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)

Helpful Links: 

HCN Free Parent Account: parents can create these accounts for free and access all of our resources (videos, digital downloads, podcasts, media)

Supporting Your Mental Health While Homeschooling: The Homeschoolers' Mental Health Toolkit: our flagship 100+ page guide

Website: Mental Health Providers Directory - Find Mental Health Providers - Homeschool Counseling Network

Instagram: Instagram

YouTube: Welcome to the Homeschool Counseling Network // FREE Homeschool Provider & Resource Directory

X: (2) Kimberly_HCN (@Kimberly_IOH) / X

LinkedIn: Kimberly Bennett LPC (Homeschool Counseling Network Inc.) | LinkedIn

Facebook: Facebook