I'm Exhausted by the School-Home Routine: How to Reclaim Time for Yourself

That Invisible Load We Carry Every Day

It's seven in the evening. Dinner's on the stove, your child is asking for help with fractions, and your email ping just reminded you of tomorrow’s work meeting. You rub your temples, wondering when—if ever—you get to sit down without a to-do list staring back at you.

If this feels like your life on repeat, you're not alone. The school-home-homework loop can feel unrelenting, especially when you're trying to support a child with learning difficulties or school-related stress. Many parents tell me they feel like they're operating on autopilot, constantly toggling between being a tutor, a cook, a mediator, and a professional—burnout quietly creeping in.

But what if I told you that reclaiming time for yourself isn’t about doing more, but about doing things differently?

Start by Shifting the Mental Load

If you're constantly helping your child keep track of lessons, remember where they put their folder, Google what “perimeter” means—you're carrying not just your load, but theirs as well. One of the most empowering shifts you can make is helping your child become a bit more autonomous in their learning, even if they struggle sometimes.

That doesn't mean expecting them to suddenly become independent overnight. It means gradually introducing small tools and routines that allow them to take ownership. For example, some parents I know keep a whiteboard in the kitchen where they jot down just three priorities for the evening: one school task, one small responsibility (like setting the table), and one moment of choice or freedom (read, draw, dance—anything!).

Others lean on smart tools to take pressure off themselves without compromising support for their child. One tired mom recently told me how relieved she felt when she found a way to turn her daughter’s lesson on ecosystems into a silly audio adventure starring her daughter as the brave explorer—an option offered by the Skuli app. Instead of yet another lecture-style review, her child laughed, engaged, remembered—and she got 15 uninterrupted minutes to prep for the next day in peace.

Redefine What “Being There” Looks Like

It’s easy to confuse being physically present with being emotionally or mentally present. Sitting at the kitchen table together while both of you are stressed and snapping? Not nourishing. But sharing a moment, even if small, that allows you both to breathe—that’s fuel for the long road.

Consider this story from Laura, a single parent of two. Her son often resists homework, and the battles would leave them both exhausted. When she began replacing tense moments with micro-breaks—playing an audio version of his reading lesson during snack time, or reviewing vocabulary words while taking a short walk—the conflict dropped. And surprisingly, she found herself less depleted. "It wasn't about escaping parenting,” she told me. “It was about creating connective spaces that didn’t cost me everything."

If this resonates, you might find gentle inspiration in our article on making homework less stressful and more positive.

Reclaim a Room in Your Mental House

Exhaustion isn’t just about the body—it’s about the constant background noise in your mind. That internal chatter saying you should be doing more, better, now. Reducing that noise means carving space for your own thoughts, even in slivers.

Try this experiment: choose just one school subject this week that you will not directly oversee. Instead, let your child attempt it using a simplified format—maybe a short interactive quiz or an audio walkthrough. Remember, just because you’re not actively “teaching” doesn’t mean your child isn’t learning.

The Skuli app’s feature that turns a photo of the day's lesson into a personalized quiz is magic for this. It puts learning in your child’s hands—playful, trackable, bite-sized. And it gives you back what might feel like a luxury: quiet.

For more ways to ease your mental load and still support your child’s progress, our article on technology and parental burnout explores this balance in depth.

Let Your Child See You Choose Yourself, Too

One of the most powerful lessons you can teach your child is that caring about others doesn’t mean neglecting yourself. When they see you say, “I need 20 minutes to myself so I can help you better later,” they’re witnessing boundaries, self-respect, and emotional maturity—all things they'll eventually need, too.

The routine won't vanish. There will still be spelling words to review, tears over math, and dinner to make. But with intention, a bit of support, and permission to do it your way—you can carve out your own territory inside the madness.

If you need further support in juggling these everyday loads, this reflection on beating mental fatigue might speak to your experience.

It’s Not About Doing It All—It’s About Doing What Matters

Every family’s rhythm is different. But if your days are blurring together into one long checklist, it’s time to choose yourself a little more boldly. That might mean outsourcing small tasks, introducing new learning formats, or simply declaring “enough” for the day.

You’re not failing. You’re navigating a massive undertaking—raising a child and supporting their learning through a complex world. So next time guilt knocks, remember: taking time for you isn't neglect. It's necessary stewardship of the very person your child relies on most.

If you’re wrestling with persistent power struggles or emotional friction during schoolwork sessions, we have more insights in this piece on parenting without the power struggles.

And for now? Breathe. You’ve already done more than enough today.