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Rowan Atkinson is a second-generation homeschooler and is a recently graduated homeschool mama after homeschooling her four children for two decades.
She is a historical fiction reader, British period drama watcher, soccer player, Sunday school teacher, author, and businesswoman.
Rowan Atkinson is the author of Enough Already: Real Help for Homeschool Freakout Burnout and Zone Out and the host of the Canada Homeschools podcast. She is madly working on the second book of Headphone History.
Let’s chat with Rowan Atkison, podcaster at Canada Homeschools…

“One thing about being a homeschooler (after having been homeschooled) that surprised me was how my own issues and weaknesses would be revealed. It wasn’t actually the teaching or organizing curriculum that was a challenge. It was how much my shortcomings were revealed.”
Rowan Atkinson, Author of Enough Already: Real Helo for Homeschool Freakout Burnout and Zone
Rowan and I discuss:
- We get burned out because of our high expectations of ourselves. These are too unrealistic. We do this to please others or hover over our kids because of our fear issues.
- I want to give you permission to not be so hard on yourself. Don’t try to teach six to eight subjects in one day
- You do not have to feel guilty or bad because you are going out to a small group or on a date with your husband. You can go because you know that you have invested in them all day long.
- Try to do something fun with your kids, not feel guilty if you don’t.
- Of course, you are going to look back and wish I had done this differently, or I wish I had known now what I know.
Rowan Atkinson’s advice for homeschool parents:
- Don’t use recess as chore time; instead, take a break.
- If you don’t put your own oxygen mask on, you can’t put on your kids’ oxygen masks.
- Housecleaners can take care of your house, but you are the only one who can take care of your kids.
- First of all, with all self-care, you need to know what it is that you need. And it’s different for one.
- Even just walking to the end of the block after a homeschool day might give you a little space just for you.
You can find Rowan Atkinson online at:
- on her website, Canada Homeschools
- on her podcast, Canada Homeschools

Big Emotions Journal for the Homeschool Mom
Introducing the Homeschool Mama’s Toolbox, a set of resources designed to help homeschooling mothers deal with big emotions and specifically address their thoughts. Your brain and thoughts are important tools that need to be regularly sharpened, and the Toolbox is here to help you do just that.
Incorporating mindfulness practices into your homeschool is one of the most effective ways to separate yourself from your thoughts and be present. The Toolbox includes three questions from Dr. Amen, author of Change your Brain, Change your Life: What am I feeling? What is the thought behind my feeling? What is the story behind my thought? These are questions that you can practice regularly to get the most out of them.
The Toolbox also encourages a daily meditation practice to help you distance yourself from your thoughts and just be present. Guided meditations such as Guided Meditation on Controlling Negative Thoughts and Guided Meditation for Inner Peace & Calm can help you get started.
Additionally, the Toolbox offers a Thought Care Checklist to help you deal with challenging situations that may arise in your homeschool. By considering alternative perspectives, you can reframe your thoughts and deal with the situation in a more positive and constructive way.
With the Homeschool Mama’s Toolbox, you can learn to influence your thoughts and create a better reality for yourself and your family. Download the Toolbox today and start sharpening your tools!
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Call to Adventure by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3470-call-to-adventure
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/