I’ve been homeschooling for about 7 months now. When I chose this route I knew that it would take some time to really get it, to figure out what works for my children and what works for me, to learn the best ways my children learn. What I didn’t realize is that I would just get into a rut with what was working okay but not GREAT. I didn’t even know that we were in a rut until I took a step back over the holidays.
Eeyore and I took the last three weeks of 2007 off of school. It was a VERY welcome break. It gave the “school” side of me time to think about what was working and what wasn’t. During the last week of our break I was thinking about all the things we had to cover in the coming months before second grade comes to a close. I got out a pen and wrote down the different ideas I had to make things more fun, to get more organized, and different resources I wanted to check out.
Taking that break was good for us, but had it not been long enough for me to actually miss the school work I don’t think it would have been nearly as helpful. Sure, I would have been less stressed out after a short break, but taking off enough time to make me WANT to do school again? That has completely changed the way we are doing things here. If you are stuck in a rut or second guessing your decision to homeschool, I highly recommend taking some time off and allowing your self to breathe. You’ll be amazed at what ideas you come up with when there is no pressure.
One of the changes we made was to start following a schedule. We used to stay up late and wake up late. We would play around in the morning and get to the school work when we felt like it. We would always get our work done by the end of the day, but it was never the top priority. That was stressful to me. I knew that it had to be done, but I would set it aside to do other things. Saving school for the last minute was not how I wanted to homeschool. Now we wake up at the same time each day, we eat breakfast, and we get our work done. After our work is done we have all afternoon and evening to play. It feels like we have so much more time now and we are all benefiting from having a routine.
We’ve made a few other changes as well. Stick around and I’ll share ‘em with ya next week.
[tags]kids, children, parents, parenting, homeschooling, education, evaluation, vacation, changes, schedule, adjustment, stress[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by janusz l, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
2 responses so far ↓
Chris // Feb 2, 2008 at 8:41 am
Karly, I too am feeling rejuvenated after doing a bit of hibernating this winter. We have switched gears with homeschooling. My children are only 2 and 5 and I have come to believe that pushing any academics with my five-year-old was not only too much a challenge, with her not able to sit still for long and the two-year-old not napping anymore, but could even be detrimental to other aspects of her development. So, we’re not “learning to read” anymore or doing math prep exercises. Instead, we’re spending more time baking, crafting, cleaning together around the house, and keeping to a more regular home rhythm. For us, that includes an earlier bedtime (we start the process at 7pm and are generally finished between 7:30 and
and of course, an earlier wake up time. Except for Thursday playdates, we don’t leave the house during the week until late afternoon. Instead, we do our morning routine of breakfast, brushing hair and teeth, making beds, morning blessing and circle time, getting outside or doing an indoor activity–baking is a favorite–if the weather’s crummy. I’ve learned to attend to *my* daily needs a little more and now our afternoons include a quiet time, snack (with caffeine for Mommy), and a seated activity like painting or crafting. One afternoon a week, this includes going to a local Waldorf school for Folk Art School, where I am learning to make puppets while the kids play with other children in the kindergarten room. By taking care of my own needs for rest, I am better able to keep my Inner Bear in check. I’ve explained to my kids that Mom has a Bear inside of her who comes out when she doesn’t get enough rest and that seems to help the oldest one grasp the importance of our quiet afternoons.
Another thing I started doing this year is “Mom’s Morning Off.” On Sundays, I leave the house before anyone else is awake and head to my favorite cafe, with a book and my laptop. I enjoy a leisurely breakfast, plan our week’s activities, catch up on email, read a bit, and sometimes go do a little child-free shopping before returning home at noon. On the weeks when I’ve needed to get work done at home or just extra “me time,” my husband takes the kids out to a friend’s or to the science museum before I get home and I have the house to myself for the afternoon. These days are great for me, but also for my husband, who gets some time with the kids, unmediated by Mom. He’s started his own rituals with them (special pancakes, listening to “Dad music” while they clean up the house) and it’s great for me to come home, refreshed and renewed, to a family that’s happy to see me and express a renewed appreciation for me.
renee - 21st Century Parenting // Feb 24, 2008 at 6:50 am
even though I am far from implementing a schedule, i’ve been feeling the need for one. dh has been looking foe work. I know when HE gets a schedule, it will be easier. thanks for sharing!
@chris, I LOVE your “mommy’s morning off”! I think we’ll have to try that!
& love the “inner bear” analogy too!
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