Am I the only one out there that pretty much dreads this time of year? The holiday excitement is over, the weather is dreary, and spring break seems SO far away. Thankfully, over the last few years, we've discovered a few things that help us stay the course during these long winter months.
1. Homeschool year-round: This has been one of the best decisions that we've made for our family. We typically school for 6 weeks and then take a 1 week break. This allows us the flexibility to take longer breaks during the holidays and summer time, as well. If your house is anything like ours, attitudes can go south very quickly after a long period of time without a break. I've learned that 6 weeks is about the time when that happens for us (And I mean ALL of us). Because we have a week off, were able to hang out and enjoy each other, we take local field trips, catch up on any appointments that we need to take care of (dentist visits, haircuts, etc) and we REST! This is also a great time for me to reevaluate what is working in our homeschool and to make changes to better meet our goals. 2. Simplify: The first few years that we homeschooled, I fell victim to cramming all kinds of ideas into our day. I thought that they were all great ideas (and most of them really were), but trying to do EVERYTHING was NOT a good idea! I realized that I was just skimming through content to check it off our list and that my kids were not benefitting from it at all. I had taken some good ideas and turned them into busy work. This was definitely NOT my intention. Less is so much more for us now. Now when I plan our weeks, I integrate concepts across the curriculum. This allows us to dig deeper into what we are learning and my kids make so many more connections this way. 3. Get outta the house: A change of scenery can do wonders for us. Having my kids take their school work to the library or a local bookstore can change everyone's outlook on the day. I'm always amazed at how diligent my kids become when they know that they can go in search of intriguing books or toys when they finish working. 4. Plan a night out with friends: For me, community is key and dare I say, community is key for ALL of us. We were created for it. You can read more about my thoughts on community here. Let me tell you, I could not continue this homeschooling journey without community. Who are we kidding....I couldn't do life at all without community. Meet up with other homeschooling mommas that you know to encourage each other or ask one another for advice. Ask a friend to meet you for coffee to talk about anything OTHER than homeschooling if fills your tank. If you can't get away at night without the kids, plan a play date at a park with another mom. I promise...it will work wonders for your soul. I'd love to hear what you all do to beat the February blues. Feel free to share below!
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AuthorThanks so much for visiting. I'm Heather. I'm a wife, mother and educator who loves trying to make beauty of the life around me. Archives
July 2022
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