Off to a Good Start This School Year!

A brand new year!  I love new beginnings and the start of a new school year is much more fun than the end of a school year!  By the end of the school year, I am struggling with spring fever, but starting something new excites me!  I want this school year to be easier than the one before.

The last two years of homeschooling have been challenging, to say the least.  In January 2007, my mother unexpectedly passed away at the age of 69 (after her mother had lived to be 101!)  We were all shocked and grieved so deeply --and still miss her.  How thankful we are that she knew the Lord.  She had planned to spend the month of May with us to celebrate her 70th birthday, Katie Beth's graduation from college, and Julianna's graduation from high school.  There was so much disappointment for me and with a heavy heart, I tried to make my lovely daughters graduations as special as possible. 

After my mother went home to Jesus, I spent nine months driving back and forth to South Florida (four hours away) to take care of my dad and clean out their house.  I would take the younger children and their school books--it was a challenge!  My children and I spent the entire summer cleaning out Daddy's house and then moved him up closer to our family.

Once Daddy was here, we had to find doctors (he is very sick, alive through the prayers of our church family) and life became full of doctor visits and medical decisions.  Added to this, I was homeschooling, leading worship, and leading the ladies' ministry at church.  The last two years have not been "normal" homeschooling years. 

What is a "Normal" Year of Homeschooling?

Maybe you've had difficulties or struggles that have made it difficult to have a "normal" year.  Maybe you're just getting started with homeschooling and you feel overwhelmed and insecure.  Maybe there are problems in your marriage or you are struggling with depression.  Maybe finances are tight causing unbelievable stress on you and your family.  So many factors can make us feel overwhelmed, instead of excited, about a new school year.

There are not simple answers to homeschooling in the midst of trials.  We think that everything has to be a certain way ("normal") and that there are hoops we have to jump through (or else!).  Our expectations are of perfection instead of being a family that is educating at home.  Every day has its own set of problems and every homeschooling mom has unique circumstances to overcome.  There are no normal days and no normal years in homeschooling.  Just as life is full of twists and turns, so homeschooling is an adventure!

If we let go of our expectations of perfection for ourselves and our child, we can relax and enjoy the journey.  A good start in homeschooling this year will require you to surrender the year to God. Then trust Him to overcome every obstacle and barrier that gets in your way this year.  He wants your children to learn and grow!  He will always provide resources and plans that are better than we can come up with on our own.  When plans have to change, go to Jesus!  Ask Him to provide better plans.  Daily, ask Him for wisdom to teach our children.

Put God First!

This year, put God first.  Open up your school day with a praise song, prayer and Bible reading (it can be short!).  Remind the children (and yourself!) that the most important thing is that the way you teach and they learn glorifies and pleases Jesus.  It is all about Him, pleasing Him and loving Him.  When, someone has trouble understanding school work, stop and pray.  Ask the Lord for help!   When you feel overwhelmed and grumpy, ask the children to pray for you!  Talk about Jesus and the Word of God all the time--like you talked about your husband all the time when you first met him!

Read Aloud Together!

Set aside time each day to read aloud together.  This is best when it includes snuggling and cuddling!  You might read a chapter of a good book (Swiss Family Robinson or Tom Sawyer--unabridged, please!) each day after lunch.  We always read history together--all ages!  We've always done history more of a unit study style and if we use a textbook, we read it aloud.  We read two volumes of Mystery of History aloud in one year!  I read science and history aloud to my children, even though they were great readers, until they were in middle school. It was just more fun to read aloud and then discuss it together.  When I was pregnant, the children would read aloud and I would fall asleep.

Go on Walks Together!

Go on walks together.  They don't have to be long walks--around the block is fine.  I I've had the best talks with people when we're on a walk together.  You can even go for a "school walk" where you talk about history or science on the walk.  Or you can go on a "nature walk" with a sketchpad and pencils so that you can stop and draw the beautiful world around you.

Fill Your House with Laughter!

Laugh with your children!  Find any excuse to laugh together.  Good natured teasing (not cut-downs or sarcasm) is fun!  Tell each other jokes and read funny emails to each other.  Let your home ring with laughter!  Joy and laughter is not only healthy for you, but eases tension and stress in the home.

Celebrate!

Looks for things to celebrate.  Use the fancy china and make a yummy dessert because Billy got 100% on his math test.  Set up the living room for your child's performance when they make up a skit.  Afterward, eat ice cream to celebrate!  Eat dinner by candlelight to celebrate your child's perseverance in grammar.  When the children write a great paragraph, call Grandma and read it aloud to her!  Make birthdays and holidays special and fun.  Let the children help you plan, prepare, and especially, cook!

School Hours & Scheduling!

Make a schedule, post it on the wall where everyone can see it, and try to stick to it.  Schedule and routine provide security.  When things throw you off schedule, take care of them and get back on schedule.  My schedule is loose and flexible, rather than rigid.  It is based on blocks of time rather than hours.  (Before breakfast, Before lunch, After lunch, After dinner)   This kind of schedule works great for me.  I've also learned that hunger for lunch is a powerful motivator, since we eat lunch, not at a specific time, but when they finish specific subjects!

Don't try to get other things done during school hours.  Give your children undivided attention.  Especially DON'T talk on the phone! Children seem to go wild when mom gets on the phone.  Unplug the phone during school hours and return calls when school is finished.

Checking Schoolwork & Lesson Plans & "Catching Up"

Check their work every day or at least once a week.  Children are wasting their time doing math, grammar, and spelling workbooks if they are doing their work wrong.  Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent.  If they keep doing the same type of math problem or grammar skill practice wrong it will cement in their brain incorrectly.  Set aside an hour a day or one night a week to check work.  When children get things wrong--let them correct it right away, explaining why they got it wrong and how to correct it.  Sometimes, we put aside the scheduled math and work on a particular skill that is difficult.  We do extra problems and spend lots of time until they "get it."  Yes, we are now a week behind in math, but we can catch up later (see next paragraph!); the important thing isn't that they are completing their work, but that they are doing their work correctly and LEARNING!

Schedule "make-up" or "catch-up" weeks in your yearly schedule.  I schedule a whole week in the fall and another in the spring for "catch-up."  This is because I am a stickler about finishing every book we do and ending the school year on time (I need my summers to plan for next year!).  But life happens and "the best laid plans of mice and men..."  I plan for the unexpected.  Then, if the week arrives and we don't have anything to catch up on, we can play games, go on field trips, bake, watch movies, or go to the beach every day!

If you haven't done it yet, make lesson plans for the whole school year.  Let the children have a movie day or send them to a friend's house for the day.  Get out everything (books, unit study ideas, workbooks, literature, projects)you want to accomplish for the year. Divide the work into months; then weeks; then days.  Schedule two or more weeks for "catch-up."  You can always make changes, but if you have a game plan for the entire year, life goes smoother.  Also, you won't feel like you're flying by the seat of your pants.

If you are looking for a good homeschooling planner, I just got The Schoolhouse Planner written by our very own Heidi Stawser!  It has everything you can possibly need for scheduling and record keeping.  In fact, it's so good that I will be writing about it soon.  ThIs planner is published by Old Schoolhouse Magazine, a wonderful magazine for Christian homeschooling families.  Full of tips, ideas, and motivational articles, it has been a great help to me personally.  In fact, I will be giving away a digital year-subscription to Old Schoolhouse Magazine  very soon.  Keep checking in--details to come!

Health & Energy!

Start your day early so that you are not feeling "behind schedule" all day.  The only way to get up early and have enough energy for the day is to go to bed early.  You can't do it all and you can't burn the candle at both ends.  There are seasons in our lives, especially when our children are young, where taking care of our families is 90% of our life.  Relax.  Before you know it, your little ones will grow up and be graduating, marrying, and giving you grandchildren.  Stay focused on homeschooling your children during the day and enjoying your husband in the evening. 

Take care of you own and your family's health.  Eat nutritious foods, drink plenty of water, stay rested, exercise, and get some fresh air each day.  You don't have to eat organic--just choose healthy over sugar.  Popcorn is a better snack than a Snicker's bar.  Fresh fruit is better than ice cream.  Exercise doesn't have to be at a gym--you can go on walks with your children, play freeze tag, or swim together in the neighbor's pool.  Try to get outside each day, even if it's a quick walk around the block, weeding the garden, or hanging up clothes.  When I exercise I have more energy and am able to control my temper.

Affection & Affirmation!

Lavish your children with affection at all times!  Lavish them with praise when they deserve it!  Hard work, not just the result of hard work, deserves praise!  Praise them for kindness, humility, sharing, finishing their school work, doing their chores, obeying cheerfully, and reading for fun!  Notice all the good in your children and give them verbal affirmation.  Often, we only address the negative. Instead, give the most attention to the positive.  Correct and discipline your children with love and kindness in your voice.  Don't lose your temper when you discipline--stay controlled. 

Enjoy the Journey!

You can make the choice to be negative or positive.  Choose to look at the bright side!  (For inspiration read Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter or watch the Disney movies, Pollyanna.) Count your blessings and give God thanks day and night for giving you the privilege of being a mom who gets to stay home and educate her children.  You can make the choice to experience the joy that Jesus brings or you can complain about your life, your children, and your homeschooling.  Life is more fun when you choose joy!

I am not saying that you shouldn't have friends that you can be honest with, who will pray for you.  Share your struggles, pray, and thank the Lord ahead of time for His answers.  Find homeschooling moms who will encourage you and give good advice.  We all need encouragement and counsel.  A great way to receive tips and inspiration is to join a group on Christian Women Take Root.  The discussions on our site have motivated me in many areas already--and the year is just getting started!

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on  to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  [Sisters], I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:12-14

Look at homeschooling as an adventure--look forward to seeing what God is up to in your family's life!  Learn along with your children--see Jesus as your Teacher.  Incline your ear and heart to the voice of the Holy Spirit in the ordinary.  Enjoy the journey!  As you homeschool your children, your Heavenly Father is teaching you!  Listen and learn.  His ways are good, His paths are pleasant, and all His ways are peace!