Episode 176: Homeschooling after the "Honeymoon"
For the Busy Mommas…
Everybody knows the excitement of a brand new curriculum...a brand new year...all that hope...
But in reality, the honeymoon phase ends for everything. Even the very best of relationships...because we grow, we learn, we mature...and so does our homeschool.
But growing pains are a real thing and so is homeschool fatigue.
So how do we combat that...come February when we've picked ourselves up after the holidays and we've gotten into a groove finally, but we're all still dragging.
Spring Cleaning (00:40)
You've added stuff that doesn't need to be there…we know you have! Even good things can creep in and create overwhelm. Curriculum expectations AND activities/events/sports can ALL add up!
It’s a good idea to look at what you’ve got going and ask yourself what you’ve got going on in the calendar, your curriculums, sports, and your expectations for “finishing” the year.
Take a few minutes and do some “spring cleaning” with your calendar and schedule after the kids go to bed.
The NO Day (03:05)
Build in a NO day for you and your people, you won’t regret it! This brings Britt so much peace each week!
When tasks are constantly getting pushed out and pushed out, the stress just mounts. Enter…the NO day.
This has helped Britt to take care of all the things that are constantly getting pushed down the “to-do” list. Although her kids would verbally disagree that the NO day is the best day of the week, it is really good for the whole family.
This is also a good boundary for the kids…they will grow up knowing that it’s OK to say no and take care of business at home.
NO days are also heavy chore days in Britt’s house. It gets her home back on track, and allows the kids to just be.
Just be ready though…you WILL have to fight for your NO day, but it’s worth it!
Bring the Whimsy (07:15)
This is NOT an add to your schedule suggestion.It's a trade...
Go down to 3 days of hard-core schooling and make one day a day to learn from experiences.
School is happening, and people are being educated…even if you’re having fun. We’re growing whole humans here, and that is beautiful work that extends far beyond the pages of a workbook.
Bake cookies, go on a movie date, or visit a park. If you must…call it an “implementation day”!
Or…switch up your system and try the clipboards and tickets.
It's no secret that this was life-changing for us! It helped bring much-needed excitement into our days and motivated the kids.
The tickets made it easier to prioritize special opportunities, and they got all our kids working together as a family!
Of course, our kids NEVER earn quality time with us (ya’ll…they get that from us daily). But the tickets can help us be students of our children and see what really motivates them (by paying attention to where they “spend” their tickets).
The tickets can bring a level of whimsy into your homeschool.
Britt’s family got a Star Jar, and every time the kids complete their clipboards or spiral notebooks, they get to put a star in! Then…they sit and vote as a family to choose the prize!
The latest prize was a “Take-in night,” where each person chose one item from “out. " They set the table, and it was the most glorious display of fast food you’ve seen. It really encouraged bigs to work with littles and was amazing to see!
Finally, here are the tips one more time…
Spring clean your events, curriculum…everything!
Get a NO day!
Introduce some whimsy!
Lastly, we now have the Homeschool Clipboard & Ticket Bundle! It’s brand new and on our website! Don’t worry…the clipboards and tickets are still available separately too (if you’ve already purchased one or the other).
And beautiful mommas, never forget…
YOU are doing beautiful work!
