I realize summer is coming to a close and many families have already begun to get back into the swing of things as far a homeschooling goes. Here at Brookwood Homeschool (more on the name in a later post), we have about 3 weeks left of our break. I am so excited to have had this time off, but we also love learning, so we never fully take a break from that. Summer seems to offer a more relaxed, easy-going type of learning which stems from the natural curiosity of my children. I tend to be a planner, so over the past couple years I have found ways to plan ahead and do things that will help reduce the stress of homeschooling 3 children and keeping a toddler occupied as well. These ideas have allowed me to manage my time during the summer in a way that will create a more calm homeschool season.
1. Continue Intentional Learning~ I have already explained how we do this, but I wanted to encourage it again. When all-year learning is a habit, then “academic year learning” won’t be such a change. If you haven’t implemented this into your summer activities, then I suggest giving it a try for the remaining few weeks. It can be a much needed refresher course related to last year’s material which will help prepare for learning even more challenging concepts. I think this small task does decrease my stress and the shock of daily schoolwork for the children. They maintain the routine and desire to soak in more information. It seems to make my job as teacher easier which makes our homeschool season less daunting.
2. Look Ahead & Plan~ Naturally, as a homeachooler, it is important to plan our academics ahead of time and have a way to track what we desire to teach. But academics are not the only thing we will be tackling each day! I thrive on planning, creating to-do lists, and being ready for what is to come. I have a planner that encompasses not only the homeschool aspect of our day, but also meals, special holidays, house projects, and field trips. I have found it helpful to look ahead in multiple areas of our life and become as prepared as possible during the summer. If we have any family birthdays or anniversaries coming up, I will make the cards and have them ready. I will also check our science and art curriculum to see what supplies are needed for the first half of the school year. Purchasing and organizing those items now, will give me the ability to jump right in when the time comes. I do not live close to any stores, therefore, my ability to be prepared is vital to the success of our homeschool. I also check our community’s upcoming events or try to come up with at least one field trip opportunity each month to expand our learning. When I plug it into our schedule early, I don’t feel it disrupts our normal routine. Instead, it give us something to look forward to. Also, it helps guarantee we actually do these educational trips instead of hiding out at home all the time!
When it comes to keeping the little one occupied during our school hours, I spend a bit of time during the summer creating a space in our schoolroom with puzzles, quiet toys, books, and coloring options that can keep her busy. Otherwise, I am constantly trying to go search for something for her to do which takes away from my focus on the students who need my attention. You may be thinking of certain things that bring you stress during the school year. If you can plan ahead and prepare now, it just might benefit you and your children in the near future.
3. Organize & Purge~ I may be alone on this one, but when it comes to having clutter and things out of order, I find it difficult to focus. It is important that I can focus on my task as a homeschool mother during our season of homeschooling. Because of this, I find it necessary to use some of my extra summer time to purge drawers, closets, and rooms. How we get so much stuff is beyond me. It just appears, I think. No matter how it happens, it can be dealt with. Summer has become my favorite time to reorganize. Focus on areas that you use often. Maybe a laundry room, kitchen or bedrooms. Purge things that are old or have gone unused. Find better places to keep items which are causing clutter or need relocated. In doing so, you will be able to find things quickly and reduce anxiety. I have found that having a clutter-free room where things are neatly organized makes the cleaning process much simpler throughout the year. And to be completely honest, I thrive in a clean house! Which also means our homeschool also thrives in a clean house.
4. Make Freezer Meals~ I know people often wonder how a homeschool mom is able to wear all the hats. There are kids to educate, a house to clean, laundry to wash, errands to run, and meals to cook. Often the days fly by and dinner comes much more quickly than I am prepared for. There are also plenty of days when my energy runs out long before the hours in my day. To help with this, I find it easy to make a few double meals throughout the summer weeks. The first meal is our dinner for that night, but the second is placed in the freezer and can be used during a particularly busy fall week. You also have the option of doing dump meals during the summer when your garden is producing an enormous amount of goodies. A dump meal is meat and veggies or potatoes placed in a freezer bag and then dumped into the slow cooker when ready to eat. This saves me valuable time chopping and mixing sauces on those homeschool days. Honestly, even gathering slow cooker recipes to use once or twice a week is a great way to plan or prepare for those busy homeschool evenings. I also try to keep what I call “emergency meals” on hand. These are meals that are relatively simple with ingredients that are basic and do not require thawing. One of our favorites is Tuna Noodle Casserole.
5. Pray~Lastly, I know the most important thing I can do with my time is pray. As I spend time praying for my kids, our attitudes, and a proper perspective of my role as mother and teacher, I find the Lord can calm fears, provide patience, and help me see the big picture. God knows my children and loves them even more than I do. He also loves me and wants to give me more of Himself while showing me His will. As I seek Him and allow Him to mold my heart, I am able to give up my unrealistic goals for our upcoming homeschool season and prioritize properly. I am able to rest in His promises and receive grace for the moment.
Time management is an important quality to develop as a wife, mother, and homeschooler. If I can better use some of my extra summer hours to lessen the load for our homeschool season, I know it will offer me a bit of a reprieve on those often overwhelming days during the fall and winter.
