Back to School & Reevaluating Our Days
So, it's your first week of school!
The pencils are sharpened, the books are on the shelf, the curriculum is all ready to go and your planner is full of all of the goodness that you have have planned for the year ahead.
You wake with anticipation for all that you've prepared to teach your children.
Your children wake and you eat breakfast together and prepare for the school day.
As the days go by you begin to wonder where you are going to fit in all of these extra beautiful things that you have gathered.
Often times we need to reevaluate what is in front of us.
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Here are some questions that we can ask ourselves.
1. Is it repetitive?
Are multiple curriculums or resources that you are using adding a hymn study, picture study, etc.? Maybe choose one or the other or chose different days to break them up instead of trying to fit them in all together. You could also choose to paint one and observe the other and sing one and play the other if you can’t eliminate one.
2. Does it bring joy to our day?
Are you simply checking off boxes or are you learning and growing from these resources together as a family? Do they bring you joy? Are they life giving or life draining?
3. Is it stealing our margin from our days?
Margin allows for outdoor adventures, family time, quiet time, clean up, planning, and room to breathe. Without margin in your days they will be more stressful as you try to adhere to a strict schedule to get through your day. Don’t underestimate the value of margin in your days.
4. Does it hinder us from doing other things that our family values?
Make a list of things that your family strives to do and enjoys. Plan your days with these things in mind so that they are integrated in your time. Make them a priority for you and for your family.
5. Could some of these things be on a loop schedule?
A loop schedule allows you to fit multiple subjects and extra curriculars into your scheduled once or twice a week looping through different subjects on different days or in different semesters.
6. Is there something that can be moved to bedtime or in the evening when dad is home such as a devotional or read aloud?
Sometimes thinking outside of the box can help take the pressure off if you are feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes it can be helpful to delegate tasks to a spouse if you can or to use bed time for your read aloud or devotional or Bible reading.
7. Is it helpful or hurtful to our family relationships?
Is what you are doing building up your relationships within your family or tearing them down? If things aren’t going well first check each others heart issues behind the conflict and then see how you can simplify your days to make them less full and more enjoyable. If you aren’t able to get some time out in nature then try implementing that and see if that helps.
8. Is it necessary?
Do you need it? Is it necessary? Would your school day run smoother without it?
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Short lessons can be such a blessing because they spark interest and keep our children wanting more and they allow time for more learning and adventuring to happen.
Teaching our children together at much as possible as opposed to teaching each child individually can save us a lot of time and effort and is beneficial for our children to learn from each other.
This is the heart of The Peaceful Press.
-peaceful days with margin
-short lessons that keep them wanting more
-family style learning and relationship building
- time allotment for the things that our family values most,
and so much more.
It is ok to change things around so that they work best for your family. Make your homeschool work for your family and not your family work for your homeschool.
These are precious days together. Enjoy them.
Some helpful resources for creating a vision, setting goals, and planning a peaceful year are The Homeschool Planners. We have a printed version that can be found on Amazon and at www.christianbook.com. We also have a printable version on The Peaceful Press website and a free Family Vision Worksheet!