When January rolls around, people around the world make a New Year’s resolution (even though half ofthem resolve to break it by February 1st).
If you are a resolution maker, are you still debating whether you will see it through to the finish line, or are you already seeing those cute little Girl Scouts and cursing the dent they just made in your resolution? Will this year be the year you make that resolution and keep it?
Only the next 365 days will tell!
If you are a homeschooler, have you made a homeschool resolution? It’s very different from a life resolution, though firmly connected. It’s a resolution that you and the children can make together and separately. Help them see an educational goal and work towards it. I did this with my kids and here are our results.
Me to the kids: “It’s time to make a New Year’s resolution for homeschooling!” Then I threw confetti inthe air.
The kids stared at me like I’d finally gone insane. Little did they know.
Kids: “We are NOT cleaning that up!”
After I assured them I would clean up the mess, I asked again, and they screamed out in unison, “No School!” They thought they were funny.
So pretend resolutions aside… I asked again. Surprisingly, the children came up with some really well thought out responses.
The oldest said, “To do school without complaining,” to which mom agreed with a hearty, “AMEN!” Ahem… The middle said, “To do my school faster…without complaining.” I refrained from my amen that time. The youngest sat there for a few minutes, staring off into space, trying to think of what he could say to top his older siblings. I guessed it would include “without complaining,” but he surprised me when he said, “To read better…without complaining.” I praised his resolution, knowing of the three his was the most likely accomplishable. Maybe not the complaining part, but the reading part was definitely attainable!
Now it was my turn. What could a resolution for my homeschool year look like? I mean, after all, at this point of the school year, it’s more like a half-year resolution, but I could totally carry it over into the next school season. After a bit of thought, I decided. “See a need, fill a need.” What’s nice about this resolution is I can apply it to each child individually or collectively, and I totally think this is an attainable resolution for me. I need to pay attention to my children and those in my homeschool community and try to fill a need when I can. It might be as simple as taking a “Vacation Day” for the kids sanity -- something they may need in the midst of a hard lesson -- or as complex as volunteering at the shelter.
Accomplishing a goal such as a resolution is a great feeling, and when you couple it with educating your children and seeing them grow as people, it’s enormously rewarding. I asked my fellow homeschool moms what their school year resolution would be and got a variety of crazy good (and crazy funny) answers I will share. Names have been omitted to protect the innocent.
- Take time to do hands-on instead of just dry textbook learning
- Take time to read
- Explore new avenues
- Do something I am afraid of
- Give back to our community
- Take breaks, whether a week off, a teachers-night-out night, a park day, or a trip alone to the store
- When my plans come crashing down, take a deep breath, go for a walk, and look forward to tomorrow
- Don't grow anything for science that we didn't intend to
- Learn at least some Mandarin
- Don't go nuts
- Get involved with a homeschool group
- Have my kids do more independent work instead of hovering over them all day
- Stop worrying whether we are “behind” and focus on all the great stuff we've done already this year
- Spend less time planning and more time doing
If you are a homeschooler, what resolution will you make? And more importantly what will you do to make sure you keep it?
While you think about it, I will be cleaning up confetti. At least it wasn’t glitter.
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Why I Started Homeschooling
Homeschool Burnout
Homeschooling and Socializing
