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Moving from Christmas into a new year brings a combination of exhaustion and fresh opportunities…
Hello, there! I haven’t made a school-related post in a while. That’s because we’ve been taking it easy on the academics-front around here. We haven’t done much more than watch our RPC videos and do the spelling tests. It’s been enough to keep us feeling like we aren’t completely off the rails. Some of that has been intentional due to the Christmas holiday.
More of it has been unintentional, as every single person in our house has been sick for what seems like weeks. Most of it stems from the fact that this is one of those times of year where everyone starts to lose steam.
When I say “everyone,” I mean everyone. From parents to teachers to students to employees to business owners, we all suffer a little burnout towards the end of the year. It’s no wonder. The winter weather, the short days, the holiday obligations, and the runny-noses all have had a snowballing effect on our energy levels. Anyone else down for hibernating until spring?
In with the new
The good news is that Christmas is over (do I sound like Scrooge yet?) and a new year is just around the corner. I’m only sort of kidding. I do love Christmas! But there’s something about a new year that is invigorating. It is a time for hitting the reset button and starting again.
I was recently talking to a homeschool mom, a woman that I look up to in every way, and she said something that resonated with me. We were lamenting how things start to get a little loosey-goosey at this time of year as discipline starts to falter and attitudes start to sour. She mentioned that in January it was going to be time for “boot camp.”
Of course, she was only joking about boot camp. However, much like I was joking about being relieved that Christmas is over, I think she was only sort of joking. What did she really mean? Even though she’s a seasoned homeschool pro, it sounds like she and I are dealing with a lot of the same issues. Maybe you are too.
A resolution
I don’t always make New Year’s resolutions, but this year I think I will. Not to work out more or to drink more water (okay, yes, those too) but to find out what this woman was talking about. More specifically, I resolve to listen more. To ask talk less and ask more questions. To really take into consideration what it is these experts have to say. I by no means have everything figured out, least of all when it comes to homeschooling.
Right now you may be thinking, “Wow, so you realize that you need to listen more and talk less… aaand you’re going to blog about it… good for you,” and you would have a point, but hear me out.
People like the woman I mentioned earlier have such a wealth of wisdom to share with us, but truthfully, I know very little about the way she homeschools. The problem for me is that I have never asked her! Maybe the problem for you is that you don’t know what to ask. Maybe it is that you don’t know any veteran homeschool parents to ask.
I know lots of homeschool families with a wide range of experience, and they all approach homeschooling in unique ways. I plan to ask them for their advice and then I’ll share that advice on my blog. My hope is that we can all learn something new and benefit from it.
So, here I go, into the new year, trying to be more humble and ready to learn. Hey, that’s not a bad example to set for my children! I am looking forward to learning and implementing new homeschooling ideas and strategies. I hope you’ll join me.