Spring is in the air. I just know it must be. Somewhere!
Want to know how I know? We have the spring itch in our house. And it is not just the kids. Mom is guilty too!
Each day we start school a little later.
We spend too much time on our lunch break.
Afternoon subjects keep getting pushed to the next day.
There are a few writing subjects that are half finished.
Four day school weeks instead of five are beginning to be the norm, not the exception.
Sad but true. Is it just me?
But the reality is that, despite the spring itch, there IS school left to do. Math lessons must be completed and papers must be graded.
So here at Family, Faith and Fridays we are shaking up our Spring Schooling.
Here’s how:
Reverse the order of your school subjects.
Sounds simple, but this really can make a difference. We follow a pretty tight schedule and it does tend to get old by this time of year so we are going to reverse the order we do our subjects. You know, like backwards day.
Add in a fun subject you haven’t done in a while.
As a homeschooling mom of 16 years, I know that I tend to push hard with the reading, writing, and arithmetic, and drop the “fun” stuff. This time of year is a perfect time to bring back those extras that bring a little more joy to your day. Think outside the box with art, music appreciation, a computer class, typing, or even a foreign language you’ve always wanted to learn together.
Reward yourselves with some fun!
I don’t usually utilize the reward system for school, but drastic times call for drastic measures, so they say. So each day we are going to end our day with a little treat. Simple things like a bowl of popcorn and a game. Or a nature walk around the block. Or homemade snow cream. Just a little something to look forward to at the end of the day.
Take a field trip.
This may be a regular activity for many of you, but not at my house. I come up with great ideas and then talk myself out of them because of the time and energy required. No more! We are going to set out to see the world…or at least the town.
Give yourselves a break.
Sometimes school is stellar. We do every subject and then add a few more. Those days are a homeschool mom’s dream. But some days are just not like that. We need to allow ourselves to say “that’s ok,” and move on. Not every day is going to be picture perfect. It will just make us more grateful for the days that are.
So as we brave a few more weeks of winter (thank you, Mr. Groundhog!) we are determined to make the days a little brighter in our own, creative ways! What about you?
