We are all-year schooler converts.

Yes that’s right. After years of schooling year around, we hit a rough patch that couldn’t be glossed over, discovering that this lifestyle isn’t working for us anymore.

In my many years as a homeschool mom, I’ve experienced my share of hurdles.   I expect there to be bumps and  twists and turns.  I expect them!

For the past 7 years we’ve been schooling year around.  It’s worked great…for 7 years.  As we started to gear up for year 8, something was wrong.  I can compare it to trying to drive a car with the emergency brake on.  It goes, but the going is hampered, labored and inefficient.  I dug deeper trying to put the “ducks” in a row and get myself and everyone else excited about new books and new projects.  But,  just like that car, we began to slow….smoke….and stop.

Finally I took a step back to really evaluate our situation.  I was tired.  I felt like I was constantly swimming against the stream and having to keep my guard up at all times. This was something that a good night’s sleep or a mom’s night out wasn’t going to cure.  This was something much deeper.  This was the result of not planning for purposeful down time.

To remedy this, instead of taking a week off every 7 or so weeks, I’ve taken a black permanent marker and blacked out our days off for the coming year.  It’s up on the calendar and it’s planned!

Everyone can see and anticipate it.  Definite time periods for high gear and definite periods for rest.   Once this happened, our expectations lined back up with the very heart of our homeschool and excitement was kindled again.

I realized that I had not failed my children.  My children did not want to stop learning and growing, but we all needed a break.  Everyone needed and wanted an extended purposeful time off – a real summer break!

Instead of throwing in the towel,  we are now looking forward to the start of the next school year….after we finish reading a stack of fun books….sitting on a hammock…sipping lemonade….resting from swimming….even though we slept in this morning…due to a late night playing outside and enjoying SUMMER!

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