This is the first time in a long time that I’ve needed a break from homeschooling. And I’ve decided, that’s okay. And if that is where you find yourself, too, it’s okay. It doesn’t mean we aren’t committed. It doesn’t mean we don’t want this assignment. I doesn’t mean that we are fed up with life. It simply means we need a break. And, that is just fine. Even our loving Father in Heaven gave us this example with the Seventh Day of rest.
With the exception of our family’s standard items–Bible, Math, Lunchtime Read Aloud–we haven’t done much else in our summer schedule schoolwise. I haven’t even jumped on board with the traditional summer reading, whether that be at the local library or across blogging land. Six out of my seven kids can read well for their respective ages, so, I’m resting in that right now.
I have just needed a break.
(It isn’t just in homeschooling, either. I have taken a break from my routine focused housework, too. Don’t worry, my home isn’t a pig-stye; I am still keeping up with my laundry and doing daily chores, but I’m not stressing about the dust on my curtains or cleaning the fingerprints off of the walls right now.)
Taking the break from school work, paperwork, grades, and transcripts has allowed me to tend to other matters that have been more pressing: wellness checkups for some little ones, switching the little boys’ clothes from winter to summer, sewing dresses with my daughters, focusing on a more consistent exercise routine, beginning to read some books I’ve had on my own list for a while, house-hunting for a possible move in the future, movie-going, enjoying having my husband at home on random days he’s taken off from work, and monitoring my daughter’s progress in a summer history course, among other things.
I would not say this is a vacation. On some weeks, I’ve been far busier than I care to be. But the intentional break from 2 specific areas has been fruitful for peace of mind over all.
The kids have enjoyed a later bedtime each evening and which means: a few more winks of sleep for this mama in the morning, extra time spent studying the Word or pancakes for breakfast on a day other than Saturday. We’ve enjoyed card games and board games, playing the flute and piano, baking sweet treats and twisting hair, singing songs, hammering nails and painting wood, and watching our tomatoes and peppers grow.
When mama gets a needed break, the family can appreciate her better, and in turn, that makes her feel great. Taking a break doesn’t always involve sandy beaches and ocean waves (although that sounds mighty good right now!). I am learning to find ways, right in the midst of every thing, to take a break and rest a while. Even if it’s just a break from one or two things (and not from everything), a small break can do a world of good.
Things will not remain this way for long. Soon, I will transition into homeschool planning mode and will begin to flesh out the upcoming school year. I will pull out my tried-and-true planning guide, blow the dust off of it, and bury my nose in how to do year 2 of high school. Eventually, I will round up curriculum choices and lab supplies, (after I’ve compaired prices on at least 3 or 4 different web sites) crayons and markers and such, and click the order button.
In a bit, I will remind my children to pick up a few more books, I will encourage them to write a few lines, I will explain how a flower grows or what a chemical reaction is, I will tell them of mighty men and women of old, of empires and wars, times of peace and quiet. In a bit.
But right now, we’re eating popsicles and catching fireflies.
How’s your summer time routine going? Do you homeschool over the summer? Do you take a summer break?
