I received a fun newsletter today. It was from Rebecca Kochenderfer of Homeschool.com What was the newsletter about…
TAKING THE MONTH OFF FOR THE HOLIDAYS! Gasp! For those of you who are new to homeschooling this most likely sounds crazy or lazy. Either way not something you want to waste one second of your time on. Stay with me and I’ll make it quick.
In the newsletter Rebecca says, “This doesn’t mean you’ll be taking time off from learning–learning occurs every day. But maybe you can take a break from the schedules and academic lessons.”
I agree. There have been years in the past where we finished up text work the week after Thanksgiving then shifted away from texts for the month. How can I do this and still maintain high learning standards? Meet my law requirements? Not lose precious ground?
One we never stopped learning. Every morning we would still meet together and read the Bible, Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, or Amanda Bennett’s Christmas Unit study has long been a companion at Christmas time.There was memorization of scripture or winter poems. Making menus for our annual Christmas party. I try to always get the kids into a service project like Operation Christmas Child.
I keep the tech laws in place. We have a no tech before 3pm AND work done, such as chores. That way instead of clearing a month for nonstop Wii -o-thons I am encouraging more free thoughtfulness. This is especially hard for my Aspie. Free time is a skill we need to work on. This time of the year presents a perfect time for working of free time skills.
Christmas in my house is filled with extra cooking. Art projects on every window. Cards being written by hand with special notes. Lots of hands on ready to do projects. Lots of accomplishments and rewards to go around.
One thing I am firm on we NEVER stop reading. For us that is one skill that if not used will wilt like an parched plant. A little bit everyday keeps us progressing.
Even with all that great, fun learning available there are years like this year where we can’t take too much time off for Christmas. We lost too much time in fall to doctor appointments and illness. Now we are behind. While I feel no urge to push the kids faster, because of my schedule. I do think we need to keep working longer than normal. Each year is different. Next year my be a month off year… time will tell.
What do you do? A month? Two weeks? A day or two? Or silly woman learning never stops!
We’ve always taken the entire month off. At first it was an accident of moving, and needing the month to prep the house we were leaving (military at the time) and search for a home in the new location.
But the second year, it was the depression that did me in – SAD plus 2 of my angel dates, combined with my dad’s birthday (We lost him in ’07), and my oldest son’s birthday…. With Christmas, New Years, and my youngest son’s birthday just a few days after New years… yea. It’s a rough time of year.
Ever since, I just plan for taking the whole month month off. It’s what works best for me, so I don’t get stressed. We usually stop worrying about textbooks and just live life from Thanksgiving through to the second week of January. If something gets done, it gets done… if not, que sera sera. We read, bake, watch Christmas movies, enjoy the snow when we have it, video games, and just have fun and relax.
It’s what works for us. I had no idea anyone else does this. You would not believe the side-eyes I get from Dr.s and other homeschoolers in the area when the topic comes up. *sigh* But whatevs. It’s our lives, not theirs. As long as the kids are progressing at a steady rate, they can’t complain about my methods.
I have tough time telling my kids to get off the TV and computers!! Should take them out to the nature more