Do you ever amaze yourself with what you accomplish in a day, homeschool mom?
There are days I walk around the house, while the kids are outside playing or whatever, and it makes me so happy!
Things went smoothly.
Or…things didn’t go smoothly but we didn’t have a complete meltdown.
Or…the science experiment ACTUALLY worked!
Or…every person was fed something that was warm and nourishing.
Or…singing happened in Morning Time!
Those are sweet days that we need to make a point to celebrate!
And appreciate.
Maybe even analyze a little bit.
It does do us such good to give ourselves a pat on the back, reflect on what went well and why and carry that forward with us.
If we take some time to focus on a good day we have a better chance of being able to pull it back up in memory on those not so great days, too!
So–what went right?
A calm start to our day
- We are just back from vacation and so even though jumping right back into school was great-everything was new and exciting, we have been battling the not so awesome side effects of getaways-late bedtimes, late wake ups, not the best diet, and general “too much fun” crankiness. This morning, it was obvious we have caught up on sleep, we are starting to respond to regular routines and we had time to just wake up and be…be quiet, be solitary or not, just be.
Morning Time
- Today we covered so much in an hour of snuggling on the couch. Map skills and geography, vocabulary and comprehension, animal facts, and singing. What?!? The singing surprised me and delighted the kids and it does not happen regularly but…maybe it should?
Invitations to Learning
- I love to set out something new or interesting, some art supplies or prompt to discover. Today I had a strategy game out. I found it in an amazing new book–STEAM Kids–that I gave a little tweak to in order to bring the Spanish Inquisition to life. Instead of Hare and Hounds, our game was Pirates and gold! Some gaming, some strategy, some fun. Plus the kids liked it so much they went on to devise their own variations.
Preparation
- While they played the game and then created their own version, I could just pull out what came next. In September I am good at this and then with each week of school, I rely more and more on our momentum and my quick thinking. It would do me well to continue to spend time in prep mode, at least for a few minutes each night, so our days can flow more smoothly.
Time and Resources
- When homeschool was brand new to us, I felt totally scattered and unprepared, especially that first September. But the year started to improve and each year since has held more promise, more joy, and more positivity. When you have been homeschooling for a few years, you start to know your kids, yourself as a guide, you collect curriculum and reach out to new friends who become great resources of inspiration and ideas. If you are new, you will get it but it takes time. Hang in there, mom!
Less but More
- I also have to admit. We do less now than we have in the past. While I have culled the number of separate subjects we might explore, that exploration is much deeper now. We combine different curriculum, picking and choosing the bits and pieces that work for us as a family. We really design our days and tailor our learning to our individual kids. More crossover, less trying to do it all.
You Can Do It, Homeschool Mom!
When we have a great day, we should celebrate that and share it. I love feeling of camaraderie you can find in homeschool groups, IRL and online. But if you have not found your tribe yet, reflection and self-congratulations can take you so far! When you find your homeschool day humming along, take a breath, reflect on the WHY and savor the feeling of “whew–we are really doing this!”.
We educate our kids in a vacuum–or some days it feels that way. Make sure when the day is light and easy and moving in a positive direction you take time to pinpoint the reasons it might be happening.
And try to do those things again, friends! Celebrate your successes, homeschool mom! You are doing it! Happy homeschooling!
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