Does it feel almost impossible to get both yourself and your children back on schedule after enjoying a few school-free days? In 7 Back to School Tips for Homeschoolers we talk about ideas that help smooth the transition to a full school schedule in a new school year. In this article however, we will explore some tips for getting back to already familiar school books and subjects after a short brake.
5 Tips to Get Back into a Homeschool Routine
1. Make slight changes in your physical environment
Have you ever cleaned your kitchen and just felt good looking around? There is something to be said about a neat environment. It seems to give us not only pleasant feelings but also energy we haven’t had before. One of the things that helps children to ease back to school after a break is their environment. Take a day to lightly clean your school room, rearrange desk drawers, add new pencils, crayons, etc. to your collection and your children will be more motivated to continue their education.
2. Adjust your curriculum and/or introduce something new
Winter break is a perfect opportunity to re-evaluate your curriculum and make the necessary changes. By this time you already know what works for you and what doesn’t so you will be able to determine if any changes are needed. In What to Do When Your Homeschool Curriculum Is NOT Working we share eight possible reasons why your homeschool curriculum is not working and what to do about it. Our tips may help you decide what to do with your own curricula.
3. Take the first week easy and schedule only a few subjects
Do not expect the first week after a short break to go fully smoothly. If it does, it will be an extra bonus; but if it doesn’t, you will not be frustrated. Focus on getting back to the rhythm. Having fewer subjects to work on will be a great help in this regard.
4. Schedule field trips
When you consider the distribution of holidays during the school year, you will see two major breaks in the fall semester that children are excited about – Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, even though spring break brings some relief from a busy schedule, it doesn’t seem to carry such an excitement. One way to separate the spring semester into smaller pieces is to schedule special field trips and fun days with friends. Look for what is available in your area at this time of the year, put your special days on your calendar for everyone to see and look forward to these days together.
5. Keep in mind that having a schedule is important
Children do well when they know there is a structure to their day. Set up a reasonable schedule even for this “transition” week but be flexible enough so that you can keep peace in your home at all times.
