1. When you do what you love, you are never tired......I LOVE being a mom, homeschooling and doing all the things that I do. If I didn't, then you would have to put me in an insane asylum because there most be something wrong with me if I keep doing something that makes me miserable (I think they call that being a masochist). If being a mother and homeschooling didn't bring me joy, then why did I start on this path in the first place. Ask yourself, why am I not as joyful as I should be? Find the answer and then go about to change it.
2. Ok here are 5 tips that have helped my homeschool get started off to a great start (note: it will fall apart at some point, but at least you've gotten a good week in :) ) These 5 things have helped me stay on task even when the emotion has left, because I've put these things first:
- Start planning your curriculum and notification prep way in advance.......I mean January, yes January! I do it that way because A. it's cold out, what else am I going to do? and B. It gives me time to space out my work. If I leave it until the summer, then I get sucked into warm weather, Netflix binge watching and lazy days. Starting in January gives me at least4 months of prep time because I'm working on it 30min here and there and not dedicating HOURS to it. It also creates a buzz for the new school year (if you are not excited then we will need to talk later), the more times excitedly yell "School's starting!" in your best Will Ferrell in Elf voice, the more excitement you will build.......even if it's only in yourself :) Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it, but if you aren't excited, how do you expect your kids to be excited? (think about it). Planning this far in advance also cuts down on last minute crisis.......don't lie, you know what I mean when I say crisis. If you are the type of person that leaves everything last minute, then, yeah, you are going to be stressed. Let's pare that down, shall we? It's going to happen, whether you like it or not, and you might as well make it a peaceful transition. Be intentional!
- Set your start date and write it IN STONE! Sandwich your start date between two fun or long awaited events, for example, we start our school year the Monday after our Homeschool Mom's Retreat and before our Back to School Swim Party. This gives me "pegs" to work off of and I can constantly be reminding my children of when we start when I'm tagging it to another event. For example, your child is enthusiastic to learn when Christmas will come and if they are little (or even older) they have no concept of time. But what they do know is that Christmas comes after Thanksgiving, which comes after Halloween, etc. Pegging the start of the school year sandwiched between two big events, softens the blow if you will. Constant, random reminders of the start date attached to whatever fun thing is coming around that time, helps amp up the excitement factor.
- Pick up your duster and apron and SPRING CLEAN! Ok, just like a "regular" teacher would come into her classroom and clean and decorate for the new year, so should we get our classrooms ready to learn. I don't know about you, but knowing that my house will be spic and span for at least the first two weeks of school, takes a loaf off my shoulders and helps me center on the important task at hand......making my kids smart :) So, take the 2 weeks before your start date to do some deep cleaning and decorating. When you are done, you've created a peaceful, relaxed environment where you and your kids can get excited to learn. Don't set yourself up for failure, having a messy and unorganized house can lead to stress that you don't need when you are trying to start a whole new year.
- Go shopping!!! Yes, I've given you permission to shop (sorry hubbies, we will need your credit cards). Back to school traditions are fun ways to keep the excitement and motivation high. For us what that looks like is we always get back to school haircuts, an outfit and some little gift. One example is that I take the kids shopping for a new outfit the week before, I let them pick whatever they'd like to wear for their first day (this works great for the girls). They get to pick if they want pants, skirts, dresses and the only thing I regulate is price and modesty level. They can't wear the outfit until the first day, which builds anticipation. I, also, get them something fun either we do an activity or I get them a gift. FOr example, one year I got them all backpacks, another lunch bags, another year I got them dollar store purses filled with school supplies, and just recently we had a lunch time pizza party with friends. You can be as extravagant or as creative as you want, but creating these memories help with building excitement (do I sound like a broken record yet?)
- Last but definitely not least is to go on retreat. School teachers have a whole summer to be away from their students, we unfortunately do not have that luxury. But, we can get that same rejuvenation in just a weekend, if done right. Our homeschool group hosts a retreat every year, it's a weekend retreat where we get to go to Adoration, Confession, Mass, pray the Rosary and Divine Chaplet, have silent time, community and a speaker. It's a soothing balm on the soul. If you are not as fortunate to have this event near you or can't go for whatever reason, start one of your own or create one for yourself. What this gives you is the ability to center your mind on God and have your spirit fortified for the task that lies ahead. Even if you do not have an event specifically for homeschool moms, go to a convent and ask to stay with them for a retreat weekend, get a hotel in your city and organize relaxing activities alongside activities centered around a spiritual rejuvenation. You are teacher but you are also mom, and wearing those two hats at the same time can be daunting and draining. But, if you hire God as the principal for your school and allow Him to work through you to mold the future saints of the Church, then no matter how many times your school plan fails, you will always know that He is rooting you on.
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