Revelation 3:1-2
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains…. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard.
This scripture is written to the church in Sardis, but the advice is still helpful for homeschoolers. If you feel like you’re dead to homeschooling right now, you aren’t alone. This can be a difficult time of year for parents. It’s hard to keep school new, fresh and fun. If you feel dead, look at the exhortation.
First, wake up!
You need to recognize that most teachers struggle at this time of year. Many parents feel like the thrill has worn off, and they wish the year was done and next year would start. Wake up to the fact that this is normal, and the grass is decidedly NOT greener on the other side. Wake up the love you have for your children with kindness and thoughtfulness.
We are well aware of our children’s shortcomings, because we live with them. Don’t lose sight of their wonderful characteristics! In our family, I often resorted to brownies to provide that lovingkindness. When the children were good, I would say, “Brownie points for you!” and we would celebrate with a pan of warm brownies. That’s not always a perfect strategy (I go to weight watchers now) but the children seemed to appreciate hearing some positive feedback.
Second, strengthen what remains.
Now is no time to ignore your homeschool momentum. Buy a book, take a class, or plan to go to a convention. I know that not everyone has support groups available, and that some support groups rarely discuss high school issues and concerns. You can look at video courses that will speak to issues that you care about. And you can consider my “Convention at Home Kit” which is guaranteed to fit into your schedule. My Gold Care Club is like a support group every day, and it ALWAYS has video and audio courses about homeschooling high school. Video courses are great for parents that are visual learners themselves. Why are we sometimes so careful about buying curriculum to fit the learning style of our children, but forget our own learning style? If you do best with books, I have a book on homeschool transcripts and a book on course descriptions. Do something that will improve your attitude and your homeschool.
Third, remember what you have received and heard.
Don’t wait for someone else to handle this for you. Strengthen what remains. Don’t wait for a person to make you strong, and don’t let it die. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Strengthen yourself with the joy of the Lord. Focus on having a daily quiet time (that alone can make a huge difference in your homeschool!) But in addition, after you take the continuing education courses in the book, class, or convention, remember to act on what you have heard. Put into practice the help you have received.
Become a fan of The HomeScholar on Squidoo. I have web pages on:
- How to Homeschool College
- Preparing Homeschoolers for College
- Homeschool Record Keeping in High School
- How to Give Homeschool Grades
- Homeschooling Gifted Teens
- The HomeScholar, Homeschool Consultant
You will find loads of great information here!
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Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
J W says:
I call it “spring fever,” and when we lived in the South, we’d take Spring off, and resume during the horrendously hot summer. I always felt so sorry for public school kids because they had their time off during the worst part of the year.
Now that we’re in the North, we really plow through school when the weather is foul. That way, come Spring, we can scale back and have fun on the nice days. It really helps.
Off and on I’ve contemplated changing the name of our home school to “Foul Weather Academy.”
March 14th, 2009 at 7:49 pm