The start of a new school year is just weeks away. In our family, these last few weeks of summer are filled with a mix of excitement and anticipation as well as a touch of (should I say it?) dread and melancholy.
Personally, gathering school supplies, setting up our spaces, and looking at the potential in the pages of fresh, clean workbooks can get me so excited I get goose bumps!! (Pretty geeky, right?!?) Those first couple weeks of school tend to be a dream. We’re all excited. We “play” school, it seems, and each day starts with a sense of fun infused into the whole day.
And then it isn’t fun anymore. You know what I am talking about, don’t you? By week 3 or 4, everyone gets grumpy. The new curriculum isn’t all it was supposed to be. The kids are bored or frustrated or both! You’re starting to remember all the things that went wrong last year and you’re starting to think that things won’t be better this year. You could even start having those doubts about the whole homeschooling thing again.
Why is it that this pattern happens every year?
I can tell you why! It’s the vision you all share. When you start and things are fun and happy and optimistic, everyone has a vision in their mind of how the perfect school day and year are going to look like. Each of you can’t wait to start experiencing it! But here’s the thing. You don’t have a way of capturing it, keeping it alive, and continually working towards it to keep the momentum.
Before you do anything this year, capture that excitement. When things start to decline or you’re having a bad day, visit that vision.
The best way to capture this excitement is to start answering key questions for each member of the family at those keep moments of high anticipation. Don’t bother asking if they’re not excited about things. It needs to be done when they, or you, are super eager for the year to start.
Here is a printable for you to fill out for each of you to capture your visions. { PDF }
These questions, these answers, this vision will give you the insight you need to create an amazing year and keep the excitement going.
Insert favorites into your weeks and days. Keep mixing it up, and when something works, take note and repeat it! Do they find the curriculum boring? Don’t do every question every day. Add something more interesting for your kids. Your goal isn’t to finish the curriculum perfectly. Really, it isn’t! Your goal is for your kids to learn great stuff. What gets them fired up and learning? Field trips? Outside work time? More science? Following their curiosity instead of the assignments? Ask them. They will tell you!
We are getting ready to launch the Fall 2016 Session of our 6-week signature program. This course is filled with ideas and insights for how you can take those frustrating days and make them easier. Its purpose is to help you transform what you know about your kids and what they need out into practical strategies for working with kids and your curriculum.
In the course, we talk about learning styles (not just auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) and ways your kids absorb information. We talk about the types of curriculum available and who they’re created for so you can figure out the best way to use it for support instead of having it run your school day. We talk about building your vision for your homeschool and your kids and how important it is to create a life you and your kids love. And so much more!
This course will take an hour or so a week for 6 weeks and is totally worth the investment. It’s then yours to keep and refer to every year. Whenever you need a reminder, a boost, or your kids grow into a new level, you can go in and listen to the module that will help clear your mind and actions.
Sign up now for the waitlist. The cart will be opening soon!
We can’t wait to get started this fall!