January and February can be the toughest homeschool months of the year as the excitement of fall wears off and winter drags on.
But there are a few adjustments you can make to create more joy in your homeschool.
1. Read a homeschool book
Any time I read a book like Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto or Passion Driven Education by Connor Boyack I am reassured that homeschooling is best for my children.
And reading books like Habits for a Sacred Home or For the Family's Sake (our book club this year in Restoration Home) can help you nurture a philosophy for your homeschool that keeps you inspired even when homeschooling is hard.
2. Plan an outing
In Julie Bogart's book, The Brave Learner, she talked about the element of surprise, and for our family, adding in an impromptu day trip is the perfect way to create sparks of joy that make learning easier. This could be a local history museum, a library event, a zoo, nature preserve, or a factory field trip (trips to the Jelly Belly Factory were highlights of our early homeschool days)
3. Have a party
Parties are a great way to break up the doldrums, and when you make it a celebration of your learning it can serve as a fun assessment as well.
We celebrate:
- Valentine's Day
- President's Days
- Saint's Days
- Martin Luther King Jr.
We also celebrated what we were learning through mini-festivals based on our homeschool curriculum including:
- Olympic games and a Greek Feast while we were studying the Greeks in the Precious People
- Medieval Joust while studying Europe in the Kind Kingdom
- Laura's Christmas with mosquito netting tied around oranges and nuts and hung on a tree while studying American History in the Playful Pioneers.
4. Take a break
Sometimes what you need is to take a week off. You could use the time to rest, teach practical skills to your children, or reorganize your homeschool space.
Moving too quickly from Christmas festivities into a full-fledged school schedule can result in fatigue, winter illness, and burnout.
Instead, take the time you need to prepare the homeschooling atmosphere, work on basic habits with your children, take a nature day together, and beef up your family's health through rest and nutrition.
The good news is that these slower activities still offer your children learning opportunities.
- Organizing toys teaches your children critical thinking and categorization.
- Following a recipe for a healthy winter soup teaches reading comprehension and sequencing.
- Taking a daily quiet reading hour offers children a chance to reflect on what they learned or absorb a great story.
- Spending a day in nature teaches children observation skills, and provides needed motor skill building.
If you would love a homeschool program that doesn't create burnout, try a free week of the Peaceful Press.
Our 30 week elementary bundles include reading, history, science, art, nature study, and practical skills to create a thorough, yet engaging homeschool year that nurtures connection and joy in families.