Are you facing a mid-year slump? Now may be the time to refresh your homeschool! Here are some tips to carry you through.
Let’s face it, we all have experienced that mid-year slump a time or two. As much as we love homeschooling our kids, exhaustion and weariness have a way of creeping in. Sometimes this simply calls for a break. But if you’ve tried that and you’re still wondering how on earth you will all survive til summer finally rolls around, here are some tips to carry you through.
Out with the old, in with the new
Do you have a pile of broken crayons and markers without lids? Throw it all out and splurge on some new supplies. Go on a shopping date with the principal of your little homeschool and stock up on some necessities, and maybe a few non-necessities. It’s amazing how freshly sharpened pencils can be motivating!
Restock the essentials
By this point in the year, things have likely gotten a little scattered. Your paint bin has glue sticks in it. The graded math and completed handwriting pages have just become a stack of homeless papers. Books are falling off of the shelves and legos have taken over your son’s desktop. It is time to do some reorganizing and cleaning up. No matter where your school space is, take care of the clutter. Hang a new poster on the wall. The fresh space will encourage a fresh start.
Change things up.
It’s possible your curriculum is the driving force behind your mid-year slump. If you don’t think it’s time to throw it out altogether, maybe it’s just time to give it a break. Spend a week focusing only on your kids’ favorite subject. Do that book study you’ve been wanting to squeeze in somehow. It’s the perfect time of year for a unit study on snow or St. Valentine. Give your teaching (and their learning) a little jump start with a simple change-up.
Recommit.
Spend some time reflecting on why you’ve taken on this homeschooling thing. Read over your goals and mentally recommit to them. Evaluate how the year has gone so far and make any needed changes. Even though you’re only mid-year, it may be time to change some of your goals or add in some new ones. Talk to your kids about their goals. Recommit together to finish out this year full steam ahead!
Focus on today.
Homeschooling is the marathon of all marathons. After you’ve recommitted to your goals, take a deep breath and just focus on today. Looking ahead at the next 5 months or next 5 years while you’re in the midst of the daily grind can be overwhelming. If you’re still struggling with feeling trapped and unmotivated, focus on how you can make today better than yesterday. What is one simple thing you can do right in the midst of your school day today to liven everyone up?
Don’t let the mid-year slump make a mess of the rest of your year. Do a little refreshing and get back at it. You’ve got this!
Misty Bailey is the voice behind the Southeast Homeschool Expo’s Facebook page, as well as one of the convention planners here at the Southeast Homeschool Expo. She has worked in the homeschool market for nearly a decade with a multitude of curriculum companies, and as a former blogger and podcaster. She brings to the table 17 years of homeschooling experience working with her own three children, as well as founding her local homeschool group. Her goal is to encourage and inspire you on your homeschool journey by providing practical tips for real life (not cookie cutter perfection) homeschooling.
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