Homeschool 2018-2019 - Slower Pace, Chores and More


We officially re-start school on Monday.  Yes, I know it is Labor Day...we are homeschoolers, we don't care.  We only finished a few days of work before Faith was born so I'm looking at it as the official start to our school year, but without having to retake first day pictures! 

Last year I really only taught the girls since I only spent one morning a week working on letters with the boys.  The boys really only took about 30 minutes a week.  This year their work will be 2-3 days per week and I'll have to stay caught up on prep!  I am really looking forward to using Reading Eggs and MathSeeds with them and they love being on the computer to do their work. 

One thing I noticed last year is how rushed I always felt.  I never felt like we had time to slow down to do the extra activities or read the extra books because we only had a limited amount of time and needed to finish the core things.  I also work in the afternoons so in order for me to get work done, we had to be finished by a certain time. 

This year my goal is to take a different approach.  I am still going to have to work but I am working on how to structure my time better so I can be more present with them.  The girls and I spent some time Monday painting mugs so that we could slow down and sip some hot chocolate (or chocolate milk while it is still hot outside!) while we do our school work.  I'm hoping these mugs serve as a reminder to slow down and enjoy the time we have.

Another thing we are changing is how we do chores around here.  I'll probably write a separate post about that, but lets just say that I no longer feel the need to do all the chores myself.  Instead I'm putting my small army to work and so far it is going great! 

I am looking forward to what this school year holds and hoping we create some memories in addition to just learning the facts!

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