10 Ways to Start your Homeschool Year with a Clean Slate

Ahh, the first day of school: the sharpened pencils and the clean desks, the new books and the eager children. Oh, that we could bottle some of it up and open it in January, when we have to fight the gray winter for control of our kids attitudes. 

Having goals as we begin the year is vital and healthy. It means we are striving to do our best at this exciting task God has allowed us to carry out. Going to public school, the first day was filled with newness. Usually, your new teacher didn’t know about your past successes and failures. You had a clean slate to start from.

We all need that once in awhile. You do, your kids do.

As you set your goals for the year and fill in your schedule, keep in mind that this year is new. It is your chance to rid your school of the things that didn’t work and fill it with things that do. You have a clean slate to work from.

Some tips:

1. Outline your “dream” school day. What time would you start, what subject is first? When would you finish? What other things would your day include? I realize this is a pipe dream. In reality, things will always happen that will interrupt your day or throw it off course. But if you don't have an ideal that you are shooting for - what are you aiming at?
2. Clean your desk. Seriously. Take out all things that don’t apply to this year. A clean desk has the magical power of making you feel like you are caught up. Stacks of papers and books have the opposite effect.
3. Clean off your bookshelves. Make a place for library books.  
4. Prepare an inviting place for everyone to work and an organized place to keep their supplies.
5. Evaluate each family member’s commitments.  Just because you have done something in the past, it doesn’t mean it’s a priority for your time now – life changes.
6. Ask your students, “What do you want to learn about this year?” Now you know what books to get from the library. If learning is relevant, it will be exciting. Make it relevant by incorporating their interests.
7. Plan for variety. Book learning, reading aloud, videos, inside, outside, at the library, putting on plays, fieldtrips, cooking, service projects, nature walks, and picnics. Try having a morning "opener" at their desk each morning. I have used logic puzzles, riddles, word searches, etc... Anything to fire their brain up and get them to their desk.
8. Ask yourself and your students, “What did you like about school last year?” Plan to do more of THAT this year.
9. Figure out WHY you like those things and incorporate those qualities into other areas of school. Was their favorite thing history lesson? Maybe it was because they love having someone read to them. That is something you can work into other subjects.
10. Guard your clean slate – don’t clutter it up with too much stuff. Having relaxed time as a family is a precious commodity. Remember, you are the calendar guardian. It is up to the parents to say when too much is too much. Guard your family time.  

5 Things That Will Actually Prepare You for Christmas

1. Prioritize

I love the scene in Jerry McGuire where he writes his mission statement…the tears in his eyes as he writes and writes and realizes how far he has strayed from his father’s ideals. How he had been living his life with the wrong priorities. He writes this mission statement outlining what should be important and how he should base his decisions.  It changes his life.
What if you wrote a mission statement for the holidays? If you wrote a simple statement that reminded you what is important and how you should base your decisions, it would provide a plumb line for your holiday decision making. What is your end goal for the holidays? Here's an example:

For our family, the Christmas season is a time to celebrate and strengthen our faith, our family, and our friendships. Equally, it is a time to hone the skill of opening our eyes to the needs of others and obeying God’s command to love others. It is not a time to incur debt, stress, or weight.

With a clear goal in mind, we are better equipped to plan how we will spend our time, our money and our efforts.

Take the time to evaluate the things that you do and see if they really fall in line with the values that you express in your mission statement. For example, should we send Christmas cards this year? Perhaps. It can strengthen friend and family relationships. However, it is an expense. Since so many of the people can be reached on facebook, perhaps we should pick a few people who we know aren’t online or would really be blessed by a card. Maybe send cards to soldiers or write a letter of encouragement to a missionary.

2. Pray

Often times we pray as a last resort. We wait until we hit our breaking point before we hit our knees. Once all our resources are exhausted and we see no way through a situation, then we remember to talk to God about things. Have you ever got to Christmas morning and wondered, in the midst of wrapping paper, sweets, toys and feasting….do your children really get it? Do you really get it? We make our plans, fill our schedule and then ask God to bless it. How are we to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness”?

We can begin by spending some quiet time listening to God and reading His word. No it’s not new, flashy or original, but it is effective. Ask Him to reveal himself to you and to your family this Christmas, and then ask Him to give you His wisdom as you guide the family through the season. Ask Him to show you how to keep it Jesus centered.

As soon as you decide to seek God first at Christmas, you will likely get slammed with a dose of worldly logic like, I can’t let my family down, we’ve done it this way for years, I want my kids to have a magical day…expect it, but quiet it.  

 

3. Plan

Now we plan. Some love it and it energizes them, others dislike it and would rather just go with the flow. If we are going to be intentional with this time of year, we need to plan. Without it, we are caught off guard; end up spending money for last minute things, miss opportunities to meet the needs of others, and our good intentions get lost in the busyness and the demands of the moment.

1)      Start with a blank calendar. Add in the important events that have passed the litmus test of your mission statement. Family parties, concerts, commitments, etc. Don’t forget to put in your regular commitments…this helps you spot days where you have big blocks of time available.

2)      Pencil in decorating day, baking days and shopping days. Strategically block out times so you will have the special things ready when they are needed. Remember to evaluate each thing against your plum line. Does spending an entire day making and decorating sugar cookies line up with your mission statement?

For baking: Plan out what you will make ahead of time. Much can be done in advance and frozen. Also, some cookie doughs can be kept in the fridge and baked when needed. I do this with buck-eyes. Keep your pantry stocked. Double or triple recipes so you always have some to share.

For shopping: There are many different philosophies about gift giving at Christmas. There is not one right way to do it – just like there is not one right way to parent children. The important thing is to be both prayerful and intentional. Do the gifts that we buy coincide with our mission statement? Avoid succumbing to the deceptive lure of consumerism. It is helpful to have some universal gifts on hand so you are ready to bless your mailman, babysitter, teacher or hostess. These can be something homemade and economical – making them as a family makes great memories.

3)      Consider advent. In our house, we do an advent reading and activity most nights. When I can, I make the activity go with what we already have going on. For example, on a night we are going to a concert, the activity could be “celebrate Christmas with music”. Or a day after we did baking, the activity could be, “bring bags of treats to a nursing home”.

4. Prepare

This is the meaning of Advent. It’s a time to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Take time each day to prepare your heart and mind – read the Bible and pray. This is a gift to you and to God. Taking the time to quiet your heart enables you to face the activities of each day with patience, kindness and love. Setting that example for our children in invaluable.

5. Play

Have fun, be silly, laugh, and PLAY. Take breaks and play games. Leave room in your schedule to do nothing but be at home as a family. Not just on Christmas and the day after, but throughout the season. Bring joy to your home by giving them a smiling, laughing mother.

Fully be in each moment. As moms and teachers, we are often thinking about the next 5 things we need to do. This creates an urgency that hinders our ability to fully enjoy the moment we are living. Consciously calm your thoughts, take mental pictures of your great family and enjoy this special time of year.

Do I Have To?

I have officially limited my children to only asking me this question once a day. With 4 kids, four times is enough.
"Do I have to do my reading?"
"Do I have to practice piano?"
"Do I have to do my chores?"
and on and on...if I let it.

I once heard you should replace the "have to" with "get to". Then it would be "Do I get to do my chores?" Nice in theory, but if you had that perspective, you wouldn't be asking the question in the first place.

Have I totally missed creating a passion for learning and growth in my children?
Why aren't they jumping out of bed in the morning excited to expand their minds and learn about God's creation? How badly have I messed this homeschooling thing up?

Then I ask myself, what is the heart issue here?
When children ask if they have to do something it is because they would rather do something else. It is because the task seems mundane or meaningless or difficult.
Wait a minute...that sounds familar...
"Ugh. Do I have to make dinner?"
"Ugh. Do I have to fold the laundry?"
"Ugh. Do I have to clean the bathrooms?"
Okay, so I don't say these things out loud, but I do think them. I think them, but then I do the tasks because I have to. And on a good day I'll even remember to do it "as serving the Lord rather than men". Those days rock, because then I find the hidden joy in the mundane.

How do I teach my children to find the hidden joy in the mundane? How do I get them out of the "do I have to" mode and into the "this is the day that the Lord has made" mode?

I start most mornings with prayer and the Book, which gets my heart and mind in line for the day. If my children are getting out of bed and getting right into school without taking time to get in the right mindset, it is no wonder they end up with a bad case of the "do I have to"s.
As the provider of their education, I need to make sure it is 1) engaging 2) at their level and 3)meaningful. As their mom, I need to make sure they have the opportunity to start each day by acknowledging and thanking their Lord.

Hopefully, when they dwell in the knowledge that God has given them these opportunities to homeschool and to learn and to develop skills and to contribute to house and home...hopefully, they will embrace the day and find the joy in the mundane.

Let me encourage you to take the time during the first part of your day to read the Bible and pray with your children. Equip and enable older kids to do it on their own. It is the best way I have found to rid my house of the "do I have to" syndrome.

What's Your Superpower?

Currently, my kids are all about The Avengers. They are making up sequels, creating costumes, and constantly debating which character they would most like to be. Some may say that it's a frivolous use of summer hours. Not me. Anything that engages the active imagination and spurs creativity in children is okay in my book. They have made Thor's hammer out of a box and duct tape. Captain Americas shield was created with a plastic lid and paper and markers. They make up endless stories of good conquering evil, of bad guy powers that get overcome by the strength of the heroes. Imaginations are an amazing gift. Sometimes, however, the more reality we have to deal with, the more our creative imagination can get squeezed out. This is true for me. The longer my to-do list is, the less likely I am to sit and help Thor save the Barbies from the evil dragon monster. Even though my things may be urgent and important, so is being a part of my child's world. Note to self: Don't miss out on the real summer fun. Discover your superpower and dive into some play with your kids.

What God has Purposed

Has anyone called you a control freak? I prefer to think of it as being a willing decision maker. Moms make tons of decisions that effect the others in our home all day long. What’s for breakfast, what chores need done, who’s allowed to do what, who gets punished and how…the list goes on and on and on. The important decisions are made with your spouse, and together as a team you have established most of the order of your home. But still, think about how many decisions you make each day for your family. It’s mind blowing. 

Sometimes I think that if I can perfectly control what is in my grasp to control, then God will be able to work out the rest. If I get my kids in the right activities, use the right curriculum, give them the right amount of responsibility…then…then they will walk in God’s will and clearly decipher His plan for their lives. If I can carry out my will, then God will be able to carry out His. Incredibly. Flawed.  Thinking.  

This is the same wrong mindset that let’s us think that one wrong move on our part will forever mess up our kids. Or one wrong curriculum will mess up their education.

No. We cannot mess up what God has purposed. We have nothing to boast about. No decision we make can mess up God’s plan. No decision your husband makes can mess up God’s plan. God always has a back up. He is NOT counting on you. Isn’t that a relief? 

It is for me because, quite frankly, I am full of flaws. If God’s plan really did rest on me, then watch out because I’ve already dropped the ball in a dozen ways since lunch.  

He doesn’t need us. We need Him and THAT is always the order of things.  

But how does that work? Does anything we do have any consequence, any meaning? Of course. Everything we do has consequences (good and bad) – but what we do cannot thwart God’s purpose.  

Our purpose remains the same. Bring glory to God. We were made by Him, for Him. He desires to use you to fulfill His purpose in the lives of those around you. It’s all Him…he enables you, gives you strength and wisdom…you have nothing to boast about. It’s not about you.

And that can be hard for a control freak to remember.

Get Ready for Advent

If you are like me, the advent wreath may seem like a big religious mumbo jumbo mystery.  What do the candles represent? Why are they purple and pink, and why do people light the pink one on the third Sunday? A simple google search can clear up most of those questions, and provide lots of rich history about advent celebrations.

As with many traditions, observing advent is a beautiful opportunity for worship and intimacy with Christ. Fussing about a ritual, and worrying about if you are doing it right, is not what advent is about.

It’s about anticipating the arrival of our Savior.

Unlike past years, I am prepared to start our observance of the advent season on time when it starts this Sunday.
Wreath, check.
Candles, check.
Scripture readings, check.
Children excited about lighting candles, check.

Our advent time will likely happen after dinner and look something like this: Light the candle/s, short prayer, scripture reading, story, prayer. We plan on praying for the families of whatever Christmas cards we receive that day as part of that prayer. Then we will do a family activity. I am making a chain of loops of 28 red an green paper strips. On each one I will write the scripture for the day and the family activity. Each day a child will tear off one of the links and another will read the activity (because I have 4 kids, I need four jobs: lighting the candle, blowing out the candle, tearing the link, and reading the link).  The activities work into our schedule, and many are things we already regularly do this time of year. Doing it this way just makes it more purposeful.

Here are the activities I'm planning on. These are not all my own ideas, they come from lots of discussions with other moms and from looking around online.

Things to do as a family during your time of advent:

1)       Send a package to a military service member

2)       Wrap 24 Christmas books and let your kids choose one to read each night of the Advent.

3)       Have a picnic under the Christmas tree

4)       Make gifts for teachers

5)       Bring a plate of goodies to your local fire station or police station with a thank you note

6)       Make a Christmas tree out of legos

7)       Drive around and see Christmas lights

8)       Put on Christmas music and dance

9)       Have your children box up some toys to give to Goodwill

10)    Find your old coats that still have some wear and donate them to a coat drive or ministry.

11)    Make Christmas ornaments

12)    Find a needy family to bless with 12 days of gifts (anonymously) – or a one time basket of gifts

13)    Ring the bell for the Salvation Army

14)    Watch videos from past Christmases

15)    Stuff a small stocking and drop it off at someone’s door as a surprise

16)    Talk a walk around your neighborhood in the dark.

17)    Write a list of 10 things you are thankful for

18)    Take food to a local food pantry

19)    Make a homemade Christmas card for someone special and send it

20)    Take a special treat to a neighbor

21)    Decorate Christmas cookies

22)    Write a letter or visit grandparents or extended family, tell them of your advent tradition

23)   Take cookies to a nursing home and sing some Christmas carols

24)   Go to a Christmas play

25)   Read the story of “The Christmas Coat” (it’s on beliefnet.com) – not for Santa Claus believers

26)   Read about St. Nicholas, lover of the poor and patron saint of children.

27)   Go sledding together

28)   Shovel/rake an elderly person’s sidewalk/yard

I hope you feel encouraged to observe advent this Christmas season. There is no wrong way to do it , and there are no advent police. It's an opportunity to enjoy the peace that is offered to us through the gift of Christ. May that be the focus of your season.

Remember

At dinner tonight our conversation turned toward 9-11 and what happened 10 years ago. I found myself sharing with my children my memories and emotions of that day. They listened intently as I told them about how that day started as a beautiful September morning. I had been getting Jenna (my three and a half year old) ready for her 1^st day of preschool and feeding her baby brother. I had turned on the TV to hear the weather, and from the next room, noticed confusion and worry in the voice of Katie Couric. I recalled for them the sinking feeling of knowing something was very, very wrong and that the world had changed in a single moment. I told them all I remembered, and they sat captivated.

I told them of the heroes of Flight 93, and how one of them was Todd Beamer, a man we had gone to college with.

We remembered.

I hope you get to remember with your children this weekend.

"The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom." -Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of NYC