Depending on the season of life and many other external factors, a homeschool mom’s reaction when noticing that August (and therefore the new school year) will soon arrive can range from giddy excitement to dismay and fatigue. If you’re on the joyful side of the emotional spectrum, that’s absolutely wonderful! If, however, you’re worn out and wondering how you’ll manage the coming year, may I offer some encouragement and advice? I have homeschooled for 16 years now, and have learned a few things along the way that might be helpful.

First of all, you don’t have to start book work on the first of September. Perhaps the focus in September can be game-schooling (if this is a new term for you, look it up online, there are some amazing resources out there) and field trips, or harvesting and canning the bounty of your garden! The zoos and museums will be much emptier now, as will the swimming pools and parks. Look up the things you see on your adventures and learn informally. Learning can be enjoyable for everyone, it doesn’t have to be stressful.

Second, if you’re feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, look for others in the trenches, so you can support each other. Whether it’s an official homeschool support group or an informal gathering, it often helps to remind ourselves that we are not alone, and it can buoy our spirits to see our children playing happily with others. Lastly, if what you tried last year didn’t work well, it’s absolutely OK to try something else. Maybe your children are getting older and are fighting you because they want more say in how they’re learning, and it’s time to sit down with them and discuss what they would like to focus on next year so you can find something that suits you both. Maybe your two year old wrecked your science experiments last year and this year you can do them on the weekend so you have more adult help, or have a mother’s helper come one afternoon a week to entertain the littles. Maybe you are tired of learning alone and this is the year for joining a co-op, or maybe you’re tired of being in a co-op and this is the year you take the year off.

You know best what will work for your family, and there’s no shame in changing course to suit your current situation and needs. If you look at the coming year from this perspective, I hope that your mindset will start shifting from dread to anticipation. No school year is perfect, we are all fallible humans, but it can be a wonderful year for your and your family, full of learning experience and good memories.

Michelle -  Home School Mom of 4