Relaxed Homeschooling - It IS Possible!

But here's some good news: there really is a way to make this a reality!

God has been teaching me so much about being willing to rearrange our schedule this school year, and although I still have so much to learn, I’m excited to tell you some of what God has been showing me.

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken!

You may be thinking, “But what about schedule and structure?” Good question! Yes, they are both very important in homeschooling, but let’s take a look at how that can work together with relaxed homeschooling.

No one but you will be able to decide what is right for your family.

Try to find a schedule that seems to work well as an anchor point for your family, but don't feel pressure to stick to that at the expense of things that are more important.

I used to be much more tense about our schedule for school, which carried over into not wanting to be as flexible as I should have been with bedtimes for the children and rising times.

This school year has been a time of God showing me that I need to relax the schedule some so that I can adapt to what God has for our family at that time.

For example, it is okay if an evening activity as a family or church causes us to get to bed later than usual, therefore not making an early rising time a good option. Of course getting up later makes our school day start later.

There would have been a time that would have been very frustrating to me, but by God’s grace I’m learning that relaxed homeschooling makes for a much more peaceful home!

Welcome interruptions as opportunities!

I try to find the balance between getting the rest we need and getting our school day moving.

We find that being able to use our “morning brains” (as we call them) for our bookwork is much more efficient than later on in the day, so we try to get to the school room as soon as we can after breakfast.

However, sometimes there is another project that needs to be done first or a chance to do some hands-on learning before getting to the books. That can be the time that I get tested on how I'll respond to the change of plans.

Interruptions are part of life. Will I treat them as intruders or opportunities?

When we choose to respond to interruptions cheerfully instead of becoming grouchy, it sets the tone for the rest of our family. And I think you'll find it will help with your goal of relaxed homeschooling!

Still learning,

Annette

Return to top of Relaxed Homeschooling

Go to homeschooling-family.com Home Page

New! Comments