| As we head into the hottest month of summer here, | | | | I homeschool is so that I can teach my son about life, |
| many homeschooling moms are finishing up their plans | | | | not just about long division (fourth grade, this year). |
| for the coming school year. But some are just getting | | | | Schedule breaks, time for rest. Plan for time for silent |
| started. | | | | reading. Build in time for taking walks in nature. Perhaps |
| If you have a general sense of chosen curriculum and | | | | some of the questions after a lesson can be |
| have begun to secure plans for co-op classes with | | | | answered during a long walk. Take an afternoon tea |
| your local homeschooling group, for music and sports | | | | break and make etiquette fun while you are sipping |
| and other "extra-curricular activities", and now are | | | | tea. |
| ready to fine-tune the lesson planning, here are some | | | | One of the things I am adding to our schedule is |
| tips that will help. | | | | meditation and healing techniques, because I want to |
| Do not expect perfection: And that applies to | | | | be sure he learns how to deal with stress and anxiety, |
| everything. Relieve yourself of the pressure to get it all | | | | and how to heal the things that hurt. |
| right and do not expect that of your child, either. Start | | | | Field trips: Add field trips just for you and your children |
| the year off expecting to do as much and as well as | | | | in addition to the big-group field trips planned by the |
| you can. But surrender the idea that it will all work out | | | | homeschooling community. |
| just right. | | | | Avoid overplanning: Last year, I bought three or four |
| If you can let go of that goal, not only will your whole | | | | watercolor art pads. We used one of them! And I |
| year be more enjoyable, but so will this planning | | | | bought two notebooks for our written summaries and |
| process. | | | | artwork based on that day's lesson. |
| Leave time for questions: For every hour of teaching | | | | I only needed one. Though that will lighten the buying |
| you intend to do, make sure that within that hour, there | | | | load for this year, it also brought home to me how |
| will be plenty of time for the question-and-answer | | | | unrealistic I had been in my planning. Make up your plan |
| process, and allow more time than you think you will | | | | and then cross off a few things, so you don't plan too |
| need for creative tasks based on the lesson. | | | | much. |
| Schedule a lot more than lessons: One of the reasons | | | | |