The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a hard journey, school-wise. As you try to fit it all in, is education important right now?
What does my child really need at this time?
Too much sugar, too many extra activities and parties, and Christmas preparations divert our attention, leaving me and mine a bit — dare I say? — resentful of our day-to-day schoolwork. (I’m just confessing this to you, of course. My kids have no idea I feel this way as I try to lasso them — figuratively — and get them to the table to work.)
Here are a few tips for finishing strong.
Keep the Main Things the Main Things
1. Focus on the basic needs for sleep, routine, and good-for-you food. Whether you’re a homeschooler or trying to get students to finish their homework, we all have to help our kids tend to their academic life between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Older students often have exams just before Christmas, ratcheting up an already emotional season.
As much as possible, try to stick to regular bedtimes and routines as long as school is still in session. Though difficult, this will pay dividends in helping our children pay attention and finish the calendar year strong.
Eating well can be a challenge at this time of year. Whether you are hosting multiple times this month or your office party sends home the extra cookies, do your best to keep the sweets around the kitchen to a minimum as long as there’s schoolwork to be done. Once you wrap up school, the baking can officially begin!
Guide Children Through Emotions
2. Clarify the essentials proactively. This may be especially important for older students. Overwhelming feelings will undoubtedly hit, especially if they are preparing for exams. When it does, please sit down with them and help them prioritize, especially when doing it all seems too much.
If you’re homeschooling, this may be the season to adjust your expectations slightly. If what you can manage every day is language arts and math, kudos to you! Slowing down during this season makes sense, especially if you’re celebrating the advent of Christ. If you have the reserve to do so, think through how to make Christmas preparations a part of your learning during this time. Baking, wrapping gifts, talking about Christmas traditions, writing notes in Christmas cards and advent traditions can all be fun learning activities.
Take Care of You
3. Give yourself a break! There’s a good reason this phrase rings true: “If Mama isn’t okay, the family isn’t okay.” If, on a given Wednesday in December, you are feeling anxious and close to the edge, it would be better to take a break and deeply rest, as much as your kids will allow, than to stay on your homeschooling lesson plan schedule. That investment in your well-being will result in other days that are more productive and even-keeled.
Do you look ahead to the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas and say, “Hang on! It’s going to be a bumpy ride!”? We understand. And we believe that focusing on the basics, clarifying the essentials, and giving yourself tons of grace can make the ride a little smoother.
When considering the entire school year, having a paired-down three weeks is not going to set your children back a grade (or even half a grade). This is the time of year to wrap up and review concepts they have learned, encourage their reading accomplishments, and remember the reason for holiday celebrations.
If you’d like a school that supports intentional margin (having free time as a family), we’d love to share more about Learnwell North Georgia Hybrid School. You can join us on a tour or at our next Discover Learnwell preview night, or you can inquire about our Learnwell Navigator Program, which is a partnership with homeschooling families anywhere in the world.