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What to do when you don’t feel like starting the new school year? Yeah, we’re kinda there. We’ve had a solid 2.5-month summer, and our kids seem to be finding the wrong things to occupy their time (example: bugging each other!). So, even though it’s obvious that we need to start the new school year, the dream of an endless summer sits in the back of my mind, too.
I’m beyond thrilled to be partnering with Sonlight Curriculum for the 2018-2019 school year as a Sonlight Ambassador. After using Sonlight from the beginning of our children’s formal education (6 years & counting!) and loving it, Sonlight has provided me with HBL E, Science E, LA E (including optional supplements & handwriting), and an art elective, for our next school year. I look forward to sharing with you as we explore America’s history from the mid-1800s to present time. All opinions are 100% my own.
Maybe you’re thinking that I just need to get my act in gear for the new school year. What’s ironic, though, is that I’m actually more practically prepared to begin the new school year than ever before. All the curriculum and Instructor’s Guides are ready to go.
But, that’s not the only thing on my mind. I saw a letterboard meme the other day that went like this: “My mind is like my Internet browser…19 tabs open, 3 of them are frozen, and I have no idea where the music is coming from.” Wow, can I relate! Summer may be a break from school for many of us, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that life slows down.
So, what do you do when you need a break from summer break?!?!? In other words, how do you figure out what to do when you don’t feel like starting the new school year? Well, I’ve got some ideas for you (and for me!).
What To Do #1: Pray
Pray on your own. Ask your spouse (if applicable) and kids to pray. Ask a close friend to pray. Pray for the school year ahead, no matter what day it will begin. Prayer can help get your family in the right frame of mind for beginning the new school year. In our family, starting school brings clarity and order to our days that we didn’t necessarily have in summer. Oh, it’s nice to have a break from school, but our kids definitely look forward to a bit of routine and structure (even if they won’t admit it themselves). Prayer facilitates this shift back to our school schedule.
What To Do #2: Reassess
Still trying to figure out what to do when you don’t feel like starting the new school year?
Reassess your schedule. Maybe summer was full of swim lessons, day camps, and other summertime activities. Of course, new activities might take their place. No matter. Take some time to look at school and activities, and make a realistic schedule going forward. I, myself, have church activities that ramp up again in the fall, but I know that educating my kids is one of my top priorities, so we schedule accordingly. We need to remember why we’re homeschooling in the first place.
My goal is to start school on August 1 every year, so swim lessons and pool parties are still on the calendar for another month or so. We do this, though, so we can have a more flexible schedule throughout the year. We love to travel, and although Sonlight has gone worldschooling with us before, this start date allows for more freedom.
So, reassess. What works best for your family? What are your priorities? Reassess, and then, move forward in confidence. Finally…
What To Do #3: Look Forward to Sonlight Surprises
Sonlight Surprises? Yep! Sonlight calls them Sonlight Stories, but I often refer to ours as Sonlight Surprises. Without fail, each year we’ve used Sonlight (which is from the very beginning of our homeschooling), we’ve come across a new favorite book…a new “aha” moment…a new unforgettable conversation with our kids…a new understanding of God. These are our Sonlight Surprises!
Literally on the first day of school, we found our first Sonlight Surprise of the year. One Voice: The Story of William Wilberforce is not your ordinary book. It is called a “biography in verse.” The format of this book is so engaging that Older Daughter and I can’t wait to get back to it each day. It tells the story of how one man, William Wilberforce, bravely fought to end the slave trade in Great Britain. Although HBL E focuses on American history, Sonlight uses this book to help compare the ways that Britain and the U.S. ended slavery.
Wilberforce’s friendship with John Newton provides “Amazing Grace” a page in the book. Older Daughter asked me to sing the page, instead of just reading it (not sure how I wasn’t an emotional mess after that request!).
And this page brought full circle a conversation I had with Older Daughter just days prior about the concept of “for such a time as this!”
Older Daughter also secretly placed another surprise at my teaching spot on the first day of school.
Wow! What an encouragement that was (and is!)!
And I want to encourage you too! As you pray, reassess, and look forward to your own Sonlight surprises this school year, know that you are doing what God has called you to do. Enjoy each day, enjoy each moment, and enjoy learning right alongside your children.
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How do you re-energize for the new school year? Please share in the comments below!