In my house, we’re officially done with the homeschool year. My son is very excited that he doesn’t have to do any academics at the moment. I won’t tell him that many of the things he’s doing on his own are also educational :). In fact, yesterday he asked me to get him a handwriting workbook because he wants to work on improving his handwriting.
Some families homeschool throughout the summer. Other families unschool, and the whole year looks like our summer, where the initiative for any learning activity comes from the children themselves. We don’t unschool – I insist that my kids do their math, writing, and other skill-based work during the school year. But summer vacation is a much needed break for both the kids and myself – no more reminding them and nagging them to do their work! We can just hang out, enjoy each other’s company, and go on fun trips that build fond memories.
As I’ve mentioned in the past (over and over again :)), the foundation of successful homeschooling is the relationship between the parents and the children. During the course of the school year, we at times get so busy that we lose sight of our relationships. Summer is a great time to reconnect.
They say that a relationship is like a bank account. A healthy bank account has enough money in it that occasional withdrawals don’t harm it. However, if the account doesn’t get enough deposits, it will eventually run dry. Same with relationships. A healthy relationship can handle occasional conflicts. However, in order for the relationship to stay healthy, we need to make frequent deposits of attention, affection, and uncoditional love. Summer is the perfect time to do that.
So take time to enjoy your children and let them know how much you appreciate having them in your life. Do something spontaneous and have fun! Let your children take initiative and lead the way. Recharge your own batteries and remind yourself why you’re homeschooling in the first place.
Have a great summer!
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