How to Get Back into the Swing of Homeschooling

Re-entry into homeschooling can be tough; it doesn't matter if it's Christmas break or Summer vacation. Don't believe me? Here's just one recent account. So how do you get back into the swing of homeschooling?

You don't do it like me.

I'm not currently homeschooling, but I did just start working out again. A friend convinced me to lift weights and swim with him three times a week. Swimming I can do. Weight lifting? Not my thing. Anyway, I set all the weight machines to "wimpy mode" and did fine. But then came time for sit-ups. I had a chiseled stomach once, back when I was a nationally ranked swimmer, but no more. So I quickly found myself unable to even lift my back off the inclined bench.

"You did what!?!" Another friend was furious when she heard what we had attempted to do. "Don't you know you're supposed to stretch and warm-up your abs before you begin? Don't you know you're not supposed to try to add weight right away? Don't you know you're supposed to start with normal crunches first?"

If I didn't before, I do now. Here it is, four days later, and it still hurts to sit up straight.

In Pain

It's easy to be excited about jumping back into something. We can also feel a pressure to immediately get back up to speed. But you don't have to. In fact, gentle easing back into a routine is better. Much like your body after not working out for <cough> seven years needs some time to build back up, it could be your family needs a little time to get back into the flow of homeschooling.

How do you ease back into homeschooling with Sonlight?

• Just do the fun stuff. If you need an enjoyable way to start homeschooling again, take a few days to just read a bit. The books in your Sonlight Core are so much fun they don't feel like school!
• Do half days or a partial week. My local schools--and even my university--do this. Start your week on a Wednesday. Or only do school half the day for the first week.
• Celebrate. People often throw parties when school ends. Let's turn that around. Learning is a blast! And there's something special about starting up again. So make some cookies or paper airplanes. Do something that signifies your joy in this new year.
• Remember: This is not a race. Learning is a life-long adventure full of joy and challenges. You can't do it all today, so give yourself some grace and keep your end goals in mind.

I was overzealous in my efforts to get fit again, and now I am suffering for it. Don't make the same mistake in your homeschool. Enjoy the process! It's okay to start easy. Soon enough you'll need to push through and challenge yourself. Don't wear yourself out before you get to that point.

Have you ever pushed yourself too hard at the beginning in sports or homeschooling?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester