There's a moment in Apollo 13 where we discover that the team has to manually maneuver the ship for reentry. To make matters worse, the margin of error is equivalent to the width of a piece of paper if the earth was the size of a basketball. If they don't do it just right, they'll either burn up in the atmosphere or skip off it into the frozen emptiness of space.
Reentry into the daily grind of homeschooling can feel similarly daunting. Especially with Christmas break. Here we've had a nice long time of celebrating with friends and family, and now there are no more holidays on the horizon. The coming months can seem overwhelming. And the sugar-induced haze isn't helping anything.
What can you do to start this year off right?
1. Remember the things you do which bring you joy. Think back to the things that you were really enjoying prior to the break. Was it one of the amazing books you were reading together? Was it some skill your child just started to master? Did you discover some new topic that really excites you? Keep those victories and delights in mind as you get back into the swing of things. If you need a little inspiration, check out a few of the Sonlight Moments like this one.
2. Look over your priorities and goals again. This is the season for making plans and resolutions for the coming year. But before you do that, it's a good idea to review your goals for your homeschool. Your resolutions and plans for the coming year will become clearer as you consider the progress you've made and the things you need to emphasize more.
If you've seen Apollo 13--spoiler alert--you know the team makes splashdown safely. There's a reminder in that as well: You can do this. While you may feel like you're burning out or bouncing off into nothingness, you can make it.
What do you do when facing reentry into homeschooling?
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
Great suggestions and ideas, Reader. Thanks for sharing!
~Luke
I take it slowly. I start us back with either a few subjects only, or a short week, or mini-lessons, or something of that nature. Bite-sized reentry. I also try to add in something fun after any long break, so that there's something good about coming back. Could be as simple as a new school supply (for instance, bought my oldest his own calculator this year...), could be a Back to School breakfast treat, whatever. Just something to say, yes, we're getting back to the daily grind, but let's take the grind out of it, shall we?
After a week or so, the kids realize that having order and a schedule again is actually a good thing, and the rest of the year goes smoothly.