I read an interview with Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) in the Costco Magazine a while back. The point that stuck with me was that Mr. Adams says he struggles to remember what topics he's already covered in his strip.
Now, he's been doing Dilbert for 20 years. But as I come up on another year of blogging, I can relate to his struggle ...and I haven't been doing this nearly as long. I'm struck again and again with the thought, "Have I blogged about this already?"
Repetition is fine, sure. But I don't want to bore anyone by repeating myself. If I'm going to say the same thing again and again, it needs to be with purpose, reason and intentionality. I mean, it's okay to repeat an idea... but not if it drives readers away. Yet, I realize that people stumble across this blog from time to time, and I don't want them to miss anything, which is one reason why I repeat myself. But that means I'm being repetitive. And repetition is fine, sure. But I don't want to bore anyone...
<cough>
You get the picture.
Of course, you're not sitting in a cube like me or Dilbert. You're spending your days homeschooling. You're reading incredible books. You're doing fun science experiments. You're relearning math. You're experiencing the joy of life-long learning. So everything is new every day, yes?
No?
Even with all the wonderful books you're reading with your students, life can become a grind. Even homeschooling can feel repetitive. Holiday breaks can be great, but they can also emphasize your routine as well. And that can be disheartening.
So mix it up a bit.
The girls loved listening to "grandpa" and "grandma" read to them while we visited over Christmas. And they're not the only ones. Even college graduates still find joy in Sonlight's Read-Alouds.
If you're looking for something new and different in the coming year--or just feeling "the grind"--then perhaps ask someone else to do a little reading.
It may just make your day and bring a fresh perspective to your homeschooling journey.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father
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