The November homeschool slump is real.
I remember feeling it in a big way when my children were both elementary ages. Now that I just have one high schooler at home I feel it through him.
(And because I am a highly sensitive person his feelings really rub off on me!)
Academics are starting to ramp up in his Classical Conversations Challenge I program, and we have had to scale back, take a night off from an activity, and be vigilant in general about not making “school” an idol. I’m thankful for the relationship homeschooling has fostered with my teen. We can talk about these things openly and honestly.
I am constantly reminding myself we cannot lose the wonder in high school!
Since my last update, I celebrated my 48th birthday!
We had a lovely weekend visiting Anna at college. The University Chorus she sings with put on a lovely (all Shakespeare inspired) concert. It was the PERFECT way to celebrate my birthday.
And, if I can please encourage you… all of that homeschool training, sacrifice, and hard work pays off. She is managing her time well, being discerning about her friendships, and adjusting nicely. She texts me each day and is sharing a lot of things that go on at college - so thankful for our close relationship!
I look at the lovely young adult she is and don’t regret a minute of homeschooling!
It’s always hard to say goodbye to her. The four of us have such a good time together, and when one is missing something just feels “off”. This stage of life is hard on a mama, but it is a natural stage and so gratifying to see your child building their own life.
Lots of good things to share with you this week - it was hard to narrow it down to just five.
Read aloud to your teens. It’s important.
We finished a book this week (The Grand Escape) about a prisoner of war breakout during WWI. This true story of prisoners who literally tunneled their way to freedom was AMAZING. We learned so much about rules of the Geneva Convention, future impacts on prisoners of war escaping, and WWI history. I’m sure girls would also like this book, but it was especially good for my boy.
Everyone Wants to Quit in November and February
I love this blog post for two reasons: One - it is written by my favorite blogger, Anne Bogel. Two - it offers practical strategies to get through those times of the year when homeschooling is just plain hard.
A Poem for November
Another thing I feel strongly about is the memorization of beautiful poems. This Clyde Watson poem is a favorite of mine - if you recited this everyone morning during Morning Time it could be a simple gift for your children.
Homeschooling Produces Better-Educated, More Tolerant Kids. Politicians Hate That.
While I am not a fan of the word “tolerant” - I did find this article interesting.
So government-run schools are academically inferior to homeschooling, riddled with crime and abuse, and producing graduates less tolerant than their counterparts who were educated at home. But rather than fix their pet institutions, politicians prefer to grab for power over people fleeing from their grasp.
Ummm… no. Not that homeschoolers have the time or inclination, but they have more standing to claim the right to oversee the floundering public schools. Instead of seeking to crush the competition, public officials should learn from it.
Fun Ideas For Homeschooling at Christmas
We have such an opportunity to make learning fun and create wonderful memories with our children in these next several weeks before Christmas. I love this collection of ideas from Emily!
That’s it for this week, my friends.
Can you believe we’re a couple of weeks away from Thanksgiving, and then just a few more weeks after that until Christmas is upon us!
Did you have any good homeschool things this week?
Share them with me in the comments below!