www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Be;sure;to;encourage;your;children;to
have;input;when;making;any;decisions
regarding;new;directions;for;your;home-
schooling;path.;Don’t;leave;them;to;try;to
figure;out;“what’s;Mom;up;to;this;time?”
While;thinking;through;any;possible
changes;for;the;second;semester,;be;sure
to;include;yourself;in;the;equation.;Win-
ter;is;a;great;time;to;find;a;new;direction
for;you,;as;well.;Maybe;you;could;join;a
Jazzercise;class;or;start;a;book;club;or
have;a;Mom’s;Night;Out;with;your;lo-
cal;support;group.;If;you;really;can’t;find
a;way;to;get;out;of;the;house;once;in;a
while;by;yourself,;maybe;you;could;get;a
“Piano;for;Adult;Beginners”;book;and;fi-
nally;learn;to;play!;I;did;most;of;my;prac-
ticing;with;a;toddler;sitting;next;to;me
on;the;bench;when;my;kids;were;little.
Maybe;you;could;find;a;teenaged;home-
schooler;who;could;come;in;and;help
you;two;mornings;a;week;so;you;could
find;the;time;to;write;that;blog;you’ve
wanted to create! Whatever your own
needs;are,;you;have;to;find;a;way;to;meet
them, because you can’t be that great
homeschooling;mom;you;want;to;be;if
you;don’t;make;a;little;time;for;yourself
somewhere;along;the;way.
I’ve;often;been;asked;to;do;workshops
in;the;months;of;January;and;February,
when;moms;find;themselves;in;this;sea-son;of;doldrums.;One;of;the;best;ones
I’ve;experienced;was;a;“Mom’s;Mid-Win-ter;Tea,”;put;on;by;a;group;that;felt;the
need;for;some;rejuvenation.;The;moms
brought their own tea cups; the high
school girls made some baked good-ies;;the;middle-school;girls;served,;and
a guest speaker (me!) was brought in
to provide some mid-year motivation.
Maybe your homeschool group could
put;together;a;similar;event,;or;possibly;a
moms’;retreat;at;this;time;of;year,;so;you
can;spend;a;little;time;with;some;other
mothers,;getting;some;new;ideas;and;just
enjoying;a;little;bit;of;adult;conversation.
If;not,;maybe;you;could;get;a;couple;of
other;families;together;and;go;spend;a
weekend;at;a;hotel;with;an;indoor;pool
so;the;kids;can;have;fun;playing;while
you;and;the;other;moms;sit;and;at;least
chat;for;a;bit!
This;is;also;the;time;of;year;for;“New
Year’s;Resolutions.”;I’ve;never;really;be-lieved;in;them.;They;always;seem;to;be
an;exercise;in;thinking;through;how;to
attack;things;without;ever;really;taking
the;necessary;action.;How;many;times
can;you;say,;“I;will;lose;ten;pounds;”;“I
will;be;more;organized,”;or;I;will;try;to
be;patient;and;enjoy;my;children;more?”
Without sufficient follow-up, all such
resolutions do is make you more de-pressed;when;they;don’t;magically;lead
to;a;better;life.
Instead of “resolutions” this year,
set;some;concrete;goals;with;a;plan;for
achieving;them.;Make;them;reasonable,
so;you;have;a;good;chance;of;actually
reaching them, and attach some dates
so you can determine whether or not
you have followed through. Start with
planning;a;winterim;project;and;giving
yourself;some;time;off;from;your;regu-lar;schoolwork;so;you;can;think;through
what;sorts;of;changes;need;to;be;made.
Winterim;projects;can;be;almost;any-
thing:;a;physical;project;in;the;workshop,
Wherever you live, I hope you also
continue;to;spend;time;in;the;outdoors
during;these;winter;months.;I;know;per-
sonally;one;of;the;keys;to;getting;through
“Jebruary”;without;sinking;into;depres-
sion;is;to;continue;my;practice;of;tak-
ing;walks;in;the;woods,;no;matter;how
many;layers;of;clothing;I;have;to;put;on.
It;is;harder,;of;course,;when;you;have;to
put;on;many;pairs;of;mittens;and;boots
and;take;them;off;again,;and;clean;up;the
drips;and;warm;up;the;little;hands,;but;it
is;a;sure;cure;for;the;listlessness;and;dol-
drums;of;the;winter;months!
Mary Hood, Ph.D., and her husband,
Roy, homeschooled their five children
since the early 1980s. All have successfully made the transition to adulthood.
Mary has a Ph.D. in education and is
the director of ARCHERS for the Lord,
Inc. (The Association of Relaxed Christian Home Educators). She is the author
of The;Relaxed;Home;School,
The;Joy-ful Home Schooler, and other books,
and is available for speaking engagements. Contact her via her website, www
. archersforthelord.org.
Instead;of
“resolutions”;this;year,
set;some;concrete
goals;with;a;plan;for
achieving;them.
