My 5 tips to getting homeschool kids back into school mode

WOW! What a summer. It seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye, and we didn't waste a second of it. Fairs, parks, picnics, horses, 4-H, pools, gardening, playing with neighbors, we did it all. But now it's time to start transitioning back into school mode. (Check out my homeschooling post from last year here) These are my tips to help get the school year started out as smoothly as possible.

1 - Take it slow. I used to think we should keep the same schedule as the school kids, I quickly figured out that it just wasn't necessary. Making the switch to school when not leaving the house is much different than actually going to a different location. Also, the weather is still nice so we will be enjoying that as much as possible. I also have a new student this year, my 5 year old girl will be starting kindergarten! Thankfully I learned a lot from the older kids and will be starting her out with a minimal amount of curriculum to begin with. She is a ‘young’ 5 year old, if you know what I mean, so her maturity level isn't quite ready for the full load. My big kids will be continuing with school books they started last year so there will be a short reintroduction phase. We plan to add in some more things (science, religion, etc.) as the weather gets colder.

2 - Expectations. Basically our school “orientation” is a week to two week long process. We have already started to go over all the expectations for the school year. Again, since we aren't physically changing locations, the transition can take a little longer. Obviously the kids are thrilled with their teacher assigned to them for the year so I'm sure this school year will be a breeze! A girl can dream… Trying to set us up for success is a big part of my planning for the year. When is a good time for chores? What time frame should they be getting their work done in? How often can they have snacks? So many questions to consider and constantly changing throughout the year. I'm finding as they get older a clear set of expectations is more and more important. When they know what is expected ahead of time, they can achieve their tasks with much more ease and less frustration. Hoping to work out the kinks on this one more and more as the year progresses.

3 - Curriculum. Over the very few years I have been homeschooling, I have evolved our approach multiple times. Letting go of the regular school schedule and mindset can be tough. I have found that for us we needed to switch things up and change how we view a school day. We have our core subjects that we view as important and then beyond that we take a more relaxed approach. I've asked the kids what they would like to learn this year. My oldest thinks a horse curriculum is the only option so I definitely have to help with some direction. Making it new, fun and exciting will make things so much easier to get into. If you are looking into homeschooling or have been, don't be afraid to change things up as many times as needed. Unfortunately I have a pile of unused curriculum that just wasn't right for us, but hopefully I can pass along to someone that will use it. Make it work for your family. Every kid learns differently and every family has a view of what they think is important. Make it work for you. If you or your kids are getting stressed, it may just be time to switch things up! Also having some fun and new activities (calling them school helps at my house) for the little ones that aren't quite in school yet can be super helpful.

4 - Enjoy. Learning to let go and enjoy is a constant battle for me. I love having my kids home and watching them learn and grow is the greatest joy in my life. But it sure can be hard to let go of the constant battle to get things done, like house work, cooking, getting school done.. Having three school agers this year and two littles will be quite the adventure! Finding the balance to be there for each of them is super important to me, I want to enjoy this phase of life instead of just getting through it. From a nine year old in 4th grade to a one year old, who is in to everything, will make the year very interesting! Make sure you also take care of yourself, easier said than done, but so important. It can be as simple as getting yourself a new mug, new shirt or a new organization tool, something that will make you feel good and get you in the right mood for the year! Remember, if you aren't enjoying your day to day, change it! I also like to get the kids something new for the first day of school, usually something like a fun notebook or pencil box, just a simple addition that gets them excited.

5 - The fun stuff. We have a growing community of homeschoolers in the area with plenty of fun stuff to do! There are field trips, park playdates, library activities and many other meetups we can join in on. We are also very blessed in that Kevin works from home and is sometimes able to escape his office during the week and we can go on a quick hunting trip as a family. The kids know that if they don't do well with their school work, then we can't get out and do the fun stuff! But it sure is helpful to have all that fun stuff to look forward to and helps add an extra incentive to getting work done in a timely fashion. My favorite part of homeschooling is the flexibility. I get to go on so many adventures with the kids and we have a lot of them planned this year.

Hopefully these tips can help you out a bit. I'm not saying they are perfect, but it's worth a try! Every year my own approach evolves, but I'm always optimistic that we can get a good routine in place for a more enjoyable school year.

Happy homeschooling!