13 Ideas to Ensure YOUR Holiday Break DOES NOT Destroy YOUR Homeschooling Routine

With the holidays now upon us many homeschoolers are looking forward to the much needed break. Having victoriously reached the midway point of our schooling year we are ready to celebrate and put our ‘heavy burden’ of books away for a few weeks or a month!

Oh…but be so careful. Remember how hard you’ve worked to get a good routine in place. It is also at this time of the year when you are in the climax of your ‘homeschooling mojo.’ (mojo simply means, you stride, your happy place of routine and all things good).

Why be careful? Because there is nothing like a break…a holiday break to totally DESTROY your homeschooling routine. And if you don’t plan well the repercussions will be heartbreaking maybe even devastating when it’s time to return to the thick of your schooling day.

Listen to me well…. Take heed to these 13 Ideas to Ensure YOUR Holiday Break DOES NOT Destroy YOUR Homeschooling Routine and you will be a happy camper!

1. Allow only a few sleep-in days during the week. You know just as well as I do that if given the opportunity our teens will sleep ALL DAY LONG. And if your littles are sleepy-heads like your teens are you’ll have a house full of kiddoes enjoying those sleep-in days….every day of their holiday break. This will be the hardest ‘holiday’ habit to break. Keep an eye on this and not allow the ‘sleep-in’ days to go overboard. Keep a few schedule rise days. What shall they do you ask? Hahahaha!! (Dictator laugh). “Be creative.” I’m sure there are some home projects needed to get done.
2. Keep the learning happening on some level. Keep their brains engaged in some way. Because if you don’t they will forget how to write their names. Add. Subtract. Hold their pencil! Oh goodness! Remember any schoo0ling counts as one of the 180 required homeschooling days. (in SC anyways)
3. Don’t allow overdosing on electronics. If you are already a strict parent where this is concerned DON’T relent during the holiday break. You will find your kids somewhere in a corner in a comatose state if you do.
4. Keep to your strict chore schedule. This habit cannot change. If you let up on it while enjoying your holiday break you will be living in a pig-stye. And that’s not a fun way to enjoy the break. Make sure chores are done THEN they can enjoy their free time. Free time that’s not strictly electronic device focused. Just sayin’.
5. Make sure they are still reading. Give your older children required reading with an incentive. Give your littles reading requirements with a little incentive too. Don’t make the incentives a habit. This is special occasion. Reading keeps the brain working and engaged. 2^nd J
6. Don’t stop the library trips. Let them know you are still a homeschooling family that values the library. After all they need our ‘late fees’. Ha!
7. Plan exactly how long your holiday break will be. Already have the date in mind. If you don’t decide now your holiday break will keep going and keep going and keep going.
8. Keep some sense of a light schedule even though you are on break. Children appreciate order, routine and knowing ‘what’s next?’ If you totally take that from them during the break don’t be surprised if you have more discipline and attitude issues. Give them some since of normal expectations from day to day. After all, they are use to being in their home with a routine. To be in their house with ‘NO’ routine will drive them crazy by New Years.
9. Plan something fun for the start back date. Meet up with friends. Have a ‘back to school after the holiday’ party. Give them something exciting to look forward to on that pre-decided ‘D-Day’ for starting back school.
10. Have your lessons plans for the 2^nd semester in place before the holiday break so you don’t have to worry about it during your holiday break. Just trust me, you will be glad that you did that. At least have the first two weeks in place for when you return after the holiday break.
11. If TV is watched in your home make sure there is some learning entertainment that’s happening. And I mean….learning. Not learning about ‘zombies.’ Ha! Something educational. Documentary. History. Science. Something. Again…..keep the brain receptors sparking. (clearing my throat) Remember any schooling counts as one of the 180 required homeschooling days. (in SC anyways)
12. About four days BEFORE you are to get back to homeschooling began your normal routine. Normal bed time hour, normal get-up hour, setting alarm clocks again, etc. This is like ‘priming the well’ before full swing of jumping back into the routine.
13. During the holiday break keep in prayer the next leg of the homeschooling year. Let your children know that as a family you are asking the Lord to help you all to homeschool in a pleasing way to Him, beneficial for them and in an exemplary way for those around you that you know. Schooling well is just as important as living life well and with conviction. Asking the Lord for His help will certainly prove to be greatly beneficial.

(Be sure to share these words of encouragement with your fellow homeschooling friends, family adn those you hope will homeschool one day. It just may be the words they need to hear today.)

Serving You and Yours,

Angela Jordan Perry,

UCHU owner/director/administrator

Angela Jordan Perry, is a wife of 24 years, homeschooling Mom of eight children, entrepreneur, ma’dam farmer, Toastmaster and follower of Christ. Angela and her family makes their home in Campobello, SC.