Take Courage this Christmas!

Christmas is only a week away. Your little students are bursting with energy. Your calendar is extra full. The plans you had to homeschool in December are pushed to the table corner, displaced by a hasty present-wrapping race. You may be tempted to fret,

“We haven’t gotten anything done!”

Let me encourage you to take a breath and lay aside your planner. This month is the perfect time to rest from homeschooling!

Twenty-seven years ago, I was a young teacher in a little mountain schoolroom full of first graders. As the holidays approached, my students’ energy ramped up. Along with the seasonal excitement, we had snow! Every recess took three times as long to put on and take off snow gear. I was hopelessly afraid that my students would never learn to read. We were “way behind” from every indication. Now special programs and a two-week vacation were sure to derail my desperate attempts to help these precious students.

On the final day of school, I wished the kids a Merry Christmas, wiped and vacuumed the remains of our party, and locked up my classroom for the holidays. 

“Oh well,” I thought, “They’ll probably forget everything I was teaching them,” and for two weeks I tried not to think about teaching.

In January, to my amazement, my students came back focused, ready to learn, and stronger readers than they had been in December. What happened?

Years later, I relearned this lesson every December. My own four homeschooled children needed a break mid-year. My temptation to push learning always backfired into frustration. If I set aside the planner and worked a little lifestyle learning into our days, the holidays became more relaxed, and my kids were ready to focus in January.

Planners and curriculums are great as long as they are tools, not bosses, for homeschool parents. Maybe you hoped to be midway and you’re only a quarter way into your learning materials. It’s ok. Really! As a homeschool consultant, I urge you to breathe a big sigh and relax into the holiday.

We all need breaks as learners. Rest helps us focus and function. All of the work you have poured into your young reader needs some time to take hold. 

For now, provide fun reading materials, interesting holiday activities, and joy for this season. Reflect on what has worked and what you want to change up. Then, in January, pick things back up. Your learners might just surprise you as my little first graders did me. January through March is the most productive time in many classrooms. Your best season might be right around the corner. 

Be encouraged. You have begun a good work! 

He who began a good work in your family will carry it on to completion… (Philippians 1:6).

Enjoy the season, and love your kids. This is learning in one of its finest forms. 

(If you feel like you need support with your homeschool goals, reach out to me in the new year! I provide consultations, evaluations, and tutoring. I am taking a break myself, so let’s connect in January. If you want to sign up for my newsletter, hop over to my contact page and let me know.)

About the author

Anna Gibson is a teacher and writer who is passionate about helping others wrestle hope and meaning out of their struggles. She shares her blog posts on faith, family and philosophy at hope wrestles.com and she will be publishing her first book, Karate Mama in the near future.

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