Post-winter-break blues are no joke. Adults and children alike have a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Although every child is unique, there are some ways to cater to most kids and caretakers by keeping things fresh, expanding on what works, and staying positive after holiday breaks.
Homeschooling after the holidays can be daunting. Here are some tips to help kids and caretakers get back in the groove after holiday breaks.
Surprise Them!
Try to balance routine and novelty. Take this opportunity to tweak your child’s schedule and start anew. Ask your student what they loved and what they disliked about the curriculum, schedule, etc. before the holiday break began. Consider background music and more educational games.
Holiday breaks give us all time to process the larger picture. You all will have a different perspective than you did during the fall. Work more on what your student loved before the break and use methods that helped them thrive. Reduce those they felt were not engaging or fruitful.
Expand
Take what your learner loved and use it to enhance other subjects. Expand their knowledge via those subjects in unconventional combinations, like math and art. You are probably familiar with this process, but push yourself even further this year and each following year to enhance engagement. Find new associations to perfect your homeschool holiday curriculum.
Even More Choices
Give them more books to choose from. This will show them you care, provide more voluntary materials, and give your student more subjects from which to choose. More choices mean more clues for you about what piques your learner’s curiosity. This will help you both feel happy and motivated about homeschooling after the holiday break.
Smile
If your student sees that you’re not looking forward to homeschooling, it’ll prove contagious. They don’t want to be a burden on you, and if you have the winter blues, they might blame it on themselves. Keep a positive attitude so that when the next holiday break comes around, your learner has a good association.
Half Days
Don’t jump right into the deep end after your homeschool holidays! Consider some half days, pajama days, and less homework as you ease into the first month. Be kind to yourself and stay healthy, even if you’re stuck inside. Holiday breaks are meant to refresh us, but we all know transitions are challenging.
Streamline Home Tasks
Try to shorten the time you spend on the house and give more of that time back to homeschooling and much-needed breaks. Get yourself a vacuuming robot, use the crockpot more often, and ask your partner to chip in with a few more tasks. Download an app to gamify your chores!
Homeschooling Hope After Holiday Breaks
January brings gloomy weather (and less vitamin D). But after holiday breaks, there can be sunshine in your heart as you set off into this new adventurous semester, refreshed. Take some time to reminisce with your child about the fun you had, transforming it into an art project, memory board, song, or skit!
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