Making the Most of the Holiday Season

Can you believe next week is Thanksgiving? If you homeschool this is the craziest time of the year as we struggle to balance holiday festivities and book work.

My advice is to chill out and make the most of it. Between Thanksgiving and News Years is a great time for a break from the books, if you need to, do math and choose a really good book to read together; but everything else can wait. There is so much freedom in homeschooling, so USE IT! I am not saying this is an official break from learning, but use this time to let the children learn and use some practical skills. It's still education, even if it is not coming from a book.

A Few Suggestions:

~Research and plan a Thanksgiving Feast – Our family is panning an outdoor feast with our friends.

~Research and act out a Thanksgiving drama.

~Learn or write songs or poems of Thanksgiving.

~Create centerpieces using salt dough or outdoor greenery.

~Design your own Christmas cards- great project for kids!

~Make Rag Quilts for family - Easy and inexpensive to make.

~Look over the Make It Give It series and find items to give for Christmas.

~Assign the kids new meals/desserts/cookies to learn how to make.

~Organize and prepare a meal for someone needy, check with your local shelters or Ronald McDonald House.

~Plan a Christmas Carol night.

~Spend a week of deep cleaning and de-cluttering! Call it Home Ec. if you need to label it for a subject.

~Make something to give to a shelter or nursing home, a lap blanket, crocheted slippers, shawls, etc… These can be made while you listen to books on CD or take turns reading aloud while you create with your hands.

Use the next few weeks to take a break from the books and focus on giving to others. Use this time to really celebrate and enjoy family and friends. It is more important to build happy memories that can teach, than it is to make sure you do everything by the book- the way the Government says you should. They are your children and it is your schedule…make the most of it! January- April is the best time to get a lot of book work in, the weather is yucky for most of us, and festivities are slow; so until then think outside the box and enjoy life!

Anybody else have ideas to share?

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Kathy

writer, video producer, wife and mother at Teaching Good Things

Titus 2:3 says that we are to be "...teachers of good things...". We believe that part of these good things are practical skills that we all need in every day life to care for our family and neighbors. One of our primary responsibilities as parents is equip our children with the skills and tools to one day be productive, well rounded adults. Children need to be exposed to many different areas of work. Not only should they know how to work, but they should want to work. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17