Post Vacation School

We desperately needed a change in our school day.  I was frustrated, stressed and overwhelmed.  I felt like our days were always 5 steps behind and constantly putting out fires.  I disliked it very, very much.  I don't think the kids were happy either.

I had to get a grip on what our priorities were to be.  What were we, as a unique family of God, suppose to be doing.

My/our new school day looks like this:

5:30AM   My quiet time
6:30AM   Shower
7:30AM   Wake kids/chores/breakfast/Bible reading
8:15AM   Walk
8:30AM   School starts/catechism/habit/character training
9:30AM   Math/snack
10:30AM  Reading to LM
11:00AM  Reading to Boop
11:30AM  Reading to NG
12:00PM  Lunch/Poetry
1:00PM    Science/Language Arts
1:30PM    Family Quiet time/Devotions
2:00PM   Rest time/One on One time/Personal Reading time
2:30PM   Get ready to leave the house Mon, Wed, Thurs

I have had to give up many of my books and realize, if we are learning and meditating and focusing on God's word, seeking His Kingdom and striving to share His love with each other and others outside our home, then we have had a good day.  All of the books I have in my school room had become a burden and an idol of sorts.  I was motivated every day by what books we were reading and  how far we read in all of those wonderful books.  (Or by how far we were behind.)  Yet, that is not what I knew to be important.

No matter how much I try I will never, ever be able to teach my kids everything!  (I am a slow learner.)  After much prayer and thought, my main focus needs to be encouraging each child to grow their relationship with Christ and instilling in them a desire to learn.  They can not learn everything either but they can become lifetime students.  Never wanting to stop to growing in Christ and learning on their own.

We have finished week two and we have done pretty well.  The first day back to school, after having more than a month off, the kids informed me, voluntarily that they liked school!  It is a work in progress and I reserve the right to change my strategy again.  But, we are good for now.  And I am not buying any more school books for a long time!

Less is truly more . . .