Tuesday 1 May 2012

Thoughts on not being overwhelmed with volume

Last term was good, in many ways, but by the end I was so tired. Probably inevitable but partly avoidable. These are some thoughts, not just from last term, about not overdoing it-partly as a reminder to myself. Please feel free to add to them.

  1. Staying up extra late doesn't usually help. It might be good to clean after midnight but it might be better to be cheerful the next morning than have a clean floor.
  2. Having decided on a curriculum, hopefully after plenty of thought, discussion and prayer, it isn't worth thinking that X's child seems to be doing so well on another and start worrying. Easy to do for those of us prone to self-doubt.
  3. Trips are good and useful but random trips unrelated to current work haven't always been a sensible use of time, for us. It is particularly helpful to tie in books for smaller children-this has worked really well for us this year. We are planning to do the same historical period, at different levels for our little ones and Middle Son next year-this should particularly help with trips. We try not to travel too far as this takes time and energy but for an important and relevant trip this can be worth ignoring. One day, I would love to walk Hadrian's Wall to go with Roman history and a dose of Rosemary Sutcliffe.
  4. Planning is good especially for difficult days-it means that the basics are done. It might not be the day when you do some exciting extra but English and maths, and probably rather more, get done. 
  5. Going outside is good.
  6. Having a pre-cooked meal in the freezer is even better.
  7. Remember the priorities-for Christian home educators why we home educate (the link is to our own reasoning but it is useful to have individual reasons written for later reference) and that loving our husbands and children are Biblical commands. Too easy to forget in the midst of the pressure of getting everything done.

No comments:

Post a Comment