A Clean Slate

There is just something about January that makes me want to start all things new.  Maybe it is tied to New Years resolutions, or just looking at a fresh calendar and all that white space just begging to be filled, but nothing is safe in our house come January- including my well thought out homeschool plan hatched last August!

You know, the one you spend hours on.  Pouring over calendars, reading reviews, talking to other homeschool moms.  And if you are one of the brave ones, you even put your plan in ink in a fancy planner, or worse, online for all to see! ;)

But, well, it is January, and things look a bit differently now.  Is it just me?

Some of those books are just too boring,  Some of those workbooks are just too hard.  And who knew that your child was a visual learner rather than an auditory learner, right?

Thankfully for homeschool moms everywhere January is Clean Slate month.

Ok, I made that up, but you CAN start with a clean slate!  Here's why.

No where does it say you cannot start fresh, no matter what month.  It is one of the glories of homeschooling.  You pick what you want to use and you pick to choose to change when said choice is no longer working.

YOU know your child best!  So if you know they are miserable doing XYZ program, you can change  Now!

There is a wealth of curriculum out there.  Each year more and more amazing educational-aimed companies are producing even more amazing educational products.  There is so much to choose from that there is no reason to use something you do not like.

Kids' interests change.  Hey, mine do too sometimes. And that is ok.  If doing a unit study was great one semester, then a more traditional approach may be better the second semester.  You are free to choose something new.

After almost 17 years of homeschooling I have found that by just changing things up a bit renews our passion for school.  Starting with a different subject each day, even letting the child choose a new subject to study, or just a bright new notebook and some stickers for your younger kids can jump start your new semester.  Let's face it, January can be difficult for everyone.  The holidays are over, the days a short, and fatigue has set in.  For both kids and parents!

If you are a fellow homeschooler I would encourage you to take a minute to re-evaluate your curriculum as you begin the new semester.  See what is working and change what is not.  Add some spark to your day by making school fun.  After all we are not trying just do school at home.  We are trying to make learning come alive!  Engage your kids. Have some fun and see what happens.

But you know what?  Even if you are not a homeschooling family, January is still a good time to reinvent the wheel.  Maybe not whole wheel, but at least the parts that are not working for your family.  Schedules a mess?  Dinner time?  Chores?  Sometimes all it takes is a clean slate to get things back in shape.

May today be the day you start with a clean slate!

Blessings.