It’s mid-winter again. Outside it’s gray, overcast, snowy and icy. The beauty of winter’s icy sparkle may now seem muted as feelings of isolation and boredom set in. The thrill of sledding has worn off and kids who, weeks ago, slid eagerly like penguins in the snow, need to be prodded to go out to get some fresh air. Longing for the warmth of the summer sun and the vitamin D it provides, some people fall prey to depression. When mid-winter chills our zeal, we become more aware of the need for people and connection. In the fall, academics command our energy and zeal, but with winter, fellowship, group activities and idea sharing can shine light on bleak days.
After the holiday season, a personal mission of mine is to recapture a sense of organization and do some revisionary work on our schedule. A new year means new beginnings. If you’ve let the order in your home slide through the fall, a week or two of cleaning and purging can shine light where piles previously persecuted you. Have the kids been helping enough? If not, revive hope by establishing a system with clear expectations and set consequences. A card file system works well for us. Take a fresh and prayerful look at what’s necessary, or lacking, in your academic schedule. Is there excess baggage or neglected areas in your learning day? Perhaps some re-purposing is in order there too. What do you really want to accomplish that you are not? Analyze progress in character and academics then create hope with a plan to implement change.
Fresh ideas can be like sunshine in the depth of winter. Get out a bowl and give those kids some squares of paper. Send them hunting for ideas. Is there a place or thing they’d love to know more about? Encyclopedias are full of unexplored topics. For a change of pace, a biography can serve as literature, narration and writing, history and geography. The internet is full of resources that can take you across the world to places, or to other teachers with ideas to share. Find a way to accomplish your goals that may be more fun that what you’re doing now. Whatever you choose, pick something that the whole bunch will find something of interest in.
After the cleaning and re-organizing is done, what next? There is no substitute for the fellowship of others. A few years ago we felt the darkness of winter isolation shading our enthusiasm. Is there a place you can schedule a weekly, or bi-weekly outing? Our church had a gym and fellowship hall that wasn’t used during the day. I reserved the space and advertised a day for homeschoolers to come for free play in the gym, board games and mom-time. It is now a popular place for regular friends to meet and new homeschoolers to connect, share ideas and find direction. It was easy and rewarding.
Friendship doesn’t have to involve something large or labor intensive, but finding others who are like minded to support you can change your homeschooling worldview. No matter how you feel, someone else has been there and can take your hand through the struggle. Online groups are helpful if you need a quick answer to a question, but keep looking locally until you find a group of families with similar age kids to share life with. The homeschool community is a wonderful blessing, but you won’t find it sitting inside your house waiting for it to show up. Find a large co-op and advertise a club or group that would interest your own children. Blessings await you when you do. Securing friendship for yourself and your kids alleviates the agony of loneliness. It is in giving that we receive the most. If you have a talent to share or a skill, offer a class in that. Swapping our talents is a fun way to give what we do well and receive what we don’t.
While reading the last four paragraphs, it is likely that winter has remained. Go do a snow check if you must. We still have 12 inches on the ground here in Indiana. My writing students would see getting to the last paragraph as the light at the end of the tunnel. In life, we often must find the light ourselves, taking steps in a direction we haven’t gone before. God multiplies the gifts we give; it is likely that a solution you create will be a solution for someone else at the same time. The choice to homeschool brings enduring rewards, but as we stand on the mountain of the present, low-lying clouds can block our view. Endure friend. The sun will shine again!
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”
