Shirley here. As we approach the last quarter of 2023, I have been reflecting on our homeschooling year. I plan to tie up some loose ends so that we can finish most of what we started this year. How about you?
It’s not all rosy here though! We are in the midst of a major disruption at present – packing up to move house. As soon as we knew the move was definite, I just didn’t have the capacity to focus on schooling. With everything else that needs to be done, my children are getting an extended holiday from academics.
The last few weeks of the school year will be spent finishing off “the essentials”, our core subjects. In two other subjects, my children have not made as much progress as I’d hoped, but to our credit, we read aloud some extra (unplanned) books this year, about entrepreneurship and character training, which were incredibly thought-provoking and generated good conversations about real life. I am so glad about that! (They were Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Do Hard Things by Brett and Alex Harris)
Once we settle in our new home and get back to “normal”, we’ll do as much as we can and then pick up those subjects that we are unlikely to finish this year, with renewed vigour next year. There is no deadline to finish each course!
Why am I sharing this nitty-gritty stuff?
To show you that having loose ends and unfinished business is normal. The disruptions that prevent us from executing all our plans for the year are part of life. These challenges and experiences teach our children other valuable lessons that we wouldn’t find in a textbook, so instead of feeling bad, you can give yourself some grace.
We are the masters of our family’s education. We can be flexible when we need to be and knuckle down and work hard when necessary. We don’t have to stress about dancing to the tune of a curriculum service provider or panic about our children being penalised because they didn’t get through the prescribed content in the prescribed time. We also don’t have to berate ourselves if our plans change.
They say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, but if the plan isn’t working, change the plan!
(That’s from our article about sensible Homeschool Daily Schedules)
What will you leave till next year and what unfinished business will you focus on in the next few weeks, so that you, too, can finish strong?