A new calendar. A blank slate. Does yours pristinely shine from the side of your fridge or is your planner already buried beneath a stack of to-do’s?

I have to remember a calendar is a tool to manage our family life, not a beast to conquer by writing on each and every square. Busier is not better.

Hubby and I are bad about over-scheduling. Normally, one spouse in a couple is an introvert and keeps the family balance… that’s not how it is here. This year, we have a huge blessing helping us not overplan… we have a baby due Monday! {For those with over-planning tendencies, I highly recommend having a baby. Then life MUST slow down! LOL}

New year. Fresh start. What does that look like in your homeschool?

Since our family life is about to get all mixed up in the best way possible, I’m making intentional decisions to help make this school year successful. Maybe my “resolutions” will help you as you start a fresh school year!

5 New Years Resolutions

I resolve not to go back to business as usual. Christmas brought a break from school- this is the perfect time to mix things up! Was school too structured and workbooky in the fall? Incorporate hands-on fun or read aloud moments! If school didn’t take its place of importance and fun & field trips crowded out the one-on-one learning that also needs to happen, capitalize on these cold days and get down to business.

I will get caught up & I will stay caught up. Ish. I could say I “got behind in grading” in late November. That would be charitable. For our 6 students, I had over 100 items that needed grading at one point! Yikes! I learned my lesson- I need to plan time into our days to grade. Back when I just had 2 doing math, it was no big deal to grade 2x a week but that doesn’t work in our family during this season. Take stock of your family’s needs and set aside a realistic amount of time to stay on top of grading and lesson planning.When I first started using Homeschool Manager (our family biz – an awesome scheduling & record keeping app… don’t take my word for it! Try it free 30 days!) I assumed there would be no problems in keeping up now! At a glance, I could see when the kids were on task and when they needed my help. I didn’t take into account that the reason my grading basket was overflowing was because I didn’t plan well… or because the weather was so gorgeous that we just had to go to the park. Now I know to not only look at their “Overdue Tasks” but also at my “Needs Grading” before we dash out the door.

I will remember family time trumps all. Read alouds fell off the radar in the fall as doctors appointments and co-op plans took over our days. Now that I’ll be nursing a little one, I plan to gather my other kiddos around and take turns reading aloud during some of those priceless moments. We’ll be weaving a fabric of love, unity and togetherness that’s irreplaceable & lasts a lifetime!

I will not be sad over loss of “the good ole days”. Instead, I’ll make today count. I won’t lie- I miss the simple days of Five In A Row with my kiddos. We loved all the hands-on learning and the adventure each new book brought! Now that I have a high schooler and a middle schooler, there are many details that keep me from daily hands-on fun. BUT that does not mean our family can’t still make precious memories.

I resolve to love my children more than I love school. But I will also love them by loving school. Education is valuable- I will teach them the importance of knowledge alongside the importance of family and stewardship all under the umbrella of faith.
The New Year is a great time to reassess this year’s homeschooling goals and how your family will attain them. I wish you the best as you plan out your perfect year!