We’ve all been there. After the holiday excitement dies down, we are left with January. A cold, dark month when everyone is inside way more than they should be. And February isn’t really much better. The excitement of a new school year has long worn off and we are searching for motivation and inspiration for the months ahead. We don’t feel like doing much more than snuggling on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a good book. Maybe your kids are also feeling a bit weary and their lessons are getting more difficult. Or maybe they’re feeling bored and aren’t loving the material they’re learning. If any of this sounds familiar, this blog post is for you.
The “winter slump” is a real thing in homeschooling, and can be so hard to push through! We’ve been there, and thought we’d share some things that we’ve found to help get through the slump (or avoid it all together!).
What can YOU do to avoid the “winter slump”:
- Reorganize your homeschool books/ supplies
- Donate books and materials you are no longer using
- Throw out old lessons/ assignments you don’t need and won’t want to keep
- Rearrange furniture in your home and create a cozy nook for reading
- Revisit your “Homeschool Vision” or create a new one for the new year
- Find some new books to read
- Buy a new planner or create one
What you can do with your children to avoid the “winter slump”:
- Take weekly trips to the library to do lessons and take out books
- Go to a coffee shop for homeschool lessons
- Plan a winter hike
- Find a new audio book to enjoy together as a family
- Plan a field trip to a local museum with friends
- Buy some new board games or swap games with friends
- Put together a puzzle
- Bake something new together
- Mix up your daily rhythms (switch up the days you do certain subjects or the order of subjects each day)
- Add arts and crafts into your days
- Find new educational podcasts to listen to and YouTube channels to watch
- Ask your child to make a list of what they want to learn about and find Unit Studies and books from the library on that subject
- Have a dance party
- Build forts
The trick to avoiding the “winter slump” is to mix it up. Lean into the winter season. Give yourself and your family time and space to rest. Eat delicious soups. Bake bread and cookies. Play board games and read books together.
Also, let’s try to avoid calling it a “slump” and declare it a “season”… a season of slowing down, resting, and focusing on what matters most. Enjoy this season with your family as the busy Spring season will be here before we know it!
For more homeschooling tips, download our FREE guide, “The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling“
Happy Homeschooling!!
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