It is hard to believe that the holidays are beginning. The warmth of summer memories still lingers, yet the temps are dropping outside. Homeschooling through the holidays can be a challenge. Excitement is building, schedules are more demanding, and priorities tend to shift making many a homeschool momma long for it all to be over.
For families who are new to homeschooling, in particular, if you have just left public education, this is an area where the freedom in homeschooling truly serves your family. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that your children will not be behind. These challenges and detours abound in every classroom.
With that said here are a few options for homeschooling through the holidays with less stress.
How can we make the most of the holiday season while maintaining the learning that needs to be accomplished? Let me first say, it is ok to slow down or take a break. It is also okay to adjust the schedule to accommodate the demands.
Take Time to Re-Focus
Take some time during the holiday season to refocus on what you have already covered. This could include
- Catching up on projects that have been on your wishlist, but you just haven’t had time to explore.
- Add in craft projects as a way to review what you have been studying.
Schedule a Holiday Unit Study
There are beautiful lessons to be learned in studying the origins of holiday traditions, how holidays are celebrated around the world, or diving deep into the study of the winter season. Books from a library trip are helpful to explore these topics. Creative writing projects open opportunities to delight in the imagination of the season.
One of our most memorable holiday unit studies for our family was reading through many of the American Girl Historic Doll Christmas books. These books served as a wonderful jumping-off point to baking projects, community service ideas, creative writing prompts, and more.
You can download a Holiday Homeschool Planning Page below to plan your unit study.
Make the Holidays A Family Affair
Engage your children in being a part of the holiday planning. Involving your children in the act of preparing and planning for the holidays can help everyone relax. Even the youngest of children can be helpful during this season.
Include your kids in the following tasks;
- Cleaning, doing dishes, or helping with laundry
- Helping with food prep
- Enlisting older children to help with younger children
It doesn’t take a lot more effort to involve the kids in the holiday activities. As moms, we may have to adjust our expectations of what the holidays look like, but adjusting our expectations is not a bad thing. Giving the kids responsibilities and input teaches them what it takes to run a family and work as a team.
Take Some Field Trips & Create Learning Moments
Many museums and community organizations host special holiday programs. These are wonderful learning opportunities. Dig into these opportunities and follow all of the rabbit trails. Begin by having your children do research on the places you will visit prior to your trip. Then have them journal their experience after the trip by using drawings and journal prompts. Take this opportunity to connect with other friends and family members inviting them to join you on your adventures.
Don’t Forget to Read
Finally, I’ve saved the best for last. To help de-stress your homeschooling during the holidays don’t forget to read. Scale back your daily routine to the essentials like math and writing, then spend generous amounts of time reading aloud.
I can’t stress the benefits of reading-a-loud to your children enough. Here are just a few.
Reading-a-loud
- Creates a strong parent-child bond
- Promotes a sense of well-being
- Builds a robust vocabulary
- Develops critical thinking skills
- Develops background knowledge
- Improves comprehension skills and information processing
Truly these are just a few of the benefits. There is a great deal of educational and relational benefits that just aren’t accomplished with such pleasure.
Many of our family holiday homeschool memories are centered around stories shared with a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of popcorn. I love to choose stories that take place in the same season we are experiencing. Books like The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson, Winter Holiday from the Swallows & Amazons Series by Arthur Ransome, and A Christmas Carole by Charles Dickens are a few our family has loved.
Our holiday routine became getting the essentials completed in the morning. Even if those essentials took just a bit longer than they should. Then, we would have lunch and complete chores. Finally, we flopped on the couches or the living room floor with play dough or drawing supplies for hands that needed activity.
We spent the better part of the afternoon immersing ourselves in the lives and places that we were reading about. The picture of Nancy Blackett with a pumpkin for a face from Measles made us laugh out loud. Our imaginations were sparked to dream of what it would be like to wander the streets of Paris during the Christmas holiday.
Take Joy in Homeschooling Through the Holidays
Homeschooling can be a joy through the holidays. Readjusting the school schedule is a part of the freedom homeschoolers enjoy. Remember, there is no shame in slowing down so that you can find joy in each day.
For more resources and ideas check out Read-A-Loud Revival’s Christmas Resources HERE.
DOWNLOAD the Holiday Homeschool Planner Pages by clicking the black buttons below.
