How to Enjoy the Season and Homeschool

How to enjoy fall and homeschool? In spite of it all? Just a few, encouraging tips for you. Those I gathered and pondered while in the midst this week. Mostly just those common sense things I need to remind myself of. Yes, this fall there are wonderful trips you could take, field trips to make. But more importantly there are memories to build. And if you frame your days with nature pauses you won’t miss a leaf changing.

Pause.

Pause for simple glimpses. Joy moments. This view above? Through the dusty window, the golden of a fall afternoon. The light dancing on the trees as I washed the dishes from lunch two hours before.

Focus.

Focus on simple steps. Nothing grandiose. Looking out the window. Just step outside. Take school outside. The lone zinnia in the overgrown garden just might catch your eye.

The same applies for the season of homeschooling you are in. This sometimes cross-eyed mama? I paused and noticed the younger two collaborating on an extensive block castle. The chatter between them. Wish I could put the pause button on their growing. But even so, it’s a joy to notice new skills, longer sentences, and especially a six-year-old sitting still with a Junie B. Jones book in her hands. Then there was the paper pile left behind by Middle Girl. A presidential journal all fixed up with George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Rest.

Sickness? My eldest son did ‘couch school’ this week because he is still nursing a sinus infection. But with the prompts from the wonderful nature grid from Handbook of Nature Study, he could look out the window, count the trees he could see. This eighth grader could use the binoculars and look for birds. Even when he felt bad. He also caught up on a whole lot of reading.

Eat.

Make simple recipes in celebration of the season. Just two ingredients to muffins to please many on a cool morning. Talk about pumpkins and other fall growing things. (More simple recipes in Everyday Cooking – a giveaway for you!)

Work.

Pick up a shovel and dig til you find something. For just 15 minutes – tackle something that is hanging over your head. Those appointments you need to make. Freshen up a room. Toss some laundry. Throw supper in the crock pot. Work breaks make me feel productive. Even getting a little done is better than nothing.

Look up.

Just soak up some blue sky. Sunshine. Blue makes a beautiful backdrop for fall colors.

Look down.

There’s beauty even in brown.

Go on a walk.

Take a close-by, familiar path. It just may help you find your way.

Learn.

Our favorite resources this week? Driver’s Ed app for our high schooler. Elections unit study for all. Plus I went to the Savvy Blogging Summit. Talk about continuing education. But that’s a whole ‘nother post (anyone poke fun at you for saying whole ‘nother?)

A hodgepodge collage: 1. the colors of homeschool | 2. teddy bear counter math stories | 3. U.S. Constitution and You – a favorite from Election studies along with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | 4. Let the Christmas music fill the house!| 5. Children’s choir open house at church – Middle Girl’s choir | 6. Littlest Girl’s choir singing Footsteps of Jesus | 7. Lil’ Buddy’s choir doing motions to We’re Going on a Bear Hunt | 8. strawberry watermelon Gatorade and new meds to hit Eldest Boy’s sinus infection head on.

We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee. ~ Marian Wright Edleman

Many thanks to our Friday hostesses!

• Homeschool Mother’s Journal at iHomeschool Network
• Collage Friday hostess Mary at Home Grown Learners
• iPhone Photo Dump at Passport Academy
• Jamerrill at Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling
• Weekly Wrap-Up hostess Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
• No Fear Homeschool High School at The Daisy Head

Thanks for visiting! I invite you to subscribe to Hodgepodge (it’s free!) Don’t miss a homeschool post.

How are you enjoying this season – the fall season or this season of your homeschooling life? Click to leave a comment…

Save