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Tapping into their 25+ years of homeschool experience, Paola and Maureen share their top tips to end the year strong and do so simply!
Top Tips:
1. Love Always Wins. The source of Love is in the person of Jesus. Just as we are experiencing now, I could not always get to daily Mass or Adoration when my children were little, so I made a spiritual communion, a desire in my heart to be one with Him. Vinny Flynn in his book 7 Secrets of the Eucharist , in his last chapter, talks so beautifully about this tremendous gift, spiritual communion, Jesus is always available.
2. Write down all the things you think you need to finish by the end of the year, give yourself 15 minutes to brainstorm and put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Then chose only 3 TOP things you think you can reasonably CAN do! These should be lined up with the one area of growth you want to see with your kids (one of my keys for curing mommy overwhelm – see handout below). Let go of the rest!
3. Get on the NO train. Say no to more stuff. Guilt plays into our unrealistic expectations of the end of year celebrations, school work, household, activities. Pare it down. Might be tempted to add in more new stuff because we are all experiencing the stress of the pandemic. If you add one thing to your schedule, take one away!!!
4. Celebrate the wins. You are amazing and serve your family with your whole heart and soul. Please remember that!!
There is no doubt that even though you may feel your homeschooling came up short, there is without a doubt some wins! Did one of your kids learn to read? Was there a sacrament received by one of your children this year? Did you learn more about one of your children’s interests/strengths?
Celebrate the good stuff that happened this year. There is sooooo much more to homeschooling than accomplishing the academic achievements. It truly is about forming the people in our care in an environment of love and truth. That is something to really celebrate!
***A tip I got from a fellow homeschooler: she suggested involving the kids, one on one to see what they thought were the wins, what they wished they had gotten done, what they want to do for the next semester. It is a good time to LISTEN and reflect, perfect for Advent.
Maureen Wittmann
Catholic Mother and Editor
Maureen Wittmann is a wife, mother of seven children, and grandmother of four. She is an editor, author, and co-founder/director of Homeschool Connections and the Catholic Homeschool Conference. She is grateful for all the homeschool parents who helped her over the years and works to give back to the community.
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