The new year is a great time to do an inventory check and get a read on what life’s been like for the last few months. It’s the perfect time to put to bed what isn’t working for your homeschoolers, and really pour into the things that are most important in your children’s education.

First Things First

If you want to start fresh, you need to finish well. As you look ahead to a new calendar year, this is a great way to take some time to review a few things.

This is the foundation, if you will.

 As you review your planner, consider how the year is going so far.

• Is everyone still engaged in the work? Have there been too many tears or tantrums as you pull out the bookwork?
• What books have captivated your children? What ones have you hated reading out loud?
• Have you participated in too many or not enough homeschool outings with children who help to shape your kids positively?
• Have you made enough use of your local resources?
• How are YOU feeling? Energized? Hopeful? Burnt-out?
• Have you threatened to send your kids to school more than once?
• Have you accomplished all that you should have by this point?

In homeschooling, there is no ahead or behind. There is only your own pace. There is really no point in homeschooling a certain way just because it is “the best” if every day you’re met with tears and resistance. There is no success if you’re recreating school at home and pushing forward despite all signs pointing to FAILURE. That’s why a mid-year review is so important.

Homeschool Resolutions

Now that you have a clear sense of where you’ve been and what’s been working for you and your family, you can confidently say, “Yes, we want to continue this way,” or “No, we need to change this up because the joy is gone,” it’s time to start your New Year’s Resolutions of homeschool.

• First, resolve not to push forward for the sake of pushing forward.
• Second, set a plan based on what worked best.
• Lastly, remind yourself why you chose to homeschool in the first place.

There are so many reasons to homeschool. Remember why you chose to do homeschool. Remind yourself of all the things that you love about this lifestyle. Hold onto the things that set you on fire for teaching your children, and dive in with a renewed passion for those things.

No matter your reason, no matter the schedule you choose to follow in the coming year, no matter the subjects you’ll teach, the field trips you’ll take, or the number of coffees you will have to consume to get you through those difficult days, remember this …

Homeschooling is worth doing, and anything worth doing is worth doing well.

*For more from Crystal, check out her M:M Expert Author Page. You can email her at: crystalniehoff@gmail.com