February Blahs
This is a tough time of year for school kids… and even homeschool kids! What to do when you’ve been at your lessons for months and months, mom STILL wants more school done, and you’ve been watching the snow fall gently to the ground in soft, fluffy clumps? You stage a revolt!
That is apparently the advice that has been given my little homeschool crowd. I can’t get hardly half an hour’s worth of work before I have to go hunt them out again… they keep slipping away… I think they’re trying to escape! The mountains of snow are calling to them, whispering to them to come out and bring a sled while the day is still clinging to light.
Homeschool in Canada is hard in the winter. It’s just too much fun to be playing outside… how can math, copywork or even sitting around listening to books compete? I’m seriously thinking that maybe next year should start in August and we should take February off instead of spreading vacation over the summer when no one wants to leave the coolness of the house to brave the blackflies and deerflies (double ouch!) to play outside. Maybe we should make the most of that time getting ahead in our lessons and then spend February getting to play outside in the snow all day! I haven’t decided yet… but it might save me a lot of hunting them down and draggin’ them back.
Or, maybe next year I’ll plan a “fun unit” break - I’ll have a planned break from “regularly scheduled homeschool” to stop and do something winter related… maybe I’ll finally tackle some of the awesome winter lapbooks from Hands of a Child (www.handsofachild.com) like Sled Dogs or Snow or even their unit on Polar Habitats (we’re in one, right?) - or better yet, get Dad involved and do a unit on Hockey! We can sled, trek, build snowmen, or snow forts… and drink lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Maybe I can do both!
Sounds like a plan to me!
(and now I’m off to hunt them down again… and maybe just for today I’ll get them all bundled up and playing outside while the weather is nice)
Have a fluffy snow day!