Is the stress getting to you? Are you struggling to get any homeschool lessons completed? It’s understandable for sure – those visions of sugar plums are dancing around in our kid’s little minds – nothing else has a chance! It’s a wonderful time of year – but it’s a lot! Chances are good that you’re busy with holiday festivities, crafts, baking, visiting, and more. If you are one who prefers to take an entire month off – or if you’re even considering it – read on for some great reasons to relax in December!
Summer is Too Hot
Depending on where you live, the summer months can be miserably hot. Compared to the summer, temperatures in December are usually much lower. In the southeast region, for instance, the temperatures break 100 in the summer but usually fall to the mid-70s or mid-80s in December. Kids and parents alike would much rather be outside in December than in the scorching heat of the summer. Instead of taking off from homeschool 2.5 months in the summer, take one of your “summer break” months off in December and go outside and enjoy yourself.
You Need A Homeschool Break
If you’ve been plugging away since August, you definitely need the break! That’s nearly four months of homeschooling, and you probably didn’t take any time off during those first four months. Cut yourself some slack and take a break! You deserve it and we’re sure the kids deserve it. Enjoy an extended break that will give you time to recuperate from everything you’ve endured for the past several months. Use the downtime to catch up on anything that fell through the cracks. You can also use this time to make curriculum changes if that’s the path your family is headed down.
December Marks the Midpoint
For those who started in August, December marks the midpoint of the homeschool year (assuming you’re doing school until May or June). What better time to take off than in between semesters. You may end up taking off mid-December until mid-January. That’s a full month right between semesters, giving you the chance to catch up or make any changes that need to be made. If you do school from August 15th to December 15th and then January 15th to June 15th, you’d still have about a week or so you could take off (taking random days here and there). You’d get a two-month summer break and could start August 15th for the following year. December truly is a great time for a break!
Whether you home school year-round or only do school August-June, December makes a great month to take off from homeschooling. Do you usually take off the entire month of December? If you’ve taken the whole month of December as a break from homeschooling, we want to hear from you! We want to know what your experience was like and how it worked for your family.
Jamie Gaddy
Jamie Gaddy, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D. has been a college education professor for over 17 years. Education has been a part of her life in both the classroom and as a principal. Six children later found her dissatisfied with traditional school and homeschool became the better fit. She is also a pastor’s wife, editor, and entrepreneur who now homeschools four of her six children in Georgia. Jamie loves to share about her homeschool experience to help other homeschoolers find success. Connect with her at [email protected].
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