We are rolling up on summer, and for the homeschool mom, that can bring a lot of unstructured time and "bonus" chaos with all the kid's summer activities, vacations, time with extended family, neighborhood children out of school (and potentially playing in your yard or house), later nights for the kids, and in general a sense of "WHOOSH" as the days fly by but the messes seem to multiply.
The homeschooling academic year feels like a lot, and that's because it is a lot. A lot of focus, a lot of planning and preparation, a lot of educational work, and maybe even a lot of structure. But the summer months, especially if you don't homeschool year-round, can feel so unstructured that the hectic pace of the school year seems chill compared to the chaotic pace of summer.
As a mom who raised five kids in a not-so-big house, homeschooling them for 25 years, I can honestly say that I learned a few things about the chaos of the summer months.
One of the most valuable things I learned is that my home did not need to be "perfect" in order to be peaceful. And I'm going to share about that in this post.
I'm an introvert. But my kids? Most of them are very extroverted. People-y people, my children are. And if I was going to allow them to be who God made them to be, I had to find a way to be okay with lots of "people-ing" during the summer months.
My husband would spray paint kickball bases on our cul-de-sac, and the neighborhood kiddos would come over and play for hours. The basketball goal got a lot of use. Even the VHS recorder was put to the test when they filmed their own version of The Wizard of Oz.
Bikes and scooters and longboards were ridden night and day.
And our vintage Pepsi machine? My husband kept it stocked from early spring til early fall. He even supplied the quarters so all the neighborhood children could get a cold pop or a bottle of water whenever they wanted.
None of those things kept my home in a peaceful state, per se. But none of those things hurt, either, so long as I set a few boundaries and those were maintained.
We did not have kids in and out, in and out, in and out of the house all day long. Our own children were in and out throughout the day, and that is exactly as it should be. Our house was their home, and unlike Gen X kids, they were not sent outside in the morning and unwelcomed back inside until dusk. They were in and out a zillion times a day. But I actually like my kids - a lot. And having them in and out and chatting with me about all the things was always a very good thing. Plus, I kept a close eye on them. I didn't trust the world as a whole back then, and I still don't now. They were not left to their own devices. Just wanted to clarify that!
But the entire neighborhood was not in and out of our house all day long. And just because my kids loved socializing did not mean I had to try and force myself to love it, too. I didn't expect myself to converse for hours on end with our neighbors. That is exhausting for me and would have robbed me of my peace. And when mom has no peace, the home is not a peaceful abode. We all know it's true, so I may as well state it frankly and honestly. I encourage you to determine if there is something that you are forcing yourself to do that is so against the grain of your own personal make up that it is stealing your peace. If possible, stop doing that peace-robbing thing. And if you can't stop doing it altogether, aim to limit how often and how much of that thing you do.
Dinner time was not negotiable. We ate together, at the kitchen table. And when there were sports classes or events, we did our very best to eat together in spite of evening things that often were on the calendar. We were flexible about the exact time we ate dinner as a family, but rigid about guarding that time for our family. Our children often went back outside in the evenings to play a bit more when the daytime heat lessened, and often I would sit outside in a lawn chair and read while they played. It was a good way to end the day. And my grandmother always said that fresh air helps children to sleep better. I am pretty sure she was right.
I made sure to do a house reset each evening, too. Because waking up to a sink full of dishes or a kitchen table strewn with odds and ends is not the way I choose to start my day. I would rather do 20 or 30 minutes of cleaning and tidying than begin my day feeling stressed and overwhelmed. My peace is worth an awful lot. So I made good use of a few routines that helped guard that peace as much as possible.
Meal prep and planning, including having a plan for the myriad of snacks my kids consumed each day, also helped maintain a peaceful home. Having the kids do their daily chores early in the day so that there was no nagging or frustration in the evening was also a big help. And ending the day by reading rather than watching tv or having screen time was important, too.
I didn't have a large home, a perfectly decorated home, or a Pinterest-perfect kitchen. But I did have a peaceful home, a joyful family life, and routines that worked well for our homeschool family.
Share your tips for keeping a peaceful home in the comments! I'd love to know how you keep the peace!
Happy Homeschooling! And Happy Spring!
Grab my book "A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents" on Amazon (affiliate link, earns commissions)
Comments
Post a Comment