To school or not to school? That is the question.

Posted by Darcy | 0 comments

Summer is approaching. The leaves are finally green and our yard is sprouting vegetation. It’s so beautiful outside! And that means “summer vacation” will be here before you know it. Because we live in a climate that doesn’t make playing outside feasible year-round, it really means a lifestyle change with the seasons. And we really love the chance to be outside and enjoy nature and the outdoors.

The first three years of homeschooling we opted for a year-round schedule. We did this for many reasons; first being, my youngest was hospitalized often – forcing us to take unexpected breaks. Also, we liked having a week off here and there just to use when we needed it. At the time my kids were younger, and their academics were… well, not very academic. It was kind of fun to play school and they didn’t really get burned out like mom did. Keeping a schedule is so much easier for small children. Knowing what to expect just made the days tidier.

Fast forward. My little one has been hospital-free for over a year (Can I get an AMEN!? Amen!). My kids aren’t toddlers anymore. Third grade academics, while still not holding a candle to what I’m anticipating for junior high or high school, were meaty enough to render my oldest into a school-overloaded coma some days. School is… well, work. It’s not playtime like it used to be. And we all need a break.

So – I’m thinking of changing our schedule to allow us more of a summer break. We need it. I need it. But how much of a break?

Time has come to evaluate why we homeschool year round versus why we might take a more traditional summer break.

I have to evaluate what a summer free of academics would mean for our school year. Or really if we could do a summer free of academics. Here are my thoughts in the decision-making process:

• Little man is finally healthy. He needs time to be outside and just be a little boy.
• I worry about forgetting material we’ve learned. How much will we need to review to pull off a “summer vacation”?
• Will they really enjoy all that free time? What happens in a month when the “I’m bored” starts?
• How much harder will starting back up be after so much time to spend as they please?
• Is this going to cure their burn out? Will it cure mine?

So, I’d love to hear the decision making process you took to determine your schedule. Do you school or not during the summer? Why?

Darcy is the mom to three boys ages 8, 7, and 5 and blogs over at Life with My 3 Boybarians. She is the owner of a blog design business at www.graphicallydesigning.com. She and Handy Man live in Iowa…nowhere near a Starbucks.