That was the question this week. How to get back into a routine after a couple weeks of sickness. The answer? A hodgepodge.
A mixture of these: Lower expectations. Do just the basics. Then, fall back into your habits. Leave room for spontaneity.
Lower Expectations
I reminded myself it was ok. Really it was ok, to let the laundry go. At least it was all clean. We’d made it that far! And we got it mostly put away by Thursday afternoon – just in time for the weekend influx of new wash. (Six-year-old helped with the Home Blessing Hour.)
Just the Basics
We stuck to just the basics m’am the first couple days of this week. I did not expect a full schedule. Even from myself (and that’s hard, don’t you think?) Just the basics meant:
- Before 8:45 checklist
- Math
- English
Then we slowly added more subjects later in the week. We also turned to…
Helpful Habits
1. We kept up with our One More Thing After Lunch to fit in a little more learning. Just one of these each day this week (AiG we did two days): some Outdoor Hour Challenge time, Answers in Genesis Heat & Energy, Visual Latin, Harmony Fine Arts – Art and Composer Study and Tapestry of Grace studies.
2. We made sure we had Afternoon Quiet Time. Rest! Oh how important that was. (especially for me!). Afternoon quiet time is often how we squeeze in a little more reading or a few learning apps like Scout’s ABC Garden by Leap Frog or…
…Apologia Biology Flash Cards.
3. Jurisdictions – so it’s not all on Mama. When we had to pick up and clean up and get other things done, we did it for just 15 minutes then took a break for 15 minutes.
4. (All our Helpful Habits here. Those we’ve build upon, added to and tweaked over the last dozen or so years.)
Leave Room for Spontaneity
Tuesday afternoon, our neighbor, the science teacher, surprised us with some dry ice leftover from her experiments that day. We held our own experiments in the backyard! Can you see how happy that 7th grade boy is? Six-year-old had some fun too.
By Thursday, we were feeling much better. We pulled out the tempura paints. And just painted whatever. No agenda. Just had fun. In shifts – four-year-old first, then the younger two girls, then the oldest two joined in.
That was our week. Maybe by next week we will be back to the full, regular schedule. Just in time for time change!
**For you, friends! You might enjoy all the Spring and Easter Favorites we shared this week. Recipes, crafts, resources, pastel tutorials and more.
Thanks to our Friday hostesses: Camera Phone Friday hostess Dawn Camp @ My Home Sweet Home, Weekly Wrap-Up hostess Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Mary at Home Grown Learners and Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling.
How was your week?
I am glad you are slowly getting back into the swing of things….slow and steady.
You know I always learn so much from your blog, so thank you. 🙂
Your redbud is blooming! I haven’t checked mine (it’s little) but today our first iris opened, and our peach tree has been blooming for at least a week. Crazy.
Glad you’re all on the mend and returning to schedule.
And I – for the record – really hate daylight savings time!
Yes, the redbud is beautiful! ’bout to burst open those pink blossoms! I remember last year that your irises bloomed before ours. Must mean ours are not too far away either. Now…I don’t like the losing an hour part of time change but I dearly love the extra daylight in the evenings. Love, love it!
What wonderful tips for getting back into the hang of things.
Blessings,
Dawn
That was a jam packed week of easing in to it – love the pictures. How well do you like English from the Roots Up? I have had it on my maybe list for quite a while!
Mary we have really enjoyed English from the Roots Up. We do just a few a week around the lunch table. Good conversation starter. Great vocabulary builder. Highly endorse it!
How cool is it to have a science teacher live right next door? Great week! Visiting form WUHC.
Very cool!!! Like -109 degrees cool! 🙂 Plus loads of fun.
Sounds fun. We’ve had an off week shuffling the house around to make room for our extras, but I’m fired up to have them join us on our notebooking fun this week. Hubby brought me home a flat of Panseys today. 🙂 I love nature study!
GREAT suggestions! We all have those times when we get back into the swing of things after a break (for whatever reasons) and very often dipping in one toe at a time is MUCH easier for all of us!! Thanks for this wonderful post.
Angie – you are fabulous to take in more and yes – hooray for pansies and nature study! Kate – agreed – and I like your ‘dipping a toe in’ description. Thanks for stopping by.
That “Scout” app looks really fun…I might have to get that one for my three year old — he really loves all the leap frog videos he has watched!
Looks like a great week…so glad you are all feeling better. 🙂
Looks like a fun week. I have been very curious about English from the Roots Up. Glad to read your positive comments. We will look into it for next year. Thanks for sharing.
I’m popping over from the Homeschool Showcase. I love this post. It’s stuff I need to hear. As a first year homeschooler of my two boys (5th and 2nd grades), it is hard for me to set the agenda aside. Ever. Yet, I sense there are times that I should. Does it get easier to do???
Natalie – {hugs} I cannot promise you it will get easier. Because I can promise you that there will always be tough days. But, this homeschooling journey is so very rewarding. Maybe you are asking if it gets easier to set the agenda aside? I believe the longer you homeschool, the more you will know when you should give you and your children some time to get better after sickness, settle back into a routine after a break. With homeschooling we can accomplish a great deal of learning in a short amount of time. I hope that helps some?
Yes, I meant about setting the agenda aside :). I’m trusting God will give me wisdom on this journey. Thanks for your feedback!
OMGOSH…we’re getting over the flu and we did NOTHING for four days!!!!!!
We’re still recovering…but WAY better now!