Blessings (and adventure!) in the Unexpected

We are knee deep in planning mode here, not only for the first day of school, but for all the other special events of the school year as well. But the first day of school is something we especially look forward to and planning is part of the fun. This morning, my oldest and I spent a little bit of time wandering the aisles of Target shopping for the essentials…you know, glittery folders, colorful sticky notes and lots of glue, pencils, crayons and markers. When I was a kid, back-to-school shopping always included a new “first day outfit” and I would be remiss if I didn’t do the same for my kids. So, everyone gets a new pair of pajama pants along with a (just for fun) reading book in their back-to-school gift bag. We try and make the first day of school special for the kids each year in one way or another. We will make a big celebratory breakfast, go get donuts, or something else along those lines. Usually it’s something at the house, but one year we spent the first day of school at a (very empty) water park! That’s one they still talk about! I think I remember saying more than a few times that day, “You know I NEVER got to spend the first day of school at a water park when I was in school!”. Creating these memories for my kids is important to me, I want them to look back on these years spent as a homeschooling family with fondness & joy.

If you are choosing to homeschool this year for reasons you never could have expected, you (and your kids) may be having a hard time with the fact that they won’t be able to participate in many of the same experiences that they typically would have looked forward to in a school year, including the exciting first day of school. Several moms that I have talked to recently are really struggling with the fact that their son/daughter has waited until THIS YEAR to be able to go on a very special class field trip or serve in a grade specific position in student council or whatever the case may be and they will be missing out on this big event. Whether these milestones are going to be missed simply because of the “new normal” or because they won’t be returning to the traditional classroom, my heart hurts for these kiddos and this disappointment & loss is nothing to minimize. Even though I can’t give you equivalent experiences because so many of these things just can’t be replicated in the homeschool setting (obviously a trip to the museum won’t make up for a class trip to Washington DC), what I can share is some of the things that we do that make our school year memorable and help make each child to feel special and honored at different times.

As I said, we try to make the first day extra special. I know of lots of homeschool families that have “not-back-to-school” parties on the day the public schools begin their school year. This year will probably see less parties, but some sort of fun activity might be a good way to kick off this year of homeschooling. Our family typically starts school quite a bit earlier than the public school so I do make kind of a production of our first day because in all honesty, what kid wants to start school when no one else around them is? They do realize, though, that the reward for starting early comes in the middle of the year when we get a few nice long breaks, so they don’t give me too hard of a time about it. Right before the first day, my husband and I will rearrange the play/schoolroom to give it a new post-summer look. Although, after being in our house for nearly eight years, it’s getting harder & harder to do (there’s only so many ways to rearrange the same furniture in the same space) and especially as the kids are older, but we try! It might sound like a small thing, but just by changing things around a little makes more of a clear transition from summer to school time.

Another way that I build anticipation for the school year is when I purchase our school books back in May, I put them away and the kids don’t get into them until we start school. Now, the novelty of new books only lasts a short while, but on the first day of school, they all have a nice pile of brand new (sometimes only new-to-them, but still…) books that they get to flip through. Along with those new books, we give every child a back-to-school gift bag or basket as is the case this year. The items that go in the bag vary from year to year and child to child but almost always include something to wear and something to read and a grade specific item (like a compass, protractor or calculator, etc). It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant or expensive, just fun!

As the year gets underway, it’s time to start taking advantage of all that your community and surrounding area has to offer! I think making a bucket list with your kids is a great way to figure out what would excite them and you! I see so many of those on social media that are made for the summer, but why not the school year? Last year was the first time we tried this and having a list to remind me of what we wanted to do and see reignited the spark to get out & go do things! Visit some of the places that you’ve always said you should visit if you had the time. Guess what? You now have the time! Get outside, too. Align some activities with your curriculum & lessons or just get out because it’s a beautiful day. Go star gazing at night and don’t worry about having to get up early for school in the morning. All of these seemingly little (and often inexpensive) things can add up to a wonderful school year full of great memories.

Each year as I’m planning out our school days, I always make sure to mark each child’s birthday as a day off. This has become very important to each of them. That is the day that the birthday boy or girl gets to run the show. They pick the meals for the day, they pick the activities for the day and generally just get to be spoiled and celebrated. As anyone with multiple children knows, a day that is all about one particular child is a rarity so this is always something that each of them enjoys thoroughly!

As you begin to plan your year and are maybe looking for ways to make this year special and memorable, I would encourage you to start searching your area for the unexplored places and adventures not yet taken. There are many local homeschool communities and Facebook groups that you can join who will often post events or field trips that are available. Even if those activities don’t fit your schedule, they might help give you ideas of things to go do as a family.

This year will certainly be one for the books! It may not look the way you expected or hoped but as with so much in life, sometimes the unexpected turns out to be ok…often times even better than ok. I hope that as you set out on this journey, and are doing things differently than you ever imagined, you are able to take a breath and enjoy some of the unexpected blessings (and adventures!) that come with homeschooling.