Slow school start... Bah.

Sigh. I always feel like this at the end of the school first week: like we got NOTHING done at all. All these grand lesson plans and syllabi, and five days – F.I.V.E. DAYS! – into the school year, we have barely managed to get started. Why is it always so difficult to get back into it?

Someone asked me, “But why do you take a long break like that? You don’t have to, and if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have the problem of having to get back into a school routine again.” But I do – I do have to. I need that break, and I need the change of rhythm. I need to be able to just work for a while, without having to juggle school work at the same time, and I need to do something completely different, like travel, spend time at the beach, read books just for fun, organize the house, sort and refuel in other possible ways. So no, I will not give up that long break.

Perhaps instead of stressing out about all this though, I will turn this school start into what a friend and fellow homeschooler called “stagger.” I will re-strategize and allow us to start a little at a time. Then it would be totally OK if we only got going on our math, English and French programs this week, right? Next week we’ll add additional subjects (all the boys' sports activities start back up as well next week), and the week after that, all the rest of our work (by then we’ll have all our material, so that works out). Eventually we’ll be in full roll, all the same - but without the stress. Good?