New Years Resolutions

Today is January 1, and that means one thing: time for New Years resolutions.

New Years Day is a perfect time for taking stock of what has worked, what hasn't, and for starting over with a crisp new sheet of paper. Every homeschooling parent has some things that have worked very well this past year, and others that have not worked as well. Part of the idea behind resolutions is to can carry forward into the new year the good practices we already have, and to adopt the good practices we've been searching for.

1.  When I see another parent doing it wrong, I will keep my mouth shut. One of the great things about homeschooling is that we realize all our kids learn differently, not just from one family to the next but even within the same family. And the beauty of homeschooling is its affirmation that individual parents know what's best for their children, better than some other well-intentioned adult.
   
2. When I see another parent doing something I don't get, I will listen. That parent who's doing it totally wrong? She just might have an amazing idea that never occurred to me. If I listen, I might discover something new that my own daughter will appreciate and benefit from.
   
3. Keep it fun, even if it’s just for fifteen minutes. I can't speak for other homeschooling parents, but there are times I am keenly aware of the pressure that comes from assuming full responsibility for my child's education, especially when she's at the tail end of middle school. Is she reading challenging enough books? Is she reading the right books? Is she doing enough to learn another language? Is she grasping the important scientific and mathematical principles? It's too easy to make my kid feel that pressure too, and rob her of the joy of learning. And yet the most educational moments in life come when we're not consciously learning. My daughter is 13 -- past the age when she's going to dance to Jimmy Buffett on the kitchen floor with me. But we can have fun together, creating imaginary worlds, making things together with our hands, and even dancing to Jimmy Buffett on the kitchen floor with her little sister. As James Kirk once said, "The more advanced the civilization, the more basic the need for play." Anything to break the monotony.
    
4. I will take a few minutes for myself every day. Maybe it will be to read the news, maybe it will be to write a blog entry. Maybe it will be to read a chapter in a book I'm working on, or maybe It might be a chance to catch up on your favorite blog, or finish a craft; it might be the opportunity to read a chapter in a book I'm enjoying. Exactly what it is, doesn't really matter. We all need something to rejuvenate us, and we all need to dedicate at least a few minutes every day to it. It will make you a better parent and a better teacher all at once.
    
5. I will  read to my kids at least once a week. Once kids can read for themselves, especially once they advance into complicated chapter books, it’s easy to forget that they need to be read to too.Every kid, however, can benefit from hearing mom or dad read aloud. Not only do they get to spend time with a parent, they also get to hear the characters speak, hear the intonation and inflection, and grow a better sense of how the story all hangs together.
   
6. Kids first, then the chores. The house is a royal mess. It's embarrassing. It will be there tomorrow, but today won't. Better to get the kids up, start them learning, and stick through it all with them. I'll clean the mess up in bits and pieces as we go, and get the kids to help.