You can’t do it all, and you don’t have to
Image by Colleen Kelly, Chicago Children’s Museum Dinosaur Expedition
A “good enough” homeschool is the goal—one where you and your kids are making progress and growing close to each other.
Play to your strengths. Do the things that bring you natural joy: reading aloud, playing with math manipulatives, baking, painting, freewriting, acting out scenes from history or fairy tales, kicking a soccer ball, kitchen chemistry experiments, doing a big project with many steps, doing projects that are one-step, easy!
You get to decide. Today, pick something that energizes you and watch your kids “catch” the virus of enthusiasm.
Don’t think too far ahead. Stay true to today’s energy, vibe, feel. Invest—pay attention.
Do you need to be invested all day, for five unrelenting hours? No. Invest deeply in one thing. When your energy dissipates, move on. Let the good energy spent be enough for today.
The most undermining plan you can make for your day is to try to do everything when you don’t have the energy for most of it. Foil yourself.
Do one thing you love well today with your kids and then call it quits.
“Leave while they’re happy” is our family motto. It’s nearly impossible to leave Disneyland or dinner out or a trip to the mall or a party when kids are melting down, exhausted and unhappy. But if you leave while the feeling is positive, the transition to the next thing is much easier.
Try that today with your family. End the morning or day on a strong, positive, successful note and then…stop! No more of any other thing.
Let that be enough today.
And eat something yummy like orange slices with cinnamon sugar. Sunshine in a fruit!
Cross-posted on facebook.
