As a homeschool
family, we get lots of questions about how we handle snow days, school breaks,
and the like. In the most technical sense, the lines of “break” can be
blurred for many homeschoolers, as students don’t get up each day and board a
school bus. Our family follows my husband’s schedule (he's a teacher),
which makes it easy to define when we are and are not off. Regardless,
schoolwork can crossover into break, especially since we learn through life,
not just traditional school.
We observed the
traditional week before Easter off, and it couldn't get here soon enough.
A few subjects (homework?) needed our attention before we could officially be
“off.” I listed everything on the dry erase board so it could be
completed first thing Saturday morning, but my kids talked me into waiting
until Sunday. Having everything written down in plain sight really helped
ensure that it got done.
Next, we moved on to
the fun. Normally we greet the warm weather with hikes, walks, and bike
rides, but my oldest is on crutches due to an injury, so family activities had
to be adjusted. We drew pictures on the driveway with chalk. We
spent time with grandparents, great grandpa, baby cousin, and aunts. We
delivered (and ate) Girl Scout cookies. We colored Easter eggs and talked
about Easter. We didn’t get to do a full Passover Seder with family this
year, but we spent time talking about the significance of the holiday. We
emptied the master bedroom, primed it, painted the room and ceiling, and put
everything back together. We went to the $2 movie theater and saw
“Sing.” We did chores, organizing, and spring cleaning. The girls had a
friend sleep over and a few playdates. My little one taught herself how
to make lipgloss out of coconut oil, thanks to Youtube. We read- a
LOT. We did Easter crafts. We cooked. We relaxed on the deck
and took in lots of fresh air and sunshine.
As all good things do, the week came to an end. Our Sunday blues
were intensified as we said goodbye to a week filled with downtime and family
fun, but such is life. Fortunately, the break gave us enough of a boost
that we were able to jump back into the school routine with renewed energy and
focus. We're immersed in the learning process, but also looking forward
to the more-relaxed, slower paced summer ahead. How did you spend your
spring break?
If you're not a homeschooling family, how different was
your break from ours? Share with HVP readers, below.