From clearing the calendar to visualizing the first day of school, these ideas will help make next fall begin smoothly and stress-free.
Before summer ends and a new homeschool year is in full swing, there are a few simple things you can do to prepare both yourself, the homeschooling parent, and your children for a wonderful new school year.
Declutter
Summertime is the perfect time to go through the bookshelves, clear out unwanted school supplies, recycle completed work, and give each space in your home a refresh. Make a weekend project out of it or do a little each day. Beginning the new school year free of clutter and with a sparkly clean space is a great feeling.Build Playlists
The atmosphere of your home has a significant impact on the experience of your homeschool. One way to add some delight is by preparing music playlists. Using your preferred music app, you can compile playlists that center on the holidays, highlight different composers, improve focus, relate to subjects you’ll be studying, or just enhance the fun. Perhaps you prefer more analog music sources. Ready your vinyl, your tapes, your CDs—just put some thought into how to allow music to make your homeschool that much better.Activities
Consider what activities you’ll enroll your children in, if any, and what family outings you’ll embark on as the school year gets going. Now’s the time to sign up for things that book up quickly, make reservations where needed, and coordinate with friends or family members who you’ll be enjoying time with in your homeschool adventures.Clothing and Tools
Once the school year is underway, you want to be confident that you and your children have everything they need to succeed. Make sure school supplies are in check, everyone has the clothing and shoes they’ll need, technology needs are met, and anything that needs replacing is handled.Parent Care
Homeschooling is a demanding proposition for parents, no doubt about it. Take time out this summer to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Do what you need to do to feel rested and ready to show up for all that a new homeschool year will bring.Summer’s Last Hurrah
Soak up every last bit of unstructured fun and summer freedom before you dive back into the books. Pull out your bucket list, ask the kids what they wish they could do before summer ends, take one last trip to the beach and the ice cream shop, and squeeze out every last bit of summer joy before those pumpkins start cropping up everywhere. Perhaps you might even take one last-minute trip somewhere.Visualize the First Day
Take a moment to sit quietly and visualize your first day back to homeschooling. Picture every detail, from the morning routine to the subjects you’ll cover to the places you’ll go and the meals you’ll prepare. As you picture it in your mind’s eye, write down any detail you forgot to handle, any new idea that you’d like to incorporate, and any concern you have for the way the first day and week may play out. This simple exercise can really help you mitigate issues and feel prepared.Meal Prep
The start of a new school year can be exhausting. Preparing easy-to-make meals ahead of time can really help keep things on track. Put your slow cooker to use, chop ingredients, grill extra protein, and do what you can to make the first week’s meal preparation as easy as it can possibly be.Clear the Calendar
As the first weeks of your homeschool year get started, interruptions for a dentist appointment or a haircut can really throw a wrench in your momentum. Take a look at your calendar and make sure you don’t have any unnecessary appointments during the first handful of weeks. If you can reschedule things to allow a focused introduction to a new school year, you’ll probably be glad you did.
