MrsWeasley Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 We started our holiday break. My partner is Jewish, and today's the first day of Hanukkah. The public schools don't start break until next week. I'm struggling with the guilt of feeling behind and like we should be using this time to catch up. We're okay with core subjects and all my kids are under eight years of age. I had had higher hopes with getting more history and Spanish done, especially. Anyone else struggling with being behind and second-guessing taking a break? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Whenever I second guess taking a break and wind up not taking one, I regret it. Working through a previously scheduled break often results in us being burned out and not being as productive as I had envisioned. Take the break! All will be swell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 At the end of thirteen years of K-12 education, will anything you'd do this week be evident? If you're otherwise making steady progress and since your kids are young, I'd suppose not. Take the week to celebrate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Only if your kids are in HS and taking distance courses with deadlines (ask me how I know). In that case, it is worth it to stay on track and not have to cram in the spring or work into the summer. Otherwise, bah, take the break and enjoy. Those holiday memories are much more important than anything you could be covering in a week of grade school work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Take a break. It'll be worth it. Enjoy your holiday. It doesn't matter what the public schools are doing. Your kids aren't there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 I never cared whether my homeschooling lined up with public school holidays. Most of their days off are for the convenience of administration, teachers and working parents - certainly NOT for individual students or families. That's the beauty of having control of your own educational setting. If your family is observing these special days, then of course you drop Spanish and history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Oh, and have you seen what elementary teachers do the last week before winter break? A lot of it is count-the-snowmen math and word searches and other such busy work. So don't suppose that the PS kids are cranking out real work this week. A Pinterest search for December elementary may make you feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Take your break, make your memories, enjoy your festive time.Really, it's ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Celebrating holidays with family is important! Don't fret the time away, just enjoy it! Schoolwork will be there waiting for you when you are renewed and refreshed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I used to take off Thanksgiving to the first full week of January when my older kids were elementary aged. We schooled more during the summer because it's freaking hot here. I mean hot as Satan's armpit hot. Then they got more involved with activities that had mixes of kids from private and ps schools too, so we conformed more to the regular school year. They started college at 15 and 17 and think it's really easy. They each had a professor (Art History and Chemistry) tell them they're the best educated freshmen they've ever met. So, a week off here and there really is no big deal if what you're doing when you are schooling is consistently high quality. We follow the school year closely now because my youngest's best friend in the neighborhood is psed and her best friends who are homeschooled nearby are on the ps schedule for the same reasons. Do what works for your situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Take the break! We've only done 9 weeks this school year due to surgery but are still taking our planned break. We school through summer. I am in no rush! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 all of your children are under age 8.... I'll assure you, take the break. My oldest is in college now. When all of my mine where under 8, I wasn't trying to do all subjects in December. We celebrated our holidays, and have real life education instead of lesson plan directed. As you continue in homeschooling years, you'll hear a phrase of advice along the lines of dont' be a slave to curriculum plans.... lesson plans are a tool to use. be encouraged. however If you can't shake the feeling that you have to do school for some reason, or maybe you have legal needs for doing certain hours of education each year and you need to bank hours for the year.... then this week, lessons will be making latkes, and telling the history of the holiday, and personal family history. You don't get this time back. Believe me... "chronlogical classical history" can wait a few weeks. to get your spanish done... how about this? since all of the children are under age 8 and it's holiday time, how about seeing if you favorite tv shows/favorite dvd's that they know and love have a spanish audio option. yes that will be "real school" for these weeks. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Your kids are under 8 years of age. What's there to be "behind"? Enjoy your break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Like cbollin said we are doing "holiday school". We did a Thanksgiving unit and have since been studying Advent. We've done this three years (and that's how long we've been homeschooling, he, he). This year we're using Truth in the Tinsel and so we do our Bible reading, read some library books on Christmas, and a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible where they "listen for the hint" about Jesus. Then we do our craft to make an ornament. Then during quiet time my 2nd grader reads a book, does 2 math pages, 4 pages from ETC, has free time. Before bed I read her a chapter from whatever book we're reading. Last week it was The Story if Sarah Whitcher. This week it's Kaya book 3. That's it. We have a lot of reading rainbow, mr Rogers and Classic Christmas movies on hand from the library and craft supplies for self lead projects. I encourage an hour of creative play together with toys and an hour of outside time each day and they help with chores :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Oh mercy, I drive pretty hard, but you should be taking a break, woman!! It's a HOLIDAY and a very special time for your partner! Not to take that break glosses over the specialness of it, implying the one religion's holidays are important but not the others. We always took off Thanksgiving to New Years when dd was that age. They come back raring to go when you give them a good break! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 ^^ sorry must have missed you guys are Jewish but anyway- I would break and then let the kids do some history of Hanukkah and share family traditions and enjoy baking / crafting :) If Hanukkah has began I see absolutely no reason not to start. In fact in PS your children would be exempt from attendance to observe your religious holidays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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