Back to School
Dateline: 7/23/04
By Connie Colten
Back to School
Back to school. Does that phrase make you and your kids feel
like there is a party and you aren't invited? The retailers hit
the media with their usual wham-bang to entice shoppers to the
stores.
Most of us parents did return to school in the fall, so we
feel the call of tradition as summer comes to an end. Personally
I like to take the parts of the social traditions that I think
are helpful and healthy and incorporate them into family life.
Here are some suggestions of things that I've used or heard about
to mark the passing of summer:
Stock Up!
Everyone loves new notebooks, pens, pencils, art supplies
and all those kinds of things. Fall is the perfect time to stock
up!
Make Goals
What are your goals for the upcoming months? We often sat
down as a family and made lists of the places we wanted to go,
the books and magazines we wanted to buy, and the individual
goals we wanted to focus on during the upcoming "school"
year.
Sign Up!
With the fall coming there are often a ton of classes and
activities offered for un/homeschooling families. It is wise
to limit your commitments so that you don't feel you are under
the scheduling pressure that probably was part of the reason
you decided to have the kids learn at home in the first place.
Remember we each have a lifetime to learn. When we are able to
approach an activity with plenty of time and energy, it then
refreshes us, gives us pleasure and encourages us to seek more
learning opportunities.
Celebrate!
Celebrate being on your own time schedule. Often once school
starts and family vacation time ends it takes away the crowds
from the favorite places you like to go to locally. We love going
to the beach here in the San Diego area during September. The
people are gone, parking for both the car and the beach blanket
are spacious, the weather remains warm, and we feel especially
lucky to have the freedom to be extending our summer pleasure.
Need a celebration to entertain the kids as their neighborhood
friends head back to school? Have a "Not Back to School"
party with people from the un/homeschooling community. It's a
great time to reconnect with these people and perhaps make plans
for upcoming holidays, field trips or classes.
Have Fun!
Remember to have fun! Think of when your child was little
and learning at that unbelievable speed that babies and toddlers
use when absorbing life. We played and had fun with them through
it all. There is no need to stop that now. In the words of Alfred
Mercier, "What we learn with pleasure we never forget."
Have a very pleasurable fall with your family!
- Connie Colten
- Homeschooling
Reflections
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