A homeschool retreat

This is definitely something everyone should do. Ask some friends to take your kids for a couple of days (you could offer to take theirs at another time) and reflect and plan. We didn't start with the practical, but with some faith-building scripture and prayer. Then we asked some questions - what are we moving into? - where are the challenges?- what are we anxious about? After getting all that on the table, we went to bed. Things like that benefit from a good "sleeping-on". The next day it was easier to see how the issues could be resolved and what direction we wanted to move. Ideas were flowing on how to keep Julius busy (pre-cut wood models and kits), how to engage Erin in taking more initiative (meld art, math, language and science together as much as possible), and how much to do with Sadie (about a half-hour of directed work per day).

It is not all finished, there are many decisions (especially about outside activities and lessons) to be made, but there is a framework and a shared vision. We like to "school" with a loose structure that accomodates the various ebbs and flows of life. This wasn't about building a structure, but only pounding a few stakes in the ground to hold up the tent. Those stakes can move with the tent wherever our learning adventure takes us.