Back to School Means New Routines

You and your kids need to be ready for the new routines and expectations that come with every new school year. Back-to-school time is exhilarating and stressful for everyone, but it presents unique challenges to homeschooling families. Here are a few ways to help you make the transition from summer to fall a little easier: Get Your Act Together If you are about to become a parent, educator, and (possibly) worker outside the home, get ready to say good-bye to sleeping in, lax schedules, and lenient rules. While homeschooling offers flexibility, summer is over once you establish your first day of school. Once school starts, it’s time to focus on your child's education. Organize Your Time It's important to help your kids switch modes as you prepare them to homeschool. Even children with a flexible curriculum need a regular bed time, play time, and learning time during the school year. And don’t forget to establish your own routines as well. By getting your schedule organized, you can better help your kids get organized. Repurpose Your Home The jungle-gym environment of your home following a long summer break is not conducive to learning or teaching. Clutter distracts both the student and the educator, so thoroughly clean your home at the end of the summer. Get rid of anything that hinders learning and make sure at least one room in the house is set up to serve as a classroom. Plan Your Lessons Before your summer ends, you should have your entire year's curriculum planned. Even though you need to be flexible when implementing the plan, you should have all workbooks, textbooks, and unit plans ready in advance and adapt them as needed. If you plan to work with a free-form or Montessori style learning pattern, set goals that need to be completed at regular intervals. Stay Flexible One of the biggest advantages of homeschooling is that it provides children with a much more friendly and flexible environment. Back-to-school is the time to emphasize learning over laziness, but it's still important to have fun. Trips to the playground, walks in the woods, and field trips don't have to end just because school is back in session. To help ease the stress of heading back back-to-school, here are some great offers to help you save money: Hooked on Phonics 30 day risk-free trial plus Free Shiiping for $14.95 eCampus $5 OFF orders over $100 with code (expires 10/1/12) 5% OFF any order with code (expires (8/31/12) HP Free XBOX 360 when you buy select HP PC for college with code (expires 9/9/12) $20 OFF $100 order with code (expires 12/5/12) Free Shipping on $49 order Transparent Language 15% OFF any order with code (expires 9/1/12) 20% OFF orders of $125 or more with code