Snow Days: Consistency vrs Spontaneity

One of the greatest advantages of homeschooling is flexibility.  There are days when school just isn't productive.  If you or your children are sick--if everyone is uncharacteristically bucking the system--if your just having a bad day.  The best solution my be a break in the routine.  You can say, "You know let's just give it a rest and try again tomorrow."  There is a balance. Consistency is important to a point.  But sometimes it's time to put your books down and check out the elephant shaped clouds in the sky!

The other side of the balance is spontaneity.  There are some days that are just too beautiful to waste. My children grew up in an area where is it would snow a few inches two or three times a year.  It was beautiful and fun and usually short lived.  If it snowed on Monday, it's likely it would be gone by the weekend.  Or, if it did stick around, it would be way too cold to enjoy.  Though public schools in our area seldom took a "snow day",  we had a standing rule.  School didn't happen on snow days.  When it started snowing we put on Christmas music, (didn't matter what time of year!) dug out our sleds and took to the hills!  

Remember your end goal.  It is not to get the most information into the heads of your children as possible.  Raise your children able to stop and smell the roses-- to notice the things we all miss.  Raise them to learn, laugh and enjoy life!  

Balance sometimes will mean to play more and study less.  Trust me, if children have the opportunity to play,  they will have more capacity to learn.