Reality: School was somewhat hit or miss & our consistency varied a lot depending on what was going on

Within a few years of homeschooling, we would joke that there were really only two months of school: September and January. That was because every September we regrouped, reorganized, and recommitted to working hard, and our September productivity reflected that. October marked the beginning of a downward trend, and by December, there was minimal resemblance to any traditional school.   

Then January hit, which meant cleaning up all the Christmas decorations, setting New Year’s resolutions and often recommitting to a disciplined school schedule. January was usually great, but again it did not take long before our structure tapered off. 

School would also vary a lot depending on what was going on in the family. For example, when something big was happening, like having a new baby, less priority was usually given to structured schoolwork and more priority given to helping the family adjust to the latest change. 

These fluctuations can be very alarming to non-homeschoolers. It was definitely disturbing to me as a new homeschooler. It took me a while to understand that school and learning can take many forms. Often, the learning that occurs during non-structured times is just as valuable as the more structured learning.  The balance between periods of structure and non-structure can actually work well for families.  

We certainly did not do school everyday. It came in spurts, but what we did do ended up being enough for all our kids to end up with a good, well-rounded education and get into college. As time went on and the kids got older, we became more efficient. We upped our school game & started organizing co-ops, where the structure of meeting together with other families helped keep continuity. We learned to focus on the essentials and get rid of busywork. For older kids, we got into a groove where we were able to manage children’s assignments in a way that allowed them to work independently and stay caught up, even when we were on the move.  

If you are stressed over your lack of consistency, take a deep breath. Do not beat yourself up. Take advantage of unstructured schooling. Encourage your children to read, make crafts, do science experiments and other educational activities on their own. Get them excited about learning. Recognize there are times and seasons in life. It is okay (and sometimes even beneficial) to have periods of unstructured learning, so long as there is enough structure at some points to get your child where they need to be in the end. Keep the end in mind and periodically take time to evaluate where you are at and to make course corrections as needed.