with a new homeschool year on the rise, i find myself reflecting on last year.
what went well and what didn't?
what moments stood out to me?
what did we love doing?
what moments inspired learning?
what sparked joy?
so much to think about. so much to reflect on.
today i found myself scrolling through photos on my phone. it was time to go through my albums and delete a ton of photos, screenshots and videos that i just didn't need, i know you can relate, lol. hours passed by of me going down memory lane. so many special moments, so many memories, so much magic. it all brought me to this place of reflecting and realizing what i truly want for our upcoming year.
i want to bring my sons education and learning to life.
museums, field trips... i want us to explore and research not just in books but using the all of the resources we have around us. if we're learning about the liberty bell, let's plan a road trip to philadelphia and see it in real life, experience it! bring learning to life!
i want us to spend a lot more time in nature.
nature walks, nature study outdoors, read alouds on a blanket in the field, mid-day walks to just get some fresh air. nature is healing and so good for our souls, i want to make sure we are spending more time in gods creation.
i want us to spend a lot more time reading.
a lot more read alouds, reading good literature for history, science, etc. if we're learning about abraham lincoln lets read a biography on him.
my son and i already share a love for books and reading, so i want to make sure i nurture that for both he and myself.
more projects and hands on learning.
this is my sons favorite way to learn and he takes in so much more of the lesson by learning this way. so i definitely want to include way more projects and activities that make our lessons more interactive.
i want to plan more family trips.
we school year round so that we have more flexibility in our schedule to be able to take time off whenever we want. so i want to make sure i am being more intentional with planning more family trips. so much learning happens when we travel to different places. there's so much to be seen, so much to experience and take in. that is education in itself.
spending time with family and friends.
we cherish the time we spend with our extended family and our friends. strengthening bonds and building lifelong friendships is something we value so much. so i want to make sure that we are taking time to get together with family and planning lots of adventures with friends.
seeing a smile on my sons face when we are learning is something that means a lot to me.
i want him to be content in what he is learning. i never want learning to be a drag for him or something that he dreads. so being intentional with what i plan for his education is important to me and a goal that i am setting for myself this year. i want to make sure that i am keeping in mind all of the ways that my son actually learns so that i am choosing things appropriately and precisely for him and his learning style.
a big one on my list of goals this year is leaving room for curiosity.
i know that i am not alone when it comes to wanting to just get things done and keep it moving so that you can get all of the things on your to do list done within your day. this is a big one for me and something i am most definitely guilty of but this something i am dedicated to working on this year.
i don't want to rush through things. i want to leave room for curiosity. if my son has a question about something, i want to take the time to answer that question or find the answer if i am not sure. i don't want to just brush it off and say "not right now jax" or "we don't have time for that right now". i mean really, why do we do that?! how long could it possibly take to answer a question? why is the human race always in a rush?! yes, there are always gonna be dishes to wash, laundry to fold, bills to pay, etc. but we will never get those moments with our children back.
take the time. it will be worth it. value their minds and curiosity. i promise to do the same.
making more time to bond with my son.
yes, i am with my son everyday but just because i am with him does not mean we are bonding. i want to spend quality time with my son talking, laughing, having deep conversations and building our relationship as mother and son. those are the moments my son will always remember and cherish when he is a grown man. i want him to see the value and importance in that time we spend together so that one day in the future when he has his own children he will remember those moments with me and do the same with his children.
creativity. a whole lot more of it, for jax and myself included!
more painting, more art projects, more handicrafts... the works.
art is a passion of mine and my little guy seems to love it also. so i want to make sure that we are taking time to create more.
overall, i honestly feel that my main goal with this upcoming year is to just be more intentional about living life. taking time to find meaning in the little things. spending more time with god and living as he intends us to live. spending time with those we love and living in the moment. less time on our phones and capturing moments but instead living them.
take heart. set a vision for your year and don't be afraid of setting goals. as long as you are giving it your best, that is all that matters.
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