Chasing Away Them Winter Blues

Everyone I turn this week, there is talk of cabin fever, burnout and mid-winter blues. And most homeschooling mothers know why. Heck, most any mother knows why. This is that awful time of year, just after the joy of the holidays. Just before the glory of spring. February.

February. Why is that month so darn difficult? For many of us, it means we have passed the half-way point of our school year, which can be good, especially if you're on schedule, or even ahead. But who am I fooling? If you are anything like me, you are much more likely to see all that you have not accomplished by this half-way mark, instead of all that you have. This brings me to my first tip for dealing with those February blues:

1. Reevaluate your school load. Be realistic. Maybe you are on schedule and find your kids getting bored with their free time. Order that one thing that you couldn't get in September. This might be a good time to start watching those Latin videos, or trying Rosetta Stone.

If you are running behind, then spend a couple of weeks doubling up on work. Do two language arts lessons a day. Or, (be sure to sit down before you read this) be willing to skip a few lessons if your child has a good grasp at that concept. Why do we find this so difficult? It is OK to jump ahead. It is OK to not finish every book. My husband once challenged to recall if we EVER finished a text book in school. Point taken.

2. Start your spring cleaning early. I love this one. If you are going to reevaluate your lessons, it is a natural time to clean out anything that clearly is not working. Box it up for future children or give it away. Sell it at your local homeschooling convention. Clear off the bookshelves. Let's face it, most of us homeschoolers are addicted to books. I sometimes think that my decision to homeschool was simply an excuse to support my habit. ;)

Get some really good smelling cleaner - this one is my absolute favorite. Nothing makes my house smell more like spring than this cleaner does. Go through the house room by room and clear out and clean. The best part of spring cleaning in February is that when the warm weather rolls around you can actually go to the park with your kids, knowing that your house is ready for spring.

3. Make some good old comfort food. Cook up a pot of soup and make homemade bread. You say you don't have time to make bread? Try this book. See if your library has it, but even if they don't, it is worth the money. Around here, artisan bread costs around $5 a loaf. At $15, the book will pay for itself quickly. Here is a free recipe from Williams-Sonoma to get you started. (While you're at that website, check out the soup recipes. We have slowly been working our way down the list and have enjoyed every one.) If you are really running late for dinner (because even easy bread takes time) make muffins.

4. Bake with the kids. Make cookies, muffins, cakes, whatever. OK, so you'll gain a little weight, but your kids will love you more.


5. Eat by candlelight. Seriously. Turn the lights down low and light some candles. Eat that homemade soup and bread by candlelight. It is amazing how much it warms the room. And the bonus? Your kids might actually turn down the noise level a bit. Oh, and they might notice if you happened to have made something they don't like.

6. Play music. This is probably the easiest, yet often overlooked solution. We listen to a lot of music in this house. Christian pop, hymns, patriotic, classical, kids music of all kinds. Lately I'm on an opera kick, but I'm thinking it's time for some Vivaldi. Spring, anyone?

Here are a few more tips I read this past week that I think we'll try.

7. Watch good movies. We have a rule around here. It goes like this: school day, school video. Although I am pretty liberal with what I consider to be a school video, it is still limiting. Most of them are short (Liberty's Kids, Between the Lions, bible video, a Nest family video). Sometimes they get to watch an hour long one like Planet Earth or a National Geographic special. I have a pretty extensive collection of old movies and musicals that we don't often get to. I'm thinking that maybe instead of saying 'no' to a longer movie,I'll cook up some popcorn and settle down on the couch and watch with them.

8. Have a pajama day. Honestly I'm not so sure about this one. I often get out of bed and jump right into the day. I find myself showering closer to lunch time than breakfast time. This is probably not the best choice for our family, but I can see that this one would be a lot of fun on a cold, rainy day when you have nowhere to go.

9. Make a treat for dad day. I thought this was the most creative tip I read. Make something special you know dad will enjoy. Something you never get to. Around here that would be biscotti. I've only made it once and it is Steve's favorite cookie. Now if we only could get him out of the house for a few hours...

Go here and here for more good ideas. Oh, one last idea. Someone suggested to me that I take off the month of February and do a unit study about the Olympics. Sounds like fun to me!