Five MORE Summer Tasks for the Homeschool Mom

 Yay!  Summer is here and the living is easy!  We've been out of school for three weeks already and it has been so refreshing.  We've been camping, hiking, celebrated Father's Day, and are finding a gentle and fun summer rhythm.  AND we just got through crazy fair drop-offs so I am definitly breathing a sigh of relief!

If you're anything like me, you're probably soaking up the summer fun as well.  But as hard as it is to admit, summer will eventually end and the new school year will come.  So I'm working on some low-stress prep in the coming months to make our upcoming school year even smoother.  Here are five task I'm adding to my to-do list (for my original 7 Summer Tasks, click here):

1. Reading Lists-- As my kids are moving into high school, I'm realizing how many things I still have to teach them.  The time just seems to be flying by.  So this year, I'm including personal development reading to our homeschool.  I surveyed a group of homeschool moms and feel like I've come up with a pretty good list.  Maybe you want to do the same.  Or maybe you have younger students that you want to create reading lists for that incorporate history or character development.  A few years ago, I shared how I created reading lists on our local library website.  Summer is a great time to research and collect those resources to have them ready in September.

2. Restock Supplies-- Back to school supply sales are coming.  Whether it's a new set of watercolor paints or every type of paper under the sun, July sales are a great time to stock up.  Now that my kiddos are getting older I focus on all the different types of paper I need: lined, composition notebooks, graph paper, and mixed media just to name a few.  Other than that, we get some art supplies, pens and pencils, and we're set.

3. Continuing Ed-- Summer is also a great time for continuing ed.  Previously I shared my continuing ed plans here.  Now with kids in high school, it's becoming even more important.  This year, I'm brushing up on some of my favorite philosophy books, taking a class on C.S. Lewis' work, and practicing in my own nature journal.  It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.  Just keep learning and growing!

4. Plan a Daily Schedule-- Each year our needs change.  And the needs of each child is very different.  It seems like we just settle into a weekly schedule, and things flip-flop.  Now is a great time to make a rough draft of next year's schedule.  When will you have co-op classes?  Are any kids taking piano lessons?  When will you schedule nature hikes?  Looking at next year's schedule, I'm seeing that lunch will have to float several times a week.  That's a great thing for me to keep in mind now so I can make a plan for helping lunch go smoothly in the new year.

5. Prep Some Lunches and Snacks-- Speaking of prep work, this month I'm prepping some sample meal plans as well as making some easy lunches and snacks for the freezer.  Most of the time our lunches are pretty simple, but it's always to have things planned ahead.    

I'm excited for the 2023-24 school year!  I think it's going to be a good one.

Anyone else planning over the summer?