We homeschool “year-round,” meaning we don’t have any long breaks (like three-month summer breaks). Part of this is because of the way I grew up. Traditionally-schooled as I was, and my ADD undiagnosed, coming back from a long break was really, really hard for me. So now that I homeschool, I deliberately chose to make our vacations much shorter, so that any breaks wouldn’t be so hard to rebound from.

Winter break is usually two weeks (sometimes three), but even then, the kids generally read or do some sort of educational activity sporadically throughout the time off. Next week, many of their outside classes will begin again, and we will get back to a more structured routine.

To make this transition a bit easier, some time during this coming week, I will have them start going to bed closer to their regular bedtime, and by the end of the week, have them in bed back at their usual time.

I’ll also have them do some fun, educational games, slowly getting them back into a routine so that the first day back from break isn’t such a shock.

It will be a little difficult to manage all of this because there are, not one, not even to, but three – count ‘em – three holidays this week: our anniversary, New Year’s Day and my youngest son’s birthday!

So, starting the trek back to “normalcy” mid-week is helpful in making the transition so gradual as not to be painful. And, given that Saturday nights are usually an “early” night due to worship services the next morning, we’re on a pretty solid time frame in terms of our body clocks being ready for the return to a normal school schedule.

I love this time of year, when the kids and I get a break from our school schedule and we stay up a little later, being that I am such a night owl. But, I also know that just as much as kids need periods to goof off and be kids, they also crave the structure and routine that our school schedule provides. The “holiday schedule” is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there!