Winter Wonders-Homeschooling through the Winter Months

I’ve been homeschooling for over 24 years and it is still difficult to press through the winter months, especially with boys. The days are shorter, so there’s not much time left in your day after schooling. No matter where you live in the United States the winter months bring on lower temperatures, especially in the afternoon and evening hours.

It did not take long for me, as a homeschool mom, to decide we were going to need somethings to look forward to so that winter did not just drag along. First, inside our home, since we spend a lot more time here when it’s cold I needed to create some interest. To spruce up, I decorate in a winter theme each year giving us a bit of winter cheer here and there instead of having everything look bare and drab after the brightly decorated holiday season. Even our grandchildren enjoy the winter decorations!

To begin each morning, I encourage the boys to make a warm beverage to drink in the schoolroom as they do their first assignments. A big mug of hot apple cider or hot chocolate in your hand just warms the heart and give us all comforting vibes. To get a bit more cozy, we have a pajama day! Starting in January we stay in our pjs on Fridays. It gives us something to look forward to each week. Being in our pajamas just allows us to be comfortable and relaxed as we end our homeschool week.

We also burn candles. Aromatherapy is real! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Everyday, in the winter especially, we light candles in the schoolroom. The boys have their favorite scents and they light them first thing in the morning.

Through the winter, the days seem to be really long inside the house for the boys because it gets too cold for them to go outside and ride bikes or play ball. So, to get a bit of fresh air they take a ten minute walk to grab a snack. The short hike and breath of fresh air does them all well. It seems to rejuvenate them and even though they get cold it tends to put a smile on their faces. What do you do to make the winter months more tolerable for your family?