How to Home School Your Child - Scheduling Breaks

Scheduling Breaks

If no other part of your school day is predictable, you should have a very structured and strict break schedule. Knowing when a break is coming up will help your child have more patience and remain focused on the task at hand. When work seems never ending, children can become very discouraged and bored. Having a structured break schedule will alleviate this problem.

You should schedule breaks at least every hour, even if it is just a small five or ten minute break. Younger children need to have more breaks than older children. For example, you can have a teen work for an hour, spend ten minutes relaxing, then work for another hour. But with a younger child, you will want to let them work for thirty minutes and then have a break for five or ten minutes before continuing. If you want younger children to work for an hour, their breaks should also be longer, maybe as long as twenty or thirty minutes.

Very young children may also need a scheduled naptime at some point during the day. You will also want to schedule time for lunch and snacks. Make the lunch break at least half an hour. If you’re only schooling for four hours a day, you can easily allow lunch to be an hour long to give them an extra break.

Having breaks is important for the parent as well. You need these short breaks to recharge your own batteries. Get yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of water, check email, and go out to get the mail. Longer breaks give you a chance to get yourself something to eat, vacuum the floor, take out the trash, or other quick tasks that need to be done each day.

Extracurricular Activities

It is very important that your child participates in extracurricular activities as a part of your homeschooling plans. Extracurricular activities allow your children to learn talents and skills that are impossible for them to learn at home. Regardless of your best intentions and methods, no one person can teach their child everything they need to learn.

Extracurricular activities also give children much needed socialization. It is important that children spend time with others their age. Even if the family is large, children need friends outside of that closely knit family group. This socialization is imperative for the proper growth and maturity of a well rounded adult.

There are many activities to choose from, based on what type of things your child is interested in. And even if your child is not that interested in taking up an activity, he should still be encouraged to try one or two. These activities are vital for a complete education.

Sports

If your child is interested in sports, you’re in luck. Younger children can easily participate in any number of sports programs, or “little leagues.” These programs usually allow for participation up to the completion of 8^th grade. You can choose from soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, and football. There may be additional sports teams available in your area. Your local community center or YMCA will have more information about these programs.

If your child wants to continue playing sports in high school, you may still have options. Some public or private schools allow homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities, including sports. Different school districts work different ways though which means this may not be available in your area. If that’s the case, check with the YMCA or community center for adult teams in these sports. Some of these programs allow for teenagers to participate as well as adults.

Scouting and Similar Organizations

The most common organizations for these types of programs are Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts but they can be very expensive to participate in. Thankfully, there are a lot of other programs to choose from. If you’re on a budget, check out some other organizations such as Campfire Boys and Girls.

There are also many organizations available for people of different religious beliefs. Check with your local church or other branches of similar churches for information about possible programs. There are even organizations specializing in avoiding religion completely, as well as organizations for non-traditional religions such as paganism.

Musical Activities

There is no reason your child should not participate in playing an instrument or learning to sing just because they do not attend public school. In any community, you can find music teachers in either organizations or as individuals for nearly any musical avenue. Giving your child the opportunity to learn an instrument is a fabulous way to expand their horizons as well as give them social time with like minded children.

Children who learn a musical skill or talent have many advantages. It has been found through many studies that children who have musical ability have an easier time learning foreign languages, learning math skills, and having forward thinking attitudes. Musical lessons of any kind can really help your child unlock untold potential in music and every aspect of life.

Even if your child is not part of an organization, music teachers have many students and often hold recitals. This gives your child a chance to perform as well as get to know other students. Larger metropolitan areas often have community sponsored symphonies, choirs, and bands for children, teens, and young adults. Finding a music teacher should be fairly easy to do. If you are interested in community organizations, contact your local community center.

Dance, Gymnastics and Cheerleading

In times past, the only way to be involved in cheerleading was to be a part of a school. However, that has all changed in recent years. Most communities have cheerleading organizations for children even as young as five. Once your child outgrows these programs, you can check with local schools to see if participation in their cheerleading programs is an option. There may also be cheerleading squads for community teams that allow teen involvement.

Dance is also a wonderful talent to develop. It gives children a way to stay active, socialize, and discover hidden talents. It can be a very fun activity for both boys and girls. Dance organizations and classes can often be found very easily in any community. While some classes can be somewhat expensive, there are usually payment plans or budget classes available.

Gymnastics is also a great way to encourage physical activity and socialization. Gymnastics classes are more affordable than dance or cheerleading and are appropriate for both boys and girls. There may even be classes available through your local YMCA or community center at no additional cost with your membership.

This is an excerpt from the book: How to Home School Your Child and Develop a Well Trained Mind