Dear Friend,

I got a late start to the "school year" and felt anxiety. All across social media public school parents proudly shared their back-to-school pictures. Homeschool parents showed off how they kicked of learning on their first day of the homeschool year. We were at the beach.

I tossed my hat in - sharing an image of my kids playing in the sand and the #notbacktoschool. But I felt anxious. I wasn't doing this time of year like anyone else. 

You'd think that by now I wouldn't struggle with the feeling of not doing enough as a homeschool parent. I shouldn't have the heartache about how out-of-sync my family's schedule and yearly rhythms sometimes seem to be compared to everyone else. But I do.  

I let it all go while we were traveling and told myself that is why we're year-round homeschoolers. We can take vacations during the off-season. We don't have to be straight-jacketed into conventions. And I reassured myself that we I got home I would be glad to get back to the routine.

Routine. That is exactly what I'm good at. I'm a Virgo, an Earth sign, a Doer. 

I like to think of routine as the rocks around which a river flows. The rocks guide the water, support its flow. Moss grows on the rocks; animals poise atop. Rocks are essential.

My rocks? They are mealtime/read aloud.

• Breakfast
• Lunch & Read Aloud (My Choice)
• Snack & Read Aloud (Their Choice)
• Dinner

That's it. Those are the only things that happen every single day without fail. I cling to them because eating and reading are what bring us together. It feeds our bodies, our minds, and our relationships.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mentioned that, in addition to my routine, I have worked to develop a Robust and Unfailing Practice of Self-care. You'll even see daily routine and weekly routines of that time of life. While the details of those routines have changed (we've replaced JAM with Book Club for Kids), the routines have mostly stayed the same.

When you feel like things are falling apart, I wonder if you have a routine to lean on. What activity do you think could act as the rocks in your river of learning?

Julie

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No one should slave over worksheets so I wrote the guide for learning math from everyday life...because when the world is your classroom you are free to learn math that matters. 

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