We are a homeschooling family that plans our year so that we can take the whole month of December off. I found that after several years of homeschooling, I wasn’t getting much school done with all the excitement of the holidays, so I decided not to fight the urge to take off more time in December any longer.
Since we have more time in December, I’ve also planned to spend our time together enjoying the traditions of Christmas from many different countries, reading heart-warming stories, making crafts, baking and finding ways to bless other people. Our days are filled with creativity, sharing, loving and learning. That’s the beauty of homeschooling!
To add to the excitement, I started the tradition of the goody basket. The goody basket is filled each morning with one, several or all of the following:
- a new book to read (either heart-warming or about traditions that originate from both far and near)
- ingredients to make a tasty treat
- craft materials to make a project
- a Christmas movie or CD
- an invitation to join me in an activity
- gingerbread house materials
- items to pack for shoebox gifts to needy people
If you would like to follow along with me this year as I continue this tradition on Joyful Holidays, I post book reviews, craft ideas and memory makers throughout the month of December. Also, you can look through the archives from last year.
Even if you don’t have every day available to do something new, you may try this idea on the weekends when you have more time to devote to spending together. I know the holidays are hectic, but I want to encourage you to find the meaning behind the madness by spending time together as a family.
About Brenda Sain
Brenda Sain is a homeschooling mother of five who has a wonderful husband encouraging her to be the woman that God has created her to be. Together they are very intentional about spending time together as a family. She considers her daily life with her children as her ministry and has found many avenues to encourage others to live a lifestyle of learning. She is the founder of an online homeschool community, Our Lifestyle of Learning (http://www.ourlifestyleoflearning), and a curriculum review site authored by a group of well-known homeschool bloggers, Curriculum Choice (http://www.thecurriculumchoice.com). She blogs about their homeschool journey and family traditions at Tie That Binds Us. (http://www.thetiethatbindsus.blogspot.com).
