3 Misconceptions That Can Ruin Your Summer Vacation
Summer is a wonderful time of year. Routines change. We take a break from school work. It’s time to transition into new grade levels. But, summer is not always what it’s cracked up to be. And if your like me, you fall for three misconceptions that can ruin your summer vacation.
It’s easy to do. We get spring fever. We’re ready for a break from homeschool and all that goes with it. Summer becomes an ideal. Any problems we’ve had will magically disappear once summer comes. Everything in life looks rosy when summer is just around the corner.
Then, it’s suddenly August. Where has time gone? Summer is no longer on the horizon; it’s slipping through your fingers. We’ll be back into our busy schedules, delving into a whole new school year before we know it!
Here are three misconceptions that can ruin your summer vacation.
1. We’ve got all summer to relax.
Why do I fall for this thinking every single summer? It simply isn’t true. In Maine, our summers are short, July and August, maybe a couple weeks in June if we’re lucky.
It’s normal for us to jam pack our summer with lots of fun activities: camps, beach days, library programs, visits with friends, camping trips, the list goes on. We get caught up in checking off our mental bucket list only to discover we don’t have all summer to relax. It’s just another season to fill with activity. Where’s the real rest?
Summer is a time to relax. Your kids need down time and so do you.
Make a conscious decision to do less.
Don’t commit to programs that will consume your time. It’s so hard to do that in our culture today. My daughter could have easily joined a number of quality camps this summer. There were many unique learning opportunities, but we decided on two weeks. Anything more would make our summer vacation too busy.
Learning to say no is challenging, but if we believe “we’ve got all summer vacation to relax,” then we have to protect our time so we can relax!
2. Unstructured time during summer vacation means less work for mom.
This second misconception gets me every time. I convince myself that because I’m not sitting down with my kids working on math and reading every day, I won’t have much work to do.
In reality, unstructured time creates more work for moms.
When life is unstructured during the summer, I’m faced with hundreds of little decisions every day. I wake up wondering what’s in store. Do I need to do laundry? When did I last wash the sheets? What should we eat for lunch and dinner? Are we going out or staying home? What project can I tackle? Is there someone I need to call? I am bombarded with decisions.
Photo by Andy Fitzsimon on Unsplash
Then I add my children’s daily needs and wants and life gets crazy. My daughter wants to have a play date. My son wants to get out the play dough. Then, my daughter wants to go to the library and my son wants me to jump on the trampoline. My head is spinning.
Unstructured time equals chaos in my mind.
How do I keep track of chores my children are doing? How much screen time have they had? Are they reading for pleasure? When was the last time I heard my daughter practice her clarinet? I struggle to keep track of what’s really going on day to day.
Unstructured time can intensify sibling problems.
In an ideal world, we’d all pursue what we want to at our leisure during the summer. But when you mix different temperaments and different ages, as is the case with most homeschooling families, behaviors can start to unravel. My daughter settles down to read a book and her little brother jumps on top of her lap, spilling her book on the floor. After several attempts to shoo him away I hear, “Mom, Miles is bothering me!” Is it time for mom to intervene, again?
Keeping some structure during summer vacation can save your sanity.
Think about those things that cause you work and stress. What simple routines can you set up to alleviate your work load so you can enjoy summer?
3. I’ll have everything figured out for the fall, so this school year will be better than last year.
When school winds down in the spring, I can’t help but start reflecting on what went well and what didn’t. I start doubting my curriculum choices and criticizing how I scheduled our time.
I’m my worst critic.
Looking back this year, I realized we didn’t do any field trips! Why didn’t I make time to do hands-on learning? And I should have done more science with my daughter.
When I start down the road of regret, doubt creeps in and I question my original decision to homeschool. I’m not doing a good enough job.
Should I let the professionals handle my child’s education?
Talking to other homeschoolers can be helpful, but even then I’m tempted to start comparing. I want to know what they are planning to do next year, so I can judge whether I’m on the right track. I love to get fresh ideas, but too many ideas can get overwhelming too.
Don’t get consumed with aiming for perfection.
We can’t have everything figured out. When I was in the classroom our curriculum changed every year. Our teaching team constantly made adjustments and improvements, so why would homeschooling be any different? Having a positive mindset and not expecting perfection will ease the pressure.
Every school year is bound to be better than the last because we naturally have more experience. So be easy on yourself!
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Final Thoughts
Summer vacation is meant to give us time to recharge, but sometimes we ruin our vacation when we overestimate how much time we really have to relax, and we do too much. When we let all our typical routines fall aside for “freedom” in summer, we’re the ones who end up working more. Time for reflection is necessary, but we can spend too much time trying to create a perfect homeschool plan for the fall, never being fully satisfied.
Misconceptions can ruin your summer vacation.
Your Turn
Do you fall for these misconceptions every summer? What do you do to ensure your summer vacation is a pleasurable vacation for you and your family?
