6 Perfectly Good Reasons to Extend Summer Break
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Well, it’s that time of year again. August. You know what that means, right? We can finally enjoy leaving the house again because the rest of the world is going back-to-school!
Here in Florida, the weather is muggy, mosquitoes are out for blood, and the afternoon thunderstorms roll in daily around 2 pm. We haven’t had any kind of routine here in months and I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever fully recover from what I’m sure is the longest summer in the history of our homeschool.
Although we could probably use some routine around here, I’m not starting school yet.
Why?
My answer is simple: What’s the rush?
As homeschoolers, we have the flexibility to make our school calendar look any way we want. Isn’t that a beautiful thing? This year I declared no school until after Labor Day and I’m so glad I stuck to the decision.
If you’re looking for a few good reasons to put off back-to-school and extend summer break I’ve got you covered!
6 Perfectly Good Reasons to Extend Summer Break
1. It’s a huge morale booster!
Although I had no idea the later start date would have such a positive impact, the news seemed to lighten the school mood immediately. My son’s whole perspective on starting back has shifted from anxious to excited!
Instead of the usual doom and gloom attitude (Yes, even homeschoolers dread school.), he is actually looking forward to it. I hadn’t planned on my procrastination actually being a winning homeschool mom strategy, but I’ll take it!
2. You can visit your favorite summer hot spots without the crowds.
See a movie one last time! Hit the beach or pool, go shopping, visit a museum. Do whatever the heck you want because you haven’t started school yet! All of your favorite spots just got better because everyone else is finally back in school. Go ahead and take advantage of a few more crowd-free weeks of summer!
3. Schedule all of those pesky appointments.
Doctor and dentist visits always seem to sneak up on me and ruin my momentum. Use the extra time off to get everyone in for cleanings and exams. Remember to take care of your own health appointments too! It’s a great time to cross these interruptions off the list and know they won’t be creeping up again until next year.
4. You don’t need the extra instruction time.
Remember when starting school in September was actually normal? It seems like the start date of public school keeps getting earlier and earlier each year. What is up with that?
We generally need the standard 36 weeks to complete our lessons, but we also work at our own pace. What the calendar looks like is totally up to me. Just because we start a little later doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll finish late. And let’s be honest, we all know we’re not going to finish everything in the lesson plans no matter how early we start!
5. Allow more time for planning.
I promised myself I wouldn’t spend all summer worrying about the upcoming school year. I put off curriculum purchases, ignored catalogs, and scrolled by anything related to back-to-school on my Facebook feed.
Last week I finally broke down and actually checked out when shopping online for books instead of just adding them to my cart and walking away from my laptop for another two weeks. If you’re anything like me, you could use some more time to get ready and plan a strong start to the year.
6. Sometimes a break is better than routine.
Don’t let the “We just need to get back to a routine” homeschool moms make you feel guilty either! Routine is great and I know we’d probably benefit from getting back to it in many ways, but a longer break wins this year for our family. We needed this long break.
We still need it!
When does your family start school? What would you do with a few more weeks of summer?
Adrienne Bolton is a freelance writer and veteran homeschool mom. She began homeschooling in 2009 to meet the needs of her oldest son who struggled with the public school setting. Her boys have had different experiences with homeschooling, but both have thrived in spite of her. Her oldest son transitioned from public school after fourth grade and her youngest is 100% homegrown, having never stepped foot in a traditional classroom. Now with one son in college and one working his way through high school, she is proof anyone can do this. She writes with humor and heart, peppered with occasional snark and sarcasm. When she is not writing or working you can find her with a good book in hand, snuggling her massive Pitbull fur baby, or making something yummy in the kitchen. She loves to cook, bake, and be outdoors in the sunshine. The beach is her happy place and she's a true flip-flop wearing Florida girl. Connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.