The New Thing for Maintaining Homeschool Enthusiasm

Is it hard to be enthusiastic about homeschooling this time of year? It usually is for me and it's hard to be enthusiastic about life in general when the winter blahs set in. This is the Homeschool Sanity Show, the episode where I'll share an idea for maintaining your homeschool and life enthusiasm--an idea that's already changed my life. Why We Lose Our Homeschool Enthusiasm This Time of Year January doesn't drag me down the way it did in my childhood. I grew up in South Dakota where the cold and snow had a profoundly negative effect on my mood--an effect I didn't understand until spring when I felt like someone had changed my batteries. Winter where I live now involves regular breaks from the cold and gloom. The occasional 60-degree days keep me going. But winter isn't the only thing that can make us meh about homeschooling. It's also back to the regular routine. The excitement of Christmas break is over. There is a lot of school left before spring. So what do we do? I used to make curriculum and routine changes for the new year. And these changes helped. But soon the enthusiasm I had for those changes waned too, and we were all fairly bored, hoping to muddle our way through to spring. The seasonal change can make symptoms of depression worse. (Help a son or daughter with depression.) The Power of Novelty If you can relate to any of my experience, you may be someone who enjoys novelty as I do. In fact, research suggests that many of us with attention-deficit traits are high in novelty seeking. But it turns out that God created all of us to seek new experiences. When we encounter something new, we get an increase of the reward neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine not only improves symptoms of depression but helps us learn. There are clear benefits of novelty, but we also benefit from the structure of a homeschool routine. I've discussed this on the podcast many times. If we tried to homeschool in a completely unpredictable fashion, we'd be stressed and our kids would be unhappy. So, how can we enjoy the benefits of both novelty and structure? Recently our local Christian radio station mentioned a woman whose resolution is to do something new every day this year. Wow! I was instantly sold on this idea, but I had no idea how life-changing it would be from the get go. Let's break it down. Something new. In Isaiah 43, God proclaims that He is doing a new thing. If God does new things, why shouldn't we? We can enjoy newness in curriculum and schedules and our school space, but as I pondered this woman's resolution, I realized that newness can be so much more. New Activities We can try new activities--especially once. It's low commitment and easier to fit one class or activity into the schedule than a six-week class. I signed up for a one-time, online Native American cooking class and an in-person bookmaking class with a friend this month. I found these activities by searching for class offerings in my area. With YouTube and free online classes and apps, you could try dozens of new activities with your kids. If you find out they're not for you, you've still benefitted from the novelty. New Options for Activities We can also try new options for an activity we already enjoy. I like to cook, exercise, and go out to eat. I made scalloped potatoes and ham in my Instant Pot and was astounded that the potatoes need just two minutes cooking time!