Home ed half term

Half term is upon us and lots of parents are breathing a sigh of relief that they can have a week off teaching their kids at home. It's a world away from the normal trepidation that accompanies school holidays, when parents worry about the break from routine and how to keep their kids occupied.

For my family, half term holidays are usually a chance to catch up with friends who go to school and for my older children to go to holiday club and have a bit of fun without me present. I use the time to plan what we'd like to do together over the next few weeks and to enjoy focusing on the baby. It's unusual for the boys to be out of house all day without me. So the approach of half term is often a bit like the anticipation of the start of term for schoolie families. They look forward to holiday club and seeing their friends, and I look forward to a bit of peace and quiet!

Hard at work at the caravan park

But for us, like lots of home ed families, half term and school holidays are not really a big thing. We tend to work on the principle of little and often, so we will carry on most days with our workbooks, our projects and whatever classes are still running. We take a week away at caravan parks in the UK once or twice during each school term, but even then, we will take a couple of pieces of academic work with us. It's often easier to focus attention on one or two learning materials if all the usual paraphernalia of toys and games that you have at home are not present. 

I think a healthy balance is the best way forward for home ed. Instead of planning a complete academic term, it's easier to think about three or four weeks, then take a few days off to see where to go next. Don't be afraid to break away from the traditional term times and develop whatever rhythm works best for you and your family, especially if you have younger children who would get tired by the end of a normal school week or a long academic term.