Pros and Cons of Summer Homeschooling

Many of us grew up in traditional educational systems where school, and learning, only happened between the months of September and June. Summertime was OFF!

But as homeschoolers we have the flexibility to make our own schedules and decide for our own families when our homeschool year will and won't stop. For some of us, that means breaking for all or a portion of the Summer and for many more of us it means approaching the Summer months with the same stride that we approach all the other months of the year.

Here are a few pros and cons to homeschooling through the Summer to see how it might be a good option for you.

PROS TO SUMMER HOMESCHOOLING

Can help build a "learning happens all the time" mindset

One of the biggest shifts to make in taking on home education is learning that learning really can happen all the time. There is zero pressure to force all of your child's learning in between the months of Sep and June, or between the days of Monday and Friday, or even the hours of 7am and 3pm. These are traditional, brick and mortar school mindsets that we carry into our homeschools because those were the only schedules ever modeled to us.

As a homeschooler, learning year-round can help break these old mindsets and allow flexibility for families to use whatever hours, days, and seasons work best for them. It also allows room for children and parents to see that learning isn't just about what's happening inside the workbook. Learning happens all around us, in every family routine and interaction, every new experience with friends, and every dive down the rabbit hole to find answers to your child's curious questions.

Allows more time to work through curriculum/lessons

If you have academic lessons, curricula or foundational skills that weren't completed by the time you thought they would be, homeschooling over the Summer can help. Unfinished workbooks are not the end of the world, it's just a sign that you may have been too busy having fun to keep up with your math routine or that your child might need a bit more time. Extending lessons into the Summer is an easy way to finish the unfinished, maintain the foundations you don't want your children to lose, or fill any gaps that pop up along the way.

Remember, one of the reasons you probably started homeschooling was to allow your child to move at their own pace, so does it really matter if they need another month or so? It doesn't.

Helps keep easily bored children productive

Sometimes the Summertime brings too much downtime for our kids, especially when they're on the younger or less independent side. Some level of boredom can be a wonderful way to kickstart creative and imaginative pursuits. But too much boredom can make our children feel restless and frustrated.

Homeschooling through the Summer months, even just a couple times a week can help fill some of those long days so the kids don't feel like they have nothing to do all day, every day. And it doesn't have to look like a math or writing lesson at the dining table either. It can be trips to the library for new read aloud or audiobooks, a small class with friends at a local science or nature center, or following along with a painting video on youtube.

CONS TO SUMMER HOMESCHOOLING

Can bring backlash from children who genuinely need a break

Sometimes our kids really do a need a break. They may feel like they've already exerted plenty of energy towards learning over the year. They may still be in the process of de-schooling and not value the benefits of continuing their learning through the Summer months. They may just be tired or uninterested in whatever you're offering at the moment.

In any of these cases, when you feel lots of resistance coming from your child about learning, taking some time off may be worth it in order to help preserve the relationship and focus on connection over curriculum.

Can feel like "one more thing to manage" for tired homeschooling parents

Homeschooling parents need breaks too! If continuing learning through the Summer feels overwhelming for you, just don't do it. Instead, spend the Summer simply enjoying your kids, however that ends up looking for you.