Do You Take a Winter Break?

I find it fascinating (have no idea why) to hear how homeschoolers construct their calendars. Some go year round, others follow the calendar of their local school district, giving their children all the same holidays and breaks, and then there are those who get really creative and come up with their own calendar of semesters or quarters, with built in breaks and family vacations. Isn't freedom wonderful?

So long as our kiddos are learning (and not hiding under their covers come morning lessons), it's all good. I think one of the biggest benefits to homeschooling is that our kids are often found "on fire" for learning... as we have more freedom to bring lessons to life, with weekly field trips, and wider access to resources than what some might find in a typical classroom or school library. If you consider this with all the wonderful homeschooling coops across this nation of ours, offering our kids social outlets (and us too!) and the benefit of group activities (and sometimes even lessons), our kids are definitely well-rounded (brain-wise), and not isolated as many of our critics would argue.

Even if you can't find a coop, there are often times social groups for homeschoolers in larger communities... even Internet-based support groups, if you're rural and can't find others on the same journey. Some larger churches have homeschooling groups that meet for fellowship and activities too... so be sure to ask around!

Now back to the question at hand... when do you break and what do you do over break? Do tell!