Working non stop can become tiring for both the homeschooling parent as well as the student. Sometimes the parent feels that by finishing up all the written study work in the morning and keeping the afternoon relatively free is a good system. While this may sound good once in a while, most homeschooling students do not want to study non stop for five hours in the morning only to have nothing to do in the afternoon. They would rather take small breaks between all the tasks that they have to do all through the day.
Breaks are Part of Your Schedule
Just as important as covering your subjects may seem to you, breaks are also important. In fact you need to schedule in the breaks that you will take each day. Without a break you will find that your children’s ability to concentrate will suffer. They will become tired and get irritable when you suggest that they do some more writing work. You can ensure that they get enough down time by sprinkling in enough breaks through the school day.
20 Minutes is Optimum
It is a good idea to take a short break once you have finished with a subject or topic that you have scheduled to cover in your homeschool classroom. Ideally speaking a 20 minute break, outside the homeschool classroom spent doing something fun, is optimum. These breaks serve as a refreshing and rejuvenating period between otherwise demanding classes. You will find that when you return to the homeschool classroom your homeschool students will perform better after a break.
Don’t Let Anything Interrupt Your Break Schedule
There are some days when things are not exactly going as planned in the homeschool class room. The students are taking longer to finish their written work, or someone is just not interested in the assignment that has been given out. Maybe there has been a discipline issue, or household chores like laundry, baths, and making lunch have taken more time than they should have. The reason why you are running behind in the academic schedule does not matter. In such a situation you will be tempted to delay or cut short a break. Don’t do that as a break is likely to prove more therapeutic under such circumstances to both you and the children.
