6 Tips for a Successful School Year

• 
• Tweet
• Sumo

• 
• Tweet

Dressed up with flowers for a new year.

Here we are, at the beginning of another school year.  We have sharpened our pencils, worked out our plans, and dreamt our dreams.  We are as prepared as possible to meet our goals but, as usual, God may have different plans.

Here are 6 tips that will make the year a success no matter what happens to our plans:

Regularly read the Bible and pray.  In our family we read a short portion of the Bible after every meal and we also pray before and after meals.  There are many other ways of making devotions work for your family, but the most important thing is to make this your top priority, both personally and as a family.

Take good care of your bodies.  Make sure you and your children eat well, are active, rest enough, and spend time outside.  These are not optional for a successful school year because they contribute to learning, memory, and creativity as well as to health.

When it is time to work, work diligently.  Have your books, pencils, and other supplies available so your family does not waste time looking for things instead of learning.  If you’re a person who plans, have your plans up to date; if you prefer to go with the flow, ensure you are full of zest for whatever learning will come up.

Adjust your homeschool plans and goals if they are not working.  Sometimes life happens, or we have made foolish plans.  On the other hand, just because you’re going through a rough patch may not mean you need to change plans or curriculum.  It takes wisdom to know when to change and when not to.

Simplify your home chores and teach your children how to do them.  This will make your home more pleasant and your meals more nutritious.  It will also prepare your children for adult responsibilities. Learning basic living skills has great benefits throughout life.

Be grateful to God for whatever he sends you, love each other, and smile.  Yes, sometimes God sends hard things, but they are for our good.  Yes, sometimes we get frustrated with each other, but that’s an opportunity to learn to forgive, accept forgiveness, and restore our relationships.  Yes, sometimes it is hard to smile, but it means a lot to the people around us if we moms go through our days joyfully.

If we remember these 6 simple ideas and work on them every day, our year will be successful in the ways that matter most.  May God bless our families in the upcoming school year.

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers, Finishing Strong , and Trivium Tuesdays as well as the Carnival of Homeschooling.