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FALL 2019
HOMESCHOOL IOWA 5
This Year’s Homeschool Bucket List
JENN WARREN, EDITOR
N
ew books, new planners, new Ticonderoga pencils, new notebooks,
new homeschool year, and the same old bucket list.
Our annual homeschool bucket list is always the same:
• Stick to a schedule
• Allow room in that schedule for flexibility
• Memorize new Scriptures and review old ones
• Take time every day to pray
• Pursue academics, but prioritize relationships
• Look for opportunities to be kind
• Read lots of books
• Take field trips
• Plan for sunshine days
• Bake something as often as possible
• Ask questions when you get stuck
• Share the things you learn that make you excited
• Do your best
• Clean your room
• Family game night!
The things on this tired old bucket list are the things that keep our family
going in the right direction. They are the daily things that remind us of what
is most important, of what we must do to fullfil our responsibilities.
We have another bucket list. That one is full of places we want to visit,
things we want to try, goals we have set, and dreams we share. But we’ve
learned that without the practical bucket list in place, helping us to keep our
priorities straight, the fun bucket list never happens.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of making plans, creating bucket
lists, and dreaming of all the big and exciting things we would like to do with
our families! It’s also easy to fall from those heights of excitement to depths of
discouragement when we get a few weeks into our school year and sickness
comes or vehicles break down or a wind storm causes havoc at our homes or
our plans with friends fall through and the bucket list of exciting things sits
on the shelf collecting dust.
When we were new to this homeschool life, I regularly found myself in those
depths of disappointment. Then I lowered my expectations and I found peace.
I learned that keeping a simple bucket list of attainable goals helped to keep
me from feeling like I was failingmy kids. And because we are intentional about
keeping some fun things on that tried-and-true bucket list, we still have plenty
to look forward to each year as we enter our next school year.
Will you join me in keeping a simple bucket list? Here’s our family’s first memory
verse for the year to help you:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I ammeek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest
for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)