The holiday season has come to an end, and the New Year is upon us. For many children, this can be a time of joy mixed with anxiety and overwhelm. There is pressure to get back into routines after taking time off from school and learning. While most parents simply send their children back to their local school, homeschooling families are presented with different challenges.
Homeschooling children are with their parents most of the time, which can be wonderful, but also frustrating. In this post, we share some ideas to help you and your children ease into the New Year as a homeschool family.
Create and practice routines before the New Year begins
Christmas break is the perfect time to put into practice any new routines you wish to create for your children going into the New Year. Children thrive on structure and routine, so if you plan to change things up during the second half of the school year, give them time to put the changes into practice. At Strike School, our teachers recognize this need for routine and structure, and will help you and your family create a plan that will work for your children. Many of our teachers work with families to create schedules and assignment checklists to keep students on track with coursework.
Build in time to relax throughout the day
If you plan to incorporate new schedules or routines into your homeschool day, a great way to ease into the New Year is to make sure you have downtime during the day. It’s important to remember that younger children need more frequent breaks, but older children benefit from them as well. Here are some examples of activities you can do during the school day that may help you relax: Take a walk, go for a hike, play outside, read a book for pleasure, play a board game, listen to music, or color.
Reflect on and revisit your goals from the beginning of the school year
You have the autonomy to change whatever you feel isn’t working in your homeschool program. One way you can do this is by reflecting on your and your children’s goals from the beginning of the school year. One of our teachers, Ms. Helton, has this to say about reflecting: “The New Year (and the break before it) provides a great opportunity to reflect. What has been working? What hasn’t? How can we make changes, even small ones, that allow us to play to our strengths and build on our successes?”
Help your children create small, attainable goals
If you do plan to change goals or make new ones with your children, it’s good to remember that smaller goals are better. Determine just one or two new goals that you can help your children implement. Also, when planning goals, consider making them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. For example, if you want your child to read more, create a goal that is attainable and measurable, but also specific enough that it will help your child accomplish what you have created. This worksheet is helpful for creating and tracking SMART goals.
Plan for some fun learning activities
A clever way to ease into the New Year is by creating some fun learning opportunities for your children. Children can still learn without strictly engaging in academic work, such as sitting through a math or English lesson. A great example of this is when one of our teachers, Mrs. Woods, had her Virtual Classroom students complete a virtual Harry Potter-themed escape room. Students worked together as a team to solve puzzles based on the Harry Potter series. The escape room utilized skills such as communicating, problem-solving, word decoding, and sorting. Mrs. Woods’ example shows one way you can still allow children to learn while having fun as they acclimate to school again.
Let us help you and your family ease into the New Year with an amazing teacher and online homeschool program. We offer affordable and flexible learning choices for families and would love to help you get started. Consider enrolling with us today!
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION OFFER ALERT!
Get 90% OFF your first month’s tuition!
This is our biggest invitation yet, designed specifically to help new families experience the flexibility, support, and community that make Strike School so unique. 
The Details:
Start Date: Valid for new enrollments starting as early as January 5th.
Eligibility: Available for new students only.
The Goal: To give your student the best possible start to the second semester!
Are you ready to make 2026 their best school year yet?
