Seven Habits of Highly Effective New School Years

Trinity Prep School got us started and there are lots of good ideas in the folks linked there.  Here is my contribution.

1.  Get your prayer life in order.  You can’t do this alone.  Figure out when you’re going to spend some time with the Lord and doing a bit of spiritual reading every day as our PEP talk for the day!

2.  Get your house in order.  Nothing worse than trying to homeschool in a persistent state of mess.  Before you hit the books, get those messy shelves, drawers, closets and whatever else has been bothering you out of the way first.

3.  Get your kids in order!  Make sure they know what chores are expected of them and how to accomplish each chore and make it part of their normal routine.  Go over their schedule with them and set goals.  Let them be part of the process so that you can be a team.

4.  Get your records in order.  Be it online, on the computer or simple notes in a notebook, keep track of what you are doing everyday so that if you are ever challenged, you’ll be able to back yourself up.  As a side note, I was worried when that nut case threatened to turn me into CPS out of spite earlier in the summer, but I knew I had my records in order and I was ready for any challenge.

5.  Get your meals in order.  Seven years ago I use to do 30-day cooking.  I really miss that and if I ever get the money ahead, I’d like to go back to it.  In themeantime though, I have my ready repertoire of meals that I can whip up and I try to prepare menues a week ahead.  One of the first things I do every morning is get ready to prepare my dinner for the day.

6.  Don’t over extend yourself of the kids.  Just say no!

7.  Remember to live out the liturgical year. If we’re lucky, we get to live out the liturgical year only 80 times or so.  Only 18 or so with each child.  Make it count!  Join in the feasting, the fasting and the prayer life of the church!