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Homeschooling Only One ~ The Homeschool Doldrums
1:19 AM, Feb. 15, 2008
This is an article I posted last year. Since it seems that every January or February there seems to come a time where the wind is not in our sails, I feel that it's a helpful column to repeat. ~~Donna dol·drums (dôl'drəmz', dôl'-, dŏl'-)
Fron the term's origin (my emphasis in bold):
doldrums (dŏl'drəmz) or equatorial belt of calms, area around the earth centered slightly north of the equator between the two belts of trade winds. The large amount of solar radiation that arrives at the earth in this area causes intense heating of the land and ocean. This heating results in the rising of warm, moist air; low air pressure; cloudiness; high humidity; light, variable winds; and various forms of severe weather, such as thunderstorms and squalls. Hurricanes originate in this region. The doldrums are also noted for calms, periods when the winds disappear, trapping sailing vessels for days or weeks.
It seems that almost all homeschoolers hit the Doldrums at one point or another in the year, but the most common months seem to be January and February. It may be because after the excitement of the holidays, there is a normal "let down" or slight depression. It may be that after taking a long break for Christmas (and some take both the end of November all the way thru December), it's just hard to jump right back into a normal routine or schedule.
I have mentioned easing back into your homeschooling schedule, by starting with one or two subjects and then adding a few more gradually, over a period of a few weeks. One could also start with a full schedule but with drastically shorter lessons for a week or two. Anything to help you & your child ease back into homeschooling will be helpful. Also, you can time it in such a way that you start receiving homeschool catalogs during this time. Even if you're not due to receive any right now, go online and request catalogs to be delivered as soon as possible. Just seeing what's new and available can breathe new life into your own plans. Perhaps you'll read about a method that you've not tried before which you can use the materials you have already, presenting them in a new and different way.
Some reading on one's own can be a boost for your homeschool, too. These can bring humor and helpful tips to you. The following are all three very good for this sort of reading.
   A Survivor's Guide to Homeschooling by Luanne Shackelford & Susan White
Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant-Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring
Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days (Share a Day with 30 Homeschooling Families) by Nancy Lande
Getting involved in your homeschool group can especially shake you out of your Doldrums. Go on a field trip, meet at the library, get out of the house and bring the "outside world" into your homeschooling plans. Just talking to other homeschool moms can help. This will be helpful also for those who may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), as having a committment of going somewhere or doing something may help their outlook.
And sometimes with the Doldrums, it just means you get out the oars and physically row yourself out of the Calms and back into the wind or the currents. Make a decision to "do" school, and do it. For some this can be next to impossible and for others, this is a typical day any time of the year. There are times where we all have to take a big breath and just take the first step, and that leads us to the next step, and the next.
May you have smooth sailing and fair winds in your homeschooling sails this winter!
 Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completes his homeschooling this year. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One five years ago, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC copyright © 2008 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed. Comments 
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