Overcoming the Winter Slump

Do you struggle to get back into the swing of your homeschool routine after Christmas? Do all of the festivities (and sugar) leave your kids less than cooperative? Does the dreary, dark, cold weather zap your motivation to get going and make the most of your days?

I have this struggle every year and often lose a couple of weeks just trying to get back into the swing of things. I thought this year I would be proactive and create a plan to skip the slump and get the new year off to a strong start! Since I’m sure I’m not the only one with this struggle, I thought I would share my plan.

Work with the season.

In nature, winter is a time of dying back, pruning, turning inward, and conserving energy. Instead of fighting against the natural urge to do the same, work with it. No, I’m not saying to stay in bed all winter but plan your year around the weather. This is the time to do inside projects like that involved unit study that you don’t get done in the spring or fall when the weather is nice. Do lots of science experiments and art projects to keep things interesting while you are waiting for better weather. Have your kids double up on assignments in subjects that are primarily book-work so they have less to do when the weather turns nice again, and they want to be outside. Catch up on your personal craft projects and reading. If you embrace this chance to do these things now, you will enjoy spring activities all the more when the time comes for them!

Work with the weather.

Winter is cold. I have observed that many people fight against this fact, myself included. We don’t wear the right clothes or eat the right foods to accommodate the cold weather. Embrace the coats, boots, scarves, sweaters, and all of the other cold weather gear! Have fun creating your winter wardrobe! One thing I learned living in Germany was to wear enough clothes to be warm! Not just barely enough to prevent frostbite but keep layering until you are actually comfortable. Germans bundle up until they are practically sweating even if it is 15 degrees out!

Eat warm food and drink warm drinks! Serve hot chocolate, apple cider, and hot teas. Winter is the time for chili and soup. Challenge yourself to come up with new soup, chili, and hot drink recipes. Do tons of baking! The oven will help warm up the house and the smells will lift everyone’s spirits. Bake things to freeze so you don’t have to bake in the summer when you are trying to keep the house cool.

Set up your environment for success.

Offset the effects of the dreary weather by creating a warm, cozy environment inside. Turn on all the lights in the main areas of the house (this isn’t very ‘green’ but helps lift moods on dark days). Play upbeat music and diffuse some cheerful essential oils or heat some potpourri. If you have a fireplace use it, a warm crackling fire adds comfort and coziness. If the day is sunny, open the curtains and let in as much light as possible!

Tend to your health.

Cold weather doesn’t make people sick but being closed up in a house or building with stale air does contribute to the prevalence of illness during this season. Keeping yourself and your family as healthy as possible during winter will help prevent further interruptions that can make the winter slump worse. Take your vitamins, including extra vitamin D. (Most people are deficient in vitamin D—especially in the winter. You can ask your doctor to test it to be sure.) Drink plenty of water. Run humidifiers at night to offset the drying effects of your heater. Get yourself and your kids outside for at least a little bit as often as possible to get fresh air. If there is a particularly nice day, open the windows to air out the house. Keep chapstick and moisturizer handy to sooth dry, chapped skin. Make sure your family is washing their hands often, especially when out in public.

Hopefully these suggestions can help us all offset the winter blues and make the most of the cold months in our homeschool! Let’s all get all that bookwork out of the way so we can spend lots of time outside when spring blooms again!

Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent the winter slump? I would love to hear them in the comments!

Sabrina Scheerer is a homeschooling mother of five high-spirited children and an Army wife. Prior to motherhood, she worked in childcare and early education including roles as a daycare inspector, daycare center and home daycare director, preschool teacher, and trainer for childcare providers and directors. She has been involved with early childhood education for over 15 years. Sabrina earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Maryland and has graduate hours in human development plus countless hours of continuing education in early childhood and education. Sabrina has served as a Classical Conversations Director and tutor for her local communities and has taught classes for a local homeschool coop. She has extensive, personal experience using many different homeschool curricula. She is also actively involved in her church and community, volunteering with Operation Christmas Child, International Student Ministries, and AWANA as well as working as a local coordinator for an international exchange student program. In her free time, she enjoys crafts, reading, and raising critters on her small homestead. Sabrina blogs on parenting, faith, marriage, homeschooling, homesteading, and natural living at www.kidscrunchandchrist.com where her hope is to inspire and encourage mothers to live joyfully.