Now that my homeschool year is over, I’ve been reflecting on what went well and what didn’t. I have compiled a list of mistakes I won’t make again next year:

1. I didn’t stick to a schedule.

I started off with a great plan, a wonderful schedule, and a fantastic organizational system. Then, I let everything slide right down into the proverbial toilet. (Guess who’ll be doing school this summer?)

2. I let the monkeys run the circus.

How I ever let them take charge, I simply don’t know. I think a lot has to do with my thinking I’m Supermom and can do it all.

3. I expected too much.

I elevated my aspirations of education beyond what my child could reasonably do.

4. I became distracted by the everyday.

My personal focus and interest in school waned when I became overwhelmed with day to day tasks.

5. No wasn’t in my vocabulary.

I said, “Yes,” to too many non-school things.

So how am I going to prevent these five mistakes from reoccurring next year? Here’s my plan.

1. I will stick to my plans.

Like I said, I had a wonderful schedule and organizational system at the beginning of the year. I had an assignment notebook that I filled every weekend with the next week’s work. Last year, when things didn’t get completed, I just carried them over to the next week. Not this next year.

NEW RULE: If schoolwork isn’t completed Monday-Friday, Saturday work will be assigned.

I will make it clear, that my weekend won’t be ruined. I did my work and I’ll enjoy a couple of days off, but the offender will sacrifice free time. There’s plenty of time during the week to accomplish the assignments.

2. The monkeys will no longer run the circus.

There will be a plan and that plan will be worked. I’m ringmaster of this big top, and I’m going to start acting like it. This house will be cleaned (by the monkeys), and they will know their place. If they happen to forget, I’ll get the lion tamer’s whip after them.

NEW RULE: You will follow the rules of the house or suffer the consequences.

The main way to keep peace and order around here is with systems, routines, and lists. Creating a master list of chores will help the monkeys understand their place and what’s expected of them. It will also leave less time for them to be lazy.

3. I will not overload my monkeys with school.

Actually, it’s just one monkey. I’m homeschooling only one now, but she has learning disabilities and I pushed too hard. I forgot that homeschool is supposed to be customized per individual (something I preach regularly), but I expected too much from her. I’ve scaled back my expectations and her school work.

NEW RULE: Set my monkey up for success in school—not destroy her love for learning.

She does love to learn, and has high aspirations of being veterinary technician. My objective is to encourage this success, not force too much too soon. Her education road may be a little longer to travel than others, but that’s okay.

4. I will not be distracted by an overwhelming chore list.

Being overwhelmed by all the daily task caused me to shut down this school year. I just couldn’t keep up with all the housework, homeschooling, errands, activities, and meal preparation. This is one reason my cute little monkeys took over.

NEW RULE: Family members will be responsible for household chores.

By scaling back what I do daily, as well as implementing a new basic chore system over the summer will allow all of us to acclimate easier when the new school year arrives.

5. I will say no more often.

Last year, we started the year off with several outside activities. I just couldn’t refuse these great opportunities to get out of the house and socialize. We all burned out very quickly.

NEW RULE: Only one outside activity of my little monkey’s choosing.

By reducing the selected outside activity to only one will reduce my time on the road, and increase our time actually doing school work which is the goal of homeschooling.

Now that I have my basic plan already in place, I can start planning that fantastic curriculum without the mistakes from last year haunting me.

Historical movies are one of my favorite high school tools. Students aren’t merely entertained by them; they also learn facts about history that would otherwise get lost in a dry lecture. Below are ten of my favorite history movies that complement The Mystery of History Volume IV.

Please note, a couple of these movies are rated R. I personally have reviewed them and found them to be acceptable for my family. When dealing with topics of war, it’s impossible to sugar-coat the atrocities levied against individuals. An example is World War 2. An accurate depiction of Hitler’s demoralization of the Jews typically cannot be portrayed in movie with a PG rating.

The Patriot

Set in South Carolina, The Patriot depicts the struggle of a colonial farmer played by Mel Gibson who supports the crown but eventually fights for freedom. This movie is rated R for war violence.

Chariots of Fire

The story is of missionary Eric Liddell and his 1924 Olympic win as well as his struggle as a missionary. It won four Oscars in 1982 and is rated PG.

Gandhi

Sir Ben Kingsley plays the lead role in this inspiring film of a simple Hindu lawyer, Mohandas Gandhi, who brought freedom to India. It won six Oscars in 1983 and is rated PG.

Unbroken

Louis Zamperini was a participant in 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Several years later, he finds himself in a Japanese POW camp. This movie shows his determination to survive no matter the adversity. Angelina Jolie directed this PG13 rated movie.

The Pianist

This is one of my favorite movies. It tells the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, an accomplished composer and pianist and a Polish Jew. The only reason he survived World War 2 was because of the kindness of an officer in the German army. Directed by Roman Polanski, with Adrian Brody portraying Szpilman, this movie won three Oscars in 2003. This movie is rated R for subject matter and war violence.

Redtails

This action-packed World War 2 film centers around the Tuskegee Airmen and the discrimination they faced until they proved their abilities. There is alcohol consumption and some language. Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Terrance Howard star in this PG13 rated movie.

Flyboys

Flyboys is fighter pilot movie set in World War 1. Before America entered The Great War, American men volunteered with France to pilot a new war instrument—airplanes. Flyboys tells the story of one group of young men taking on this extremely perilous role as pilots. This movie is rated PG13. There is alcohol consumption.

End of the Spear

This movie is the continuation of Through Gates of Splendor. In 1956, Steve Saint’s father, along with four other missionaries were murdered by a native tribe in Ecuador. As an adult, Steve is able to reconnect with the tribe. This movie is rated PG.

Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Dawn recounts the true story of the 1993 crash of an American black hawk helicopter in Somalia. The pilot was taken captive and then rescued. This movie is very accurate and rated R. There is a lot of bad language.

Night Crossing

This Disney movie tells the true story of an East German family and their 1979 escape to West Germany in a homemade hot-air balloon. I remember seeing this movie as a child, and it has stayed with me all these years. This movie is rated PG.

Burnout is a real, and scary situation for any mom, but for homeschool moms, burnout is a tragedy. Homeschool moms tend to be more than everything to their family.

• They are the primary caretakers for all children in the household
• They are primary educators for all children in the household
• They are the primary transportation to activities, outside lessons and sporting events
• They are coordinator of all activities both inside and outside the household
• They are nurses to the ill
• They are cooks for the hungry
• They are keepers of the laundry
• They are on call 24/7 and expected to respond to any emergency or minor situation with a smile

This list above is not exhaustive. There are so many other roles moms play within and outside the household that I can’t name them all. And what do these moms earn in wages?

• Hugs & kisses
• Fits of rage when clothes aren’t ironed or clean
• Nasty attitudes when handing out school assignments that seem unpleasant or are unwanted
• Whining, crying, and gnashing of teeth when household chores are to be completed

So how do moms avoid losing their minds? How do they continue on when the laundry room is spilling over with dirty clothes and the sink is full of dishes? Here are five tips to help keep your sanity.

#1. Take a Brief Mommy Timeout

I promise, it’s okay to remove yourself from the stressful situation. Every now and again, between the laundry, kitchen, dog, cats, and both kids, I get totally overwrought. In those moments I take a timeout. It would be nice to take one minute for every year of my age, but if I did that, I might not get back up and do anything, or I’d fall asleep and lose a couple of hours.

Ten to twenty minutes is most often all you need. Lock the bedroom door, pop the earphones in, turn up the music loud enough to drown out the kids, and take a few deep breaths. You can close your eyes, but don’t fall asleep. You still have a full list to accomplish today.

 #2. Take Bubble Baths

This has become one of my favorite activities to indulge in after everything has settled down for the day. I’ve found some great de-stressing and sleep preparing bubble bath and bath soaks. Occasionally, I light candles and just chill out in the dark, or I read a book.

Tip: if you’re limited on time, but still want to de-stress with a bath, set a timer. 

#3. Exercise

I can hear the groaning already, “When do I ever have time to exercise?” I can relate. This year I plan to schedule a time to exercise. It doesn’t have to be a hard workout; you can go for a 30 minute walk around the block or mall, perform yoga, or do simple stretches. I find that doing just 30 minutes of activity helps me sleep better at night and be less grouchy through the day.

#4. Spend Time With God

There’s nothing better than bonding with your Savior. Praying and studying God’s word will give you an eternal perspective and take your mind off the trappings of this world. When you have your heart in the right place, the mounds of laundry and piles of dishes don’t look the same.

We need to keep our hearts focused on eternal things, not the temporary. If you believe you don’t have time to schedule another activity, the set a timer for 5 minutes in the morning and at bedtime to pray and read scripture. You will be amazed how that 10 minutes a day will give you refreshment.

To many of you, this list may seem trite. That is not my purpose. My purpose is to encourage you along this path that God has placed you. Some of these ideas may not work well for you, your family, or your lifestyle. If so, I encourage you to find your own five ways to relax and de-stress this year.

Keeping homeschool records has always been a chore for me because organization isn’t something I come by naturally. In fact, I’ve been known to thrive in chaos. This year, things will be different.

I was inspired to become better organized by creating a master containing weekly/daily assignments and grade records. Here are the items I used to create my master notebook:

• 1 ½ inch binder
• set of 6 dividers
• 6 pocket pages
• 10 self-adhesive book pockets (for index cards)
• grade record sheets

The very first thing in the binder will be the weekly checklist of assignments of everything that needs to be covered that week. Since I’m using Illuminations Year 6, that is the schedule we’ll follow.

Behind the weekly checklist will be 6 dividers each with a pocket page behind it. The dividers are labeled with each day of the week (Monday through Friday), and the last is labeled Completed. I chose cute dividers, but any will do. You can even repurpose file folders to serve as dividers. Just trim them to size and hole punch them!

Each daily divider will have a Daily Checklist behind the corresponding day. Further instructions will be found there along with any worksheets or activities to be completed. This is where the pockets come in handy. I won’t have to punch holes in every sheet I print because my daughter can place her completed work in the pocket behind the Completed tab. In the evening, I’ll review her work, and make adjustments for the following day.

On the backside of each divider, I placed two adhesive pockets. These pockets are perfect for index cards for vocabulary and Scripture memory verses. I can add more of these pockets if necessary.

Behind the last divider labeled Completed, I will keep grade sheets and completion logs. As I grade and check off my daughter’s work, I’ll be able to log the grade immediately. I created log/grade sheets for:

1. Literature (grade sheet)
2. WriteShop 1 (grade sheet)
3. Biology (grade sheet)
4. Word Roots (check off & grade sheet for quizzes)
5. Daily Grammar (daily check off sheet)
6. Scripture Reading and Memory Verse (daily check off sheet)

Grade sheets I printed:

1. The Mystery of History Vol. IV
2. North Star Geography
3. Math-U-See Epsilon

We are a couple of weeks into our school year and have already discovered our day running more efficiently due to this master notebook. Buttercup is able to look at her daily schedule, gather needed items, complete her work, and place it where I can locate it. No more asking for work, digging math sheets from under the sofa, or finding them scattered across her room.