Take Time Off to Refresh

Hello fellow homeschool moms! If you’re too busy to read this post, try listening to the audio version of it by clicking on the link at the bottom!

Take Time Off to Refresh

Do you find you need some time off from homeschooling to refresh? “Refresh” means to give new strength or energy to, to reinvigorate. I do find I need time to refresh, and for me, this time off comes in the summer. I find if I don’t really focus on the fact that I am trying to “refresh,” I can quickly make my summer look just like my homeschool year. Then, the “refreshing” never truly happens, and I return to homeschooling weary. “Refreshing” is both an adjective and a verb. As we Heart of Dakota moms know from teaching R & S English to our children, in very basic terms, an adjective describes and a verb is an action. I think both are important to our success of taking time off to refresh!

A Closer Look at “Refreshing” As an Adjective and As a Verb

According to Merriam-Webster, the adjective “refreshing” means having a renewing effect on the state of the body or mind, and it is the opposite of wearying. Some synonyms for the adjective “refreshing” are rejuvenating, restorative, reviving, and revitalizing. Other words related to “refreshing” are strengthening, corrective, therapeutic, beneficial, healthy, wholesome, and helpful. As far as I can tell, those are all good reasons to making this a part of our plan as homeschool moms!

According to Merriam-Webster, the verb “refreshing” means to bring back to former condition or vigor. Some synonyms for the verb “refreshing” are recharging, recreating, renewing, reviving, and restoring. Some words relating to “refreshing” are making over, overhauling, reclaiming, reconditioning, redesigning, redoing, rehabilitating, remodeling, and replenishing.

What does the opposite of “refreshing” look like?

Well, now let’s take a look at what the opposite of “refreshing” looks like. Some antonyms for “refreshing” are deadening, debilitating, draining, exhausting, numbing, sapping, weakening, wearying, unhealthy, and unwholesome. Yikes!  Now, those are some things we definitely want to avoid!

When is the last time you took real time to refresh, and what did you do?

We can all see from these basic definitions, synonyms, and antonyms that this is important to do. So, when was the last time you took time off from homeschooling to refresh? And what did you do? Did you really stick to “refreshing,” or did you just turn that time off into a wearying time? What is refreshing to one person is not refreshing to another. Figuring out what really fills your tank is important.

A Few Things I Have Found to Be Refreshing

I love God’s creation, and I also love to exercise – not the kind of exercise that is over-the-top training for something special though. Being on-the-move in motion is more my kind of exercise! Listening to podcasts, like Joyce Meyer’s Everyday Living, is soul-filling to me. So, one of my very favorite things to do is walk in the morning down our beautiful country road, while listening to Joyce’s podcast. I also love Christian praise music, so starting my day with a favorite playlist and good strong coffee fills my soul! Another thing I truly love is an organization project. Put a label-maker and some clear tubs in my hand, and I am one happy person! Morning Bible devotions are special to me too! Right now, I am reading through the Bible in a year. Love it! So, try your hand at finding what is truly refreshing to you, and see what you discover!

Don’t forget, our children need time to refresh too!

As you go about taking time to refresh, remember, our children need time for this too! They need time to do things they love that are not school related. While our summer break can be a great time to do extra learning, I either forego the extra learning or pick one important thing to do. For example, multiplication fact practice, typing instruction, or one unit in DITHOR are things I have had our children do in the summer. However, the rest of the summer break is a time for our kiddos to refresh too.

I purposely don’t micromanage their days. Rather, I look at our summer break as a time for them to try their hand at structuring their free time. Oh, they do have jobs, and there is mowing, of course. I do have them work into their day outdoor time, free reading time, and free time to do things with each other. But, there is lots of free time to figure out what to do! I think this is actually a skill lacking in kiddos today. They don’t know what to do with their free time! They’re too used to their every moment being planned.

A Few Things Our Sons Have Found to Be Refreshing

Each of our sons refreshes in different ways, though some overlap. Two of our sons love to read! Each can often be found with book in hand reading. Another son loves to tinker in the garage. He took my label maker to town and organized his own shop area! Another remodels nerf guns and set up shop in the basement. Still another son ordered a basketball training program to work out each day. Two took up running on the treadmill. A different pair set up an epic worldwide Axis and Allies board game to play together all summer long. Another son loves riding his three-wheeler and mowing (yes, I did say mowing – what’s not to love about that?). Shore fishing is yet another special activity for one son, and the list goes on! So, have your kids try their hands at what they find refreshing! See what they discover!

In Christ,

Julie

Click on the play button below to listen to the audio version of this post! Hope you enjoy this!