Reflecting on This Year: Wins, Challenges, and What I’m Changing
We're hitting that point in summer where the previous school year is definitely behind, and the upcoming school year is quickly approaching. I'm caught in between the desire to soak up all the summer fun and dive head first into all the planning and prep for a new school year! How many of you are in that same space?
In the in between, it's important that I take a moment to pause and reflect. I’m learning that reflection is not about being critical—it’s about being curious. What worked? What didn’t? What is God asking us to release or carry forward?
💛 What Worked This Year
Honestly, there were so many sweet moments I want to hold onto. A few highlights:
Morning time was a win. Starting our days with Scripture, prayer, and conversation set the tone for peace and connection. We didn’t always do it perfectly, but when we did, I noticed a major difference in our home atmosphere.
Carving time for connection. The flexibility to dive deep into a topic and explore it with conversation, books, or whatever research we could come up with was big. For someone who tends to be a little (ahem, or a lot!) Type-A, I've learned that letting go of "perfect" expectations for the unplanned can truly bring so much beauty
Focusing on growth over goals. My girls are fully in the 'tween years, and that has carried in BIG emotions, changes in friendships, ebbs + flows in maturity and boundaries, and more. (I feel like I need a coffee and deep breath just reflecting here!) We experienced a lot of pruning and refining individually, together, and within our community. I came to realize that this work was SO much more important for life than textbook work and hitting goals in a check list.
😅 What Didn’t Work So Well
Of course, not everything was an Insta-worthy moment. Some things just didn’t fit our family this year—and that’s okay.
Too much on my plate. I can be the queen of over-committing. I love to serve, though, sometimes it serves my ego and I take it a hit. And, my M.O. when things get tough is not to retreat, but do more! Because maybe somehow that'll fix it?! 🤪 Ha. My goal this next year is to try to say "no" more.
Adding in more curriculum. I love the ages my girls are at and wanted to do more hands on experiments, art projects, and lots creative stuff... more, more, more. (See a pattern here?!) But, rather than adding fun to our weeks, it added overwhelm and I had to let my expectations slide.
Trying to multitask too much. Teaching, running a home, managing meals, business, faith, fitness, and changing hormones for us all—it’s a lot. I found myself distracted and short-tempered on days more days than not. I also have lost some of the time-management skills I prided myself in in the past. Add in the above two points and it made for an overwhelmed, often overstimulated mom and wife. Lessons learned!
🛠️ What I’m Changing for Next Year
The beauty of homeschooling is that we’re not stuck. Every year is new, different and we get to grow, adapt, and try again—with grace. Here’s what I already know I want to shift for our next season:
Simplify our schedule. We’ll be saying “no” more often to the things we feel "obligated" to do, so we can say “yes” to peace, margin, and fun. (Gosh, I want to bring the joy back!)
A grace-filled approach vs all or nothing. Our next year holds some major changes, and with that, I can't fully anticipate what our days will look like until we're in them. I'm already prepping my mindset to chill out, become a little more Type-B, and maybe even tattoo "grace" to my forehead.
Prioritize rest and rhythms. Instead of planning the whole year at a glance we'll be taking it a quarter at a time, while also instituting intentional breaks, reflection, and celebration- for my kids and myself. That means finding joy on the daily in the small things, and not waiting until burnout to press pause.
💬 Let’s Chat, Mama
Have you taken time to reflect on your homeschool year? What felt life-giving? What needs to change?
You’re not behind. You’re not alone. And you don’t need to carry it all on your own shoulders.
I’d love to hear about your wins and lessons, too—comment below or shoot me a message on Instagram. Let’s keep growing in grace together.
