Tip of the Week: Set Deadlines
The fifth and final tip of the week that is foundational to your success as a home school parent is that of setting deadlines.
Setting deadlines for work, projects, tests, quizzes, etc. gives you and your children something to aim for. If you don’t set deadlines, your daily experience is likely to feel like a home school version of the old movie, Ground Hog Day, always doing it, doing it, doing it, but never quite arriving or finishing.
Without deadlines, there is likely to be no sense of urgency or need. You could find yourself schooling year round (that could be your intention, but most of us need a break), still looking at the same math text for the second year in a row, or wondering if this will be the year your 20 year-old will graduate.
Deadlines are a part of adult life. They force you to make changes in what you’re doing in order to get something done. Taxes are due by a certain date. Employers expect employees to show up for work on time. Participating in certain sports requires meeting specific fitness goals on time.
Deadlines provide the context for developing a disciplined lifestyle.
Deadlines discourage laxness.
Deadlines enable you to see “the light at the end of tunnel,” as in a date you decide will mark the conclusion of home school and the beginning of summer vacation.
Deadlines give your student the opportunity to experience the giving of that “extra push” to meet a due date for a big assignment.
Set and use deadlines. Doing so will benefit your students long after home schooling is over.
That’s the tip of the week!
Curt Bumcrot, MRE
Basic Skills is looking to hire a PDP advisor! We are looking for an individual who has experience working with special needs and learning disabilities, is familiar with common homeschool curriculum, and has a bachelor’s degree or higher. The advisor will help families write and oversee a privately developed plan for their child with special needs or learning disability. For more details and to apply, visit basicskills.net/jobs
