The day will come. It is inevitable. It often happens in about January, or if things go well, it might be as late as in March or April. But it will come. It is the day when, in spite of all your efforts, everything goes wrong.

The list is long of things that could happen that day. The flu could wipe out the entire family (except Mom, of course), the baby could stuff something up his nose requiring a trip to the doctor (where did he get that bean?), the washing machine breaks in the middle of your biggest wash day, someone (but no one confesses) stops up the toilet and it will take more than a plunger to fix the problem, the dog eats the lesson plans... Well, I am sure you have your own creative list. This is the day when the temptation looms large to hoist the white flag and rush the kids out to the nearest school bus stop the very next morning.

Regroup

May I propose an alternative? It is time to take a Teacher Workshop Day. "Professional" teachers do it. Why can't a homeschool mom do the same? After all, we are at least as professional in our commitment to do the best for our children. But there is the guilt factor-the guilty feelings we have if we are not doing "school" when we already feel behind for the year. Will the kids possibly finish that last workbook page before summer arrives? Only in a homeschool can the student have to repeat a grade because the teacher had trouble finishing the schoolwork!

Taking a day (more if you need it) to step back and regroup can do wonders for your attitude, not to mention your schedule. Rather than causing you to get further behind, the day can refresh you and give you the incentive you need to keep on keeping on. In fact, Teacher Workshop Days, planned in advance and incorporated into your schedule, can be a powerful tool to bring balance into your very busy life. Nevertheless, they happen by default when there is an emergency as well.

Ketchup Day

I named my Teacher Workshop Days "Ketchup Days," both for the pun "catch-up" and for the condiment. That day I planned a simple meal that took little to no preparation. Hot dogs were a favorite with my boys, hence the ketchup title. No matter what you serve, it is not the day to bake bread, try a new recipe, or have company that evening. Have a few, very simple meal ingredients or frozen meals on hand that you can take out for those emergency days.

Put aside major jobs around the house for the day unless a major job is what you have planned for your Ketchup Day. Do only the most essential chores. If a Ketchup Day is happening due to an emergency, you probably have your hands full dealing with the thing causing you to switch to Plan B. However, if your day is one you have planned, keep a list of non-emergency projects that allows you to select an item that you can accomplish that day. The list should include those "around-to-it" chores that you never seem to have time for, such as cleaning a closet, sorting through the kids' outgrown clothes, working on the pile of mending, sewing a new dress, reducing the size of the pile of papers on your desk or kitchen counter-the list is long, but it is most helpful when it contains at least some of those projects that you say you will get done but never do.

Whatever you choose to do, concentrate on that job for the moment and finish it. If it is a larger project, break it into parts so you can set it aside if absolutely necessary and come back to it another time or day. Enlist the children in the project if at all possible. If they are too young to help you, find a special toy, game, music, video, or project for them to do-something they do not do on a regular day around the house and something that does not require your full attention with them while they do it. A "special day" box of things assembled and only brought out on these occasions is fun for them.

If there is a mixture of ages in your family, let the older children do something special with the younger ones. If all your children are young, you might ask a grandparent or a friend to help you by watching the children and doing something special with them. Be willing to help your friend in the same way.

By dispersing Teacher Workshop Days throughout your school year, you actually accomplish more and rid yourself of that nagging feeling that there are so many things that you never seem to get done. You will not get it all done, but you will be able to look back over the school year and realize that you accomplished some of those never-have-time jobs.

EDIT Day

A similar day to Ketchup Day is EDIT Day: Easy Does It Day. The difference is that on EDIT Day you take the day (or part) to do something enjoyable. A few EDIT Days sprinkled through your school year can mean the difference in sanity at times. You have to plan these days or they do not happen! The rules are the same as Ketchup Day except that the goal is a relaxing break: simple meals, only necessary chores, fun things with the kids, maybe even a bubble bath or a nap if you can arrange your day properly.

Home education is not a "project," it is a lifestyle, and we are in it for the long haul. It is so easy to lose sight of that in the day-to-day routine. By pacing ourselves within our own schedule rather than one that others superimpose on us, we will more often be able to stay with Plan A rather than being forced to move to Plan B. It is the "professional" thing to do.

Originally Published in the THSC REVIEW © Texas Home School Coalition, May 2003. This article may not be copied or reprinted without written permission from the author and THSC (www.thse.org).

For more ideas on ways to organize your life visit our guide on Organization and Balance.