A Midyear Reflection for Homeschooling Parents

waiting to see what bubbles up in the stillness

In my homeschooling family, we've slowed down this past few weeks. Icy roads and canceled plans made for a generous swath of cozy days at home -- which we filled with board games, Legos, music, reading, baking and more. Happily, we also spent quite a few of our unexpected free hours at the sewing machine! My two girls (7 and 10) saw me at work there for the first time in years and both begged for lessons, then sewed dolls and zippered pouches. I'm so grateful to the weather - to the winter - for that affluence of time, without which we never would have dived into sewing.

For homeschooling parents, these slower days are essential. The rest of the year we tend to run ourselves a bit ragged with regular parenting plus school. And many of us do other part time work on the side. It can be too much.

For all homeschooling parents (all caregivers!) we wish you a midyear wintertime moment to slow down, reflect, and see what bubbles up in the stillness. Here are some prompts to inspire you:

Celebrating Wins

1. In what areas has your child made the most progress?  What supported this growth?

2. Which content/work/experiences most sparked your child’s engagement this semester?

3. In what moments did you feel most confident as a homeschooler and/or teacher?

Learning From Mistakes

4) Which content/work/experiences felt flat?

5) Which homeschooling routines or rhythms slipped and need a refresh?

Protecting Your Well-Being

6) What habits or patterns contributed to stress or fatigue?

7) What boundaries do you want to strengthen in the new year?

Prepping for Continued Growth

8) What skills or areas do you want to strengthen in the next few months?

9) What learning experiences would help you reach your goals?

These prompts are adapted from: https://moreland.edu/resources/blog-insights/10-reflection-questions-every-teacher-should-ask-mid-year by Hannah Sparling 12/22/25