Less is MORE

It’s back to school time.

Lately everywhere I turn in blogworld, especially in the corner that houses homeschooling families, everyone is getting ready to start schooling their kids.

I decided to sit down today and gather ideas from other people, which I like to do every couple of months.

I noticed something interesting:

At first, you get really excited seeing all these ideas.

Then a slow dread tries to climb onto your back as you unconsciously find yourself comparing with these families, and then the next thing you know, you start thinking: I’m not doing enough.

You begin to think:“I need lapbooks this year. Tons of them. In fact, why haven’t I been doing that for the past 3 years??? And another thing, when am I going to get a school room. I need to make a room for school and paint the walls a cheery yellow that will inspire learning. I need a bookshelf. Twelve of them actually. The more the merrier. The truth is I just need more.”

And then I step back and say “Wait a minute! That’s not us. That’s not how we roll at this house.”

Here’s what works for us and why it works for us:

There’s no room for a school room in my house. We have a small house. We have a kitchen, living room, three bedrooms and bathroom all on one floor.

While a school room works for others, it doesn’t for us--it’s an impossibility.

So, where do I store school stuff?

On a bookshelf. Yep, one bookshelf.

(And, to be fair, a craft cupboard in the laundry room).

Ta-da!

Why?

Less is more.

At our house, the less we have, the more creative we are. New ideas emerge as we explore what we do have, and find every possible way to use what seems like a limited amount of resources.

I love ideas.

I love thinking of the possibilities that can come with one theme. I love to grow ideas, stretch them, try them out, adjust them, fix them, and try once more to see where an idea will go.

So, while I will use some of the ideas I bookmarked at other people’s blogs, I am looking forward to how we will be inspired with less. We seem to stumble upon our best ideas and create our favourite memories when we have little to work with.

My advice to homeschoolers this year: LESS is MORE.

You don’t need to do as much as you think you need to do. And it doesn't need to be what everyone else is doing either.

Focused LESS is Productive MORE.

And you can quote me on that.