While we all want Advent to be a peaceful time of waiting for the coming of the Christ child, it is a challenge to fit in all the liturgical celebrations, preparations for Christmas, and homeschooling on top of everything else! 

Our consultants have decades of experience homeschooling and helping others to homeschool, so we asked for their ideas!

How do you schedule your homeschool time during the busy seasons of Advent and Christmas?

• We slow school down a little, especially for the little ones in the two weeks approaching break. With the older kids we do our best to keep moving forward so we don’t have to play catch-up during Christmas break.
• I try and get through week 16 in most subjects by second week of December. I may continue math/phonics through Christmas break.
• In addition to our Christmas break, we take December 8th and January 6th off.

What is your favorite Advent tradition to do with your kids?

• My kids of all ages have enjoyed the book Jotham's Journey. You read a little each day of Advent. It tells the story of a boy looking for his family at the time of Jesus' birth. Jotham ends up finding baby Jesus on the journey. It is very dramatic and keeps both boys and girls interested and begging for more.
• On December 6th we put our slippers in the hallway for St. Nicholas to leave chocolate coins. The children really love this tradition. We also make chicken enchiladas on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We love food!
• Years ago, my homeschool group had a Jesse Tree ornament exchange, where each family made tons of one ornament and then everyone ended up with a set. I still have those and they are a treasured memory of those people, as well as beautiful ornaments for the Advent season.
• This year I am planning on watching Season 2 of The Chosen with my family. We’re waiting for my children to come home from college to watch it together. I can’t recommend the show enough—it has been a real blessing for me and my family.
• We use the Advent Magnificat Companion daily, light the Advent wreath candles and pray the Christmas Novena, which begins on the feast of St. Andrew, Nov. 30.
• We would hang a Christmas panel with 24 ribbons and tie a family name or intention along with a candy cane or chocolate. Sometime during the day the child would untie the name or intention and say a prayer and eat the candy.
• We have begun the practice of ending each day at bedtime with the seasonal Marian Antiphon. At our parish, we began this year to sing the Marian Antiphon before Father processed out. It is so beautiful to hear a church full of people chanting these Marian prayers in Latin. Here is a link with YouTube videos if you want to give it a try.

How do you incorporate academics into Advent activities and Christmas prep?

• In Fine Arts, we would listen to sacred music while making and decorating a manger (we used a shoe box) and cutting out strips of hay from card stock. Each child had his/her own color to use throughout the season. Throughout the Advent season, as each student completed good school work and demonstrated good behavior, they would be able to add the pieces of hay to the manger.
• We would have scavenger hunts for catechism questions (or math problems, or lines of poetry, etc.) written on the strips of hay. Each child would hunt for his/her own color strips. After answering the questions or problems correctly, the children could add them to the manger.
• We would incorporate math, reading, etc. while waiting for Christmas. For example, while baking cookies, I wrote recipes in small increments for my children’s reading levels, put them in a sheet protector for them to read and check off each step. We would work on multiplication (doubling/tripling recipe), conversions, and more.
• We worked on budgeting by making grocery lists for a family Christmas party, going to the grocery store and following our list, comparing prices, etc. Younger children would be working on sequencing, following directions, etc. with his/her own list.
• We always read a spiritually enriching book in the evenings as a family. Sometimes we would read Catholic Advent devotionals.

Everyone at Mother of Divine Grace School wishes you a blessed and peaceful Advent season!