by Angela Lasch
Jun 9, 2025
It's been a few years since I was still homeschooling, but I always remember the mixed feelings I would have beginning in early May. On the one hand, I was ready to be done, take a break, sleep in, and have no more lesson plans to prepare, but on the other hand, guilt would begin to seep in, and I would have these thoughts: But we didn't finish all the lessons! We have more books to read! There were some math concepts we didn't quite grasp! If we don't do school through the summer — they might fall behind!! Can you relate to any of those thoughts about now? Looking back, I'm so glad we always took a break. Summer should be a time for sleeping in, allowing your kids to "be bored," and most importantly, resting! Did you know it's biblical to rest? God gave us a model of rest in Genesis 2:2-3: And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Jesus gave us the example of resting and renewal in Mark 6:31 "And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." We have different seasons in our lives according to Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To everything there is a season." Let summer be your season of rest! Rest isn't just good for the body; it's good for your mind, too! During the school year, we are constantly on the go, planning the lessons, driving to the next activity, juggling multiple schedules, and keeping up with life. Summer is a perfect time to take a break when the activities begin to slow down. Find time to pray and seek God's guidance for the next school year. It allows you to reevaluate what you've done and what you still want to do. If you don't give yourself that chance to rest, it leads to burnout. Rest is also important for your kids. They need unstructured time. This can be difficult in our day and age when our schedules are packed full seven days a week. Kids need to be bored! They need to learn to be creative, use their imaginations, and not be told what to do with every minute of their day. If you still aren't sure, consider the following: Do you feel exhausted? Physically and mentally? You need to take a break. You need rest in order to care for your family. If you are worried about falling behind, remember God's grace covers all areas of our lives and our children's education. Taking a break can strengthen your family and allow you to create wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Just like park days and field trips, what you do on your summer break will be what your kids remember as adults, not that you finished the last page in the 4th-grade math curriculum. If you absolutely feel you must do "educational" things over the summer, then consider the following: Nature exploration and outdoor learning Family projects and life skills Reading for pleasure (not assignments) Travel and cultural experiences Service opportunities and character-building Creative pursuits and hobbies Prayerfully consider what rest looks like for your family, and then give yourself permission to pause from formal academics and enjoy your time with your kids! You only get around 18 summers with them; make them count! And be on the lookout for upcoming CHEA blogs as we will give ideas on what to read (for fun) and more ideas on what to do this summer. Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (NLT)
