Having decided to embark on the home schooling pathway there are a myriad of decisions you must make. You have equipped a suitable learning area, purchased necessary equipment, invested in a good efficient computer system, installed a fast internet connection and things are running quite smoothly.  Your child then asks about the up and coming school vacation – “hey mum – Johnny has school vacation next month - can I too ”  ?  Well – a very sensible logic question to be asked!

So you ask yourself - should you study continuously, take a number of short breaks or a long vacation? What about public holidays? When should you take a break?

The answer to these questions and many more like these are actually quite simple: Do whatever suits you best. This is one of the appealing benefits of Home-schooling. You do not have a set pattern to follow. You do not HAVE to take that autumn break, or close shop for a prolonged summer vacation. Flexibility is the key here. For some practiced unschoolers, even a definite curriculum is not necessary because lessons are a part of their day- to-day life. But this may not be the case with beginners. Beginners may need to chart out their activities to fall into a pattern.

Before you plan the structure of your classes, consider some of the most important issues. What method of Home-schooling will you be following, what is your teaching style and your child's learning style, what are the work and play schedules, what are your vacation plans. Some families plan small 1-week vacations at different times of the year. Other families prefer to go away for a month or more. Consult with the members of your family, and chart out a holiday schedule that most suits you.

There are some positive benefits in following the traditional summer vacation schedule. Firstly, your children can benefit from the various summer activities, camps and classes. Your child's schedule will coincide with that of his school-going friends. A summer job may be possible. A longish summer break also means that both parents as well as children get a break from their daily lessons. This could also be a major drawback, as it is sometimes difficult to get back on track once the classes resume.

On the other hand, there are some advantages to taking numerous small breaks in the course of a year. Firstly, children do not get bored since they get time to explore other interests. You can cover more topics in the extra time that you save. You can also take family trips and vacations during the less popular periods of travel. This means lesser crowd and better prices. But beware if your child becomes restless when other children are enjoying their long summer vacations.

So in summary – as a home schooling parent – the choice is yours. You, your child and your family are in charge- after all you made the choice to home school, now be in control of it. The dates of terms are flexible to suit your needs, why not take your holiday away during off-peak season and save a few dollars hey!  Of course – this shouldn’t be done in an ad-hoc manner and should be planned from the beginning of the year so your child understands that breaks and holidays cannot be taken on a whim.