A Homeschooler's Guide to Thanksgiving!

Hello friends!!!  Happy Fall!!  This is one of my favorite seasons and I am so excited that Thanksgiving is just around the corner!  How about you?

I was making a list of things for our family to do to prepare for this Thanksgiving Day when I thought to share a list with you too!  Aside from the usual house cleaning chores, here are 8 ways a homeschooler can help their family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

1.   Clean your room.  Sometimes, the bedroom doors get closed when company comes over, but sometimes we need the extra space of a bedroom or playroom to play with the kids.  It's a great idea to keep your room clean even a week before Thanksgiving prep so that when your mom asks you to clean your room, it's already done!  You never know when you'll have extra surprise company who will need to stay in your room either.  This is a great task to do well before the crazy food prep begins.

2.   Make place cards and festive decorations.  This is another fun task to do well in advance because you may be busy helping in other areas the week of Thanksgiving.  You can even get all your siblings involved in this one.  You can come up with fun designs of your own or find adorable and free printables on the internet!  (Like this one!)

3.   Be available to run errands.  Do you have your driver's license?  If so, that's great!  I'm sure your parents would love if you're available to make a last minute run to the grocery store.  Even if you're already out and about with your own plans, try to check and see if they need anything before you head home.  

4.   Wash and press table linens.  This is something I forget about.  If you have some free time, it would be great to wash and iron a tablecloth that's been folded and wrinkled in a box or drawer.  This is a quick task that can enhance the look of your Thanksgiving table by another degree!

5.   Find things for the kids to do.  Because my sister and I are often helping my mom in the kitchen before Thanksgiving dinner, sometimes the visiting children are left to their own devices in the playroom.  Try to find and set out a few things they can stay occupied with such as board games, coloring pages, and activities.  For bonus points, create a fun game or craft that is Thanksgiving themed!  (There are lots of great ideas and quick printables on Pinterest.)  One other fun thing to have is a paper tablecloth on the kids' table.  Put some crayons in a cup and let them create a fun, festive, fall, design!

6.   Put together a Thanksgiving music playlist.  If you don't listen to Christmas music this early, put together a playlist on your iPod, Spotify, or find a station on the radio to play in the background during the evening.  

7.   Give Thanks and be charitable.  The holidays can be a stressful and hectic time but let's try to do our best to be helpful and charitable.  A lesson I learned many years ago in the Little Flowers Girls Group was to complete assigned chores and tasks cheerfully, promptly, and completely.  Let's try to do all our chores this way for the love of God and in thanksgiving for all the blessings we've received. 

8.   Finally, have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!!

~Sarah

(This article was originally published on The Life of a Homeschooler)