Navigating Change: Supporting Your Family Through Homeschooling Transitions

Let’s be real—sometimes homeschooling feels like a beautifully choreographed dance… and other times it’s more like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle. May tends to bring a little of both. This is the season when many of us hit a wall—maybe we’re wrapping up a school year, moving into summer mode, or life just throws curveballs that knock everything off balance.

If you’re in the middle of one of those transition moments, I want you to hear this loud and clear: it’s okay to press pause. It’s okay to regroup, breathe, and even let go of formal lessons for a bit. In fact, it’s not just okay—it’s healthy.

One thing I’ve really leaned into lately is the idea that “deschooling” isn’t just for new homeschoolers. It’s for everyone. I always thought of deschooling as something you do when you first pull your kids out of public school—a time to unwind and unlearn the rigid structures that don’t serve us. But over the past two months, I’ve been living my own deschooling season, even as a longtime homeschooler.

We had a big move, followed by a family health emergency that turned everything upside down. School? It just wasn’t happening in the traditional sense. But you know what was happening? My kids rediscovered rollerblading around the neighborhood. They got deep into building with Duplos again—creating these wild, imaginative worlds I hadn't seen them dream up in a while. We snuggled up on the couch and read books together, and in those quiet moments, I realized: this is homeschooling too. Learning to adapt, to find joy and creativity when everything else feels hard, is one of the biggest lessons we can teach our kids.

Point number two? Talk with your kids. Really talk.

If your kids are old enough to notice that something’s off—whether it’s a move, a job change, a health crisis, or just the natural ups and downs of life—invite them into the conversation. I’ve been surprised by how perceptive my kids are, and how much it helps them (and me) when we name the hard stuff out loud. It’s tempting as parents to try to protect our kids from stress, but in my experience, when we ignore it, it bubbles up in other ways—meltdowns, resistance to school, general grumpiness.

So, we’ve been sitting down with our kids and saying things like, “Yeah, things have been a little crazy lately, huh? How are you feeling about it all?” We allow the emotions to come—sadness, frustration, fear—and instead of pushing them away, we look at them together and figure out what we can do. Sometimes that’s as simple as setting small goals (“Let’s read one chapter today and call it good”) or adjusting expectations (“We’ll take this week off and start fresh Monday”). The key is listening—really listening—and letting your kids know they have a voice in how your homeschool runs, especially during hard times.

Finally, here’s the third thing I’ve clung to: maintain the basics that are special to your family. Even when everything else is up in the air, those core routines and traditions bring so much comfort. For us, one of the non-negotiables is eating dinner together. Even if it’s on paper plates, even if we’re sitting on the floor in a new house surrounded by boxes, that time matters. It grounds us.

And you know what else? We give ourselves permission for fun downtime, too. Our little tradition is watching YouTube shows on Wednesday mornings before we get going for the day—midweek is when we’re all dragging, so we embrace it. Whether it’s Mark Rober, Dude Perfect, or Outdoor Boys, it’s a small thing that helps us laugh together and feel like a team.

These basics might look different for you. Maybe it’s a nightly walk around the block, a bedtime story ritual, or Friday afternoon baking sessions. Whatever it is, keep it. It’s those touchpoints that remind your kids (and yourself) that, even in the middle of change, your family’s love and connection is steady.

So if you’re in a season of transition right now, friend, know you’re not alone. It’s okay to pivot, to rest, to reset. And remember: homeschooling is so much more than a checklist of lessons. It’s a way of life—a flexible, living, breathing journey that can hold space for all the ups and downs life throws our way.