Homeschooling While Moving Tips
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We recently moved from Washington to North Carolina and one of the questions we were asked most frequently was how we were managing to homeschool during the move. I’ll be honest. Homeschooling while moving can be tricky. You are one person and can not do it all, all of the time.
We have moved many times (thanks Air Force!) and it is always exhausting. There is so much to do – finding a new home, preparing the current home for sale, and packing. SO MUCH packing! All of that work is in addition to regular life – working, cooking, and cleaning. Oh, and of course homeschooling.
It would be great if we could manage a move while homeschooling without skipping a beat, but that just isn’t realistic. One of the great benefits of homeschooling is that we have the flexibility to create our own schedule.
Homeschooling while moving looks different from what we usually think of as homeschooling. That is okay though! Think of this transition as emphasizing the HOME part of homeschooling.
Homeschooling While Moving Tips
It is okay to take a break
It really is okay to take a break from homeschooling while moving. You do not need anyone’s permission to stop teaching for a few days or even a few weeks. Homeschooling can happen 365 days of the year. There is nothing magical about following the public school schedule. Just because a September – June schedule works for many families doesn’t mean it has to work for your family. You are in charge and get to set your schedule however you want.
My family took about a month off during our most recent move. We didn’t have plans to move when I originally set my curriculum map, but that is okay. We adjusted as necessary. I originally planned to finish teaching at the end of May. Now I’ll just teach until the end of June. We can read by the pool just as well as we can on our living room couch. Protecting my family’s sanity was more important than pushing us to stick to an arbitrary schedule.
Look for natural learning opportunities
Another benefit of homeschooling is that our kids have lots of opportunities to engage in real life. The moving process can be an education in itself. Let your kids be involved. Moving provides natural learning opportunities for math, economics, organization, and even a little psychology.
My kids were very involved in this move. They tagged along when we went house hunting, helped plant fresh flowers for curb appeal, and even packed up their rooms. Hannah and Ben are old enough now that they listened in to discussions with our realtors and about the finances involved in buying/selling a home. We also stopped for field trips along the drive from Washington to NC.
Take educational breaks
At some point in the moving process, you are going to need to take a break. Your muscles will be sore and you will be sick and tired of looking at boxes. Sometimes our breaks were just a few hours in the middle of the day. Other times we took an entire day ‘off’ of moving. My husband and I tried to take breaks that were a little more intellectually stimulating than just watching television. Museums, library events, and even parks are great options.
My daughter and I enjoyed checking out our new local used book store when our muscles needed a break from lifting heavy furniture up the stairs at our new home. We would sit in our favorite coffee shop and quietly read our new books. This little outing gave us the mental and physical break that we needed.
Listen to audiobooks
Audiobooks are a great way to passively soak up information. We listened to audiobooks while we drove from Washington to North Carolina. Many libraries offer digital audiobooks that can be downloaded right to your phone via the Overdrive app. They will be automatically returned when they are due, which is helpful when life is busy. Some of the audiobooks were just for fun, but others were my sneaky attempt at squeezing in a little learning.
Do you have any other homeschooling while moving tips?
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