Homeschooling & Moving
This post is sponsored by College Dudes Help U Move (check out the bottom of the post for more info on this company!). For more information on post sponsorship, check out my disclosure policy.
You’re busy parenting. Running a household. Homeschooling. And now you’re homeschooling through a move. It can feel completely crazy and chaotic, and like your kids are going to never have a sense of normalcy and you’re not going to be able to find a new homeschool group and they’ll never have friends again or they might fall behind and what if you have to pack the curriculum?!
Don’t hit the panic button just yet. Honestly, your kids are going to be okay without access to their math books for a month or two. I would suggest just taking some time off. Moving is a big deal, and taking academics off their plates for a little while can help kids through that adjustment period. Couldn’t we all use one less thing to worry about from time to time?
With all the extra work of packing; unpacking; connecting with a new homeschool group; finding a new house . . . you could use the break too!
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Sometimes you need to keep the lessons going though, whether it’s for your own sanity, or for state requirements. Even with the curriculum packed there are plenty of ways your kids can still “move along” academically. (See what I did there?) Homeschooling through a move gives you a completely new set of options for curriculum. Borrow books from the library, or from a friend. Sign up for local or online classes that don’t require special materials. Or use the move itself as your curriculum.
Moving Math
Packing can cover math skills, from the youngest students to the oldest. Do you have small children? Let them sort things by type (classification), count the number of stuffed animals that fit into each box, or help you keep track of how many boxes are in each room.
Older kids? They can calculate the size of the boxes and other furniture to help you gauge what size moving vehicle you’ll need. Will you be hiring a moving company? Give your teens the job of comparing costs between businesses, or calculating the amount of gas and hotel stays needed to drive from the old home to the new one.
Geography & Cultural Studies
Are you moving to another country? To a new state? Across town? There’s always something to be learned about a new area, even if it’s just down the street. Maybe the local ecosystem is different from where you currently live. Maybe the food or the language will be new to your family. Ask your kids to research something that will be different, and let them take turns sharing and discussing their discoveries.
Writing and Creative Skills
Get your kids to help create a list of all your family’s favorite places, whether that’s the hammock in the back yard or the ice cream shop downtown, and then document them all. Take photos, write down your favorite memories, and create a family guidebook. This can be a treasured item later on (or “down the road”), especially for any kids who are anxious or sad about moving.
Research your new town and make a list of all the activities you want to do or places you want to go. In addition to working on research and handwriting (or typing skills), this can help build excitement about the move.
Don’t forget to write letters to the friends, favorite mail carriers, or Sunday School teachers you’ll be leaving. Be sure to add everyone’s addresses to a file so you can easily keep in touch.
Talk to the College Dudes
Have your older kids help you weigh the pros and cons of moving on your own vs hiring a moving company like College Dudes Help U Move. This company does packing, unpacking, piano moving, pool table moving, and furniture moving in Charlotte, NC. Don’t need a full-service moving company? They offer ala carte options for all sorts of scenarios, and you can easily request a free quote.
Really, Don’t Panic
Regardless of how you move, where you move, or how far in advance you had to pack the homeschool curriculum, your kids will still learn through the experience. It may not be beautifully planned out and pre-packaged lessons, but it will be personal to them, and that’s one of the most beautiful things about homeschooling.
