Moving, Living, and Our Homeschool | How We Made It Work
Good morning, guys! Buckle up because this is going to be a wild one. If you’re new here, welcome to Making Everyday Magic! My name is Shanna, and we are a homeschooling family in our eighth year of this adventure. Right now, we’re in the middle of third and seventh grade, and today, I’m taking you along for something a little different—moving, living, and our homeschool.
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Moving, Living, and Our Homeschool | Why Now?
We are officially in the thick of it—packing boxes, making lists, and figuring out how to keep our homeschool running smoothly while turning our lives upside down. Our decision to move wasn’t exactly planned for right now, but sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you just have to go with it.
For years, we talked about moving. We love our home, but between renovations, life changes, and my husband’s office relocating, it became clear that now was the time. The kids are getting older, and one thing that has always been important to me is giving them a home base—a place that truly feels like home, even after they grow up and move out. Neither my husband nor I have a “childhood home” to return to, and that’s something I want to create for our kids.
But of course, making a move with kids is one thing. Making a move while homeschooling? That’s a whole different level of chaos.
Homeschooling While Moving | The Plan
With moving day fast approaching, my goal was simple: keep homeschooling as normal as possible for as long as possible. Since we homeschool four days a week, my hope was to finish a full week before the move, then pick up again just a few days later. Sounds ambitious, right?
The key to homeschooling while moving? Flexibility, consistency, and a whole lot of coffee.
Here’s how we made it work:
✔ Keeping school light – No heavy projects, minimal new materials.
✔ Packing in waves – Keeping the homeschool space functional until the last possible moment.
✔ Prepping ahead – Knowing where school supplies were packed and making sure essentials were accessible.
Did it go exactly as planned? Well… keep reading.
The Chaos of Packing and Learning
Once the real packing started, things got real. Every inch of our house became a staging area, and suddenly, our school table was covered in wall art.
Some of the funniest moments?
➡ Packing up all the American Girl dolls—in their beds—with a giant roll of Saran Wrap.
➡ Realizing that the storage unit became our second home because I kept needing things I swore we wouldn’t need.
➡ Strategically wrapping LEGO sets in plastic to keep them from falling apart mid-move.
We also got creative—our homeschool supplies found themselves plastic-wrapped and always in sight, and the kids learned real-life skills like furniture disassembly, packing strategies, and the fine art of selling things on Facebook Marketplace (and dealing with no-shows).
The Big Move
We kicked off the move with a full 15 hours of movers, plus a few more after they left. It was a mad dash of boxes, furniture, and all the things that make a house feel like home… but in a totally unorganized way. Moving day is always a bit of a blur, right? You know, the moment where everything feels like it’s falling apart but somehow still coming together.
Settling In
The first morning in the new house was an experience in itself. I woke up wearing the same clothes from the day before because, well, I couldn’t find any of my other outfits. So, naturally, I filmed an update looking totally disheveled, because that’s how it goes. The basement (or “rampus room” as we like to call it) is a disaster zone, but I’m telling myself it’s just part of the process. Snow in the forecast, and even though we had no time to really enjoy it, it somehow felt like the perfect backdrop for a day of chaos.
Getting Into A Groove
By day three, I finally found my clothes and felt like we might be able to tackle some of the mess. We spent a lot of time unpacking, but also trying to figure out where everything was going to live. My goal for the day was simple: unpack a little, play in the snow, and keep things rolling with homeschool. I also realized I hadn’t even seen any of the inauguration day events, which was a blessing in disguise. We got some work done, got school done, and got through the coldest day we’ve had so far.
Making Progress
Today felt like a turning point. I managed to get a lot of the pantry organized (yay, no more mystery food piles), and we even found time for a walk in the snow. It’s a little thing, but it’s important to find moments of joy in the middle of the craziness. The kids are starting to settle in, and school is getting done, even if I’m still living out of boxes. Small wins, right?
The Week in Review
One week later, and we’re in full-on settling mode. The kids wrapped up their second week of homeschool, and somehow, amidst all the chaos, we managed to get through 8 days of school. The house is starting to feel like home, and we’re finding our new routine in this space. There’s still a ton of unpacking to do, but we’re getting there—slowly but surely.
We’re looking forward to tackling projects this weekend, from building Ikea furniture to organizing the games and books. It’s been a lot of work, but I’m proud of how much we’ve done and how we’ve managed to stay on track with school, family time, and everything in between. For anyone else in the middle of a big move or transition, you got this!
Thanks for following along on our moving journey. I’ll keep you updated on our progress and how we’re making this new house feel like home.
