Support please! We're moving!

[knit3tog]

Ok everyone... I will readily admit to being slightly type A when it comes to education. We school year round with a 4 day/week schedule and regular breaks (not quite 1 week per month, on average).

Anyway, we found out with less than one month's notice that we're moving! Or should I say... moved (since we're already out of our house). Actually, I don't know how to describe it! Currently, we're visiting some family in the state where we're moving for a short vacation, and then the dh and I will leave the kids while we go try to find some housing. The move is a good one for us, and actually will provide a better income, but I'm feeling stressed about keeping up with the school!

You see, before we even moved, the kids got sick (high fever, cough, flu-like symptoms), so there went my best efforts to school at home. And now, what with a vacation, a temporary home, and eventually our permanent home, I'm at a loss on how to keep up with a measure of continuity.

Does anyone have some experience in this that they can share with me? My kiddos are ds (10), ds (8), and dd (6). Oh, and don't even get me started on the loss we're all feeling with our friends back "home"...

[Shannon831]

It's not easy. School has been a relative term for us and we're lagging way behind my schedule. For us, I just keep reminding myself how impossible this move would have been if we psed. For example- we're moving from Florida to California. We arrived in mid November and lived with another family from our church for a little over a month. Now we're in a furnished cabin, but not our permanent residence. By the end of next month, we will be in our new home. All 3 of these locations are in different school districts. I don't know what we would have done if we were psing. Have we done all that I would have hoped school-wise during this time? Nope. But we have had the freedom to discover our new home, do some sightseeing, ect. The one thing I've tried to consistently do is go to our hs group's park days. Right now, I feel like the best thing that I can do for our kids is get them plugged in with other kids. The school stuff will still be there once we're settled and I'm just trying not to stress about it in the meantime. I feel your pain!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

we took it really easy in the school department. I know it can be tough to relax the schedule a little, but, I was really glad we did. The move went smooth, we were able to enjoy the adventure, get settled, and start without too much stress.

Hugs to you, I know it can be hard.

[Melissa in FL]

The year we moved I kept to the basics; math, reading, Rod and Staff English. And then we also did a history of the new state. It really helped motivate the kids into liking where we were moving to. Before we moved we spent as much time with our friends as we could fit in our schedule, we even had one friend spend a week with us! Once we moved I contacted a WTM mom here and we got together with her and her kids. It really helped the kids to meet other homeschoolers right away. We also did as many field trip to the area places as we could. It was a great way to take a break from the hassel of moving. I'm glad we did all these things and I'm glad I didn't stress over school. Even though we didn't do a lot of extra things, they did keep up with basics and learned to love their new state! HTH
Melissa

[DIY-DY]

Truthfully, I would take a deep breath, and relax your grip on the Things To Do In School list... slowly, slowly, it'll hurt a bit, but you can do it. Sometimes Life Happens. It's messy and it's usually unexpected, but the one thing we can count on is that it will happen. Eventually.

Get some great books for the interim. Take the children to the museum, the gallery, the park, the library. If you're in more rural area, go hiking, start a nature book, learn some orienteering skills. Read some Jack London or Zane Grey, Gary Paulsen or Little House.

Life can get in the way of academics, but it doesn't have to get in the way of education. Ideally, the two are intertwined. This is, as hard as it is to let go of those mental To-Do Lists, an excellent opportunity for everyone to experience life as a learning adventure.

When we moved here, we had two weeks to move 1100 miles. Stayed in an apartment for a few months while we gutted this place, then stayed here (oh yeah, academics flourish in a construction zone! LOL!) The best thing I could have done for the kids, and for myself (probably for DH, though I'd have to ask him before I could vouch for that *grin*) was to let go of the idea that I had to have a box of School Supplies in a corner somewhere and get down to it on our 4-day schedule. We did just what I suggested up above, and they survived. They flourished. They grew. And, hey, pleasant surprise - they learned! I wouldn't want to live like that all. the. time. But, it was a beautiful way to bridge the LimboLand.

And, in the spirit of being completely transparent -- I read that you're leaving the kids w/ friends while you go look for housing w/ DH, and I thought, "OH, SWEET! Dates with the hubby!" :cool: We took our kids househunting with us. I'm surprised we didn't end up just telling the realtor to "surprise us", and go hide in the apartment until closing. Have fun! Enjoy your new chapter in this adventure!

Dy