When Nothing Feels “Fixed”
Sometimes staying is more supportive than changing.
There are seasons in homeschooling when nothing feels clearly wrong — but nothing feels settled either.
You’re showing up. You’re doing the work. And still, something feels off.
If you’ve felt the urge lately to overhaul everything — schedule, curriculum, rhythm, expectations — this post is for you. Not to push you toward action, but to offer permission to pause.
Because sometimes, staying is more supportive than changing.
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There are stretches in homeschooling where the confidence you had just weeks ago feels thinner.
The days feel heavier.
The rhythm feels awkward.
Progress feels harder to see.
And when nothing feels “fixed,” the instinct to change everything can arrive quickly.
Maybe we need something new.
Maybe this just isn’t working.
Maybe I need to do this differently — now.
That urge makes sense. It usually comes from care.
The pressure to fix often comes from love
When something feels uncomfortable, parents naturally want to solve it. We want to relieve tension, smooth the edges, and make things feel better — for our kids and for ourselves.
That impulse isn’t wrong.
It’s protective. It’s loving.
But care doesn’t always require action.
Sometimes, it requires presence.
Discomfort isn’t always a signal to overhaul. Sometimes it’s simply asking you to notice, to slow down, to stay close.
Not every uneasy season is a broken one
Homeschooling doesn’t move in straight lines.
There are seasons when:
Lessons feel harder than expected
Motivation dips without a clear reason
Everyone feels more tired or sensitive
Progress feels invisible
That doesn’t automatically mean something is failing.
Often, it means something is forming — beneath the surface, out of view.
Growth seasons are frequently ambiguous. And ambiguity can feel unsettling when we’re used to measuring success by clarity and momentum.
Staying doesn’t mean ignoring what’s hard
Choosing not to change everything doesn’t mean pretending things are fine.
Staying can sound like:
I see that this is hard.
I’m paying attention.
I don’t need immediate answers to be a good parent.
Staying can look like:
Keeping the same curriculum while lowering expectations for a bit
Holding your rhythm while adding more margin and rest
Observing instead of adjusting
Letting a rough stretch exist without labeling it as failure
Support doesn’t always come from doing more.
Sometimes it comes from doing less — gently and intentionally.
Overhauls often come from panic, not clarity
Big changes can feel empowering in uncertain moments. They give us something concrete to do when we’re uncomfortable.
But clarity rarely comes from panic.
If you feel an urge to change everything right now, it may help to pause and ask:
Am I responding to fear or to information?
Do I need a solution — or reassurance?
What would happen if I stayed for two more weeks and simply watched?
You don’t have to make permanent decisions in temporary moments.
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You are allowed to stay.
You’re allowed to stay with a rhythm that isn’t shiny.
You’re allowed to stay in a season that feels unfinished.
You’re allowed to stay even when you don’t yet understand what’s unfolding.
Homeschooling isn’t about constantly fixing.
It’s about faithfully showing up — especially when things feel unresolved.
And sometimes, staying is exactly what creates the space for things to soften on their own.
If you’re in a season where things feel unfinished, you may find more steady reassurance in the reflections shared over on the Open Arms blog, a place for gentle support, not quick fixes.