When Your Child Resists Transitions {week 21 homeschool lesson plan and recap}
Every week in 2022, I am sharing our real-life homeschool lesson plans. I also include a recap of the week prior, so that you can see what changed in real time. This week brought some significant transitions and changes in our home. You’ll see the ramifications in this Week 21 Plan and Recap.
I have been at this homeschooling children with differences thing for more than a decade. As such, I am well aware than my children struggle with changes in our routine and transitions in and out of activities throughout the course of our day.
It should not have taken me by surprise that this past week was a mess.
Sigh. It did.
When Your Child Resists Transitions
We are in a major period of transition here as my oldest son adjusts to being home from college for the summer.
Call it optimism. Call it amnesia. Call it whatever you like, but the truth is, I was not at all prepared for the chaos. I should not have been surprised, but somehow, I thought because we used to do life together all the time, we would easily slip back into our old, familiar routines.
Let’s all take a moment of silence for my old familiar routine that is no longer familiar or helpful. (RIP, my friend.)
The best way for us to manage transitions, as difficult as they are for both of my boys, is through consistent routines.
These routines include:
- meals
- sleep times
- shows that we watch together
- planned activities outside the house
- school work
- basically anything that happens regularly in our lives
The reality is that my youngest and I established a brand new routine when his older brother went to college. It was working.
My oldest created his own routines at school. They were working.
Now, the three of us are all back in each other’s routines. The result has been anxiety, competitiveness, anger, and an overall lack of progress for everyone.
Incidentally, I have written about this reality before. You’ll find more information specifically in this post – When The Child Who Needs Structure Resists It The Most.
How To Help A Child Struggling With Transitions
The good news is, I have been here before. As much as it caught me off guard, I know what to do so we can get back on track and settled.
This is how I plan to help ease the pressure of this transition in our home.
- Only complete the activities that are of interest and do not cause extra pressure and stress for a few weeks. (You will see exactly what this looks like in my recap below.)
- Establish a new daily routine that incorporates both boys’ scheduled activities and plans.
- Plan to spend time one on one with each child, every day, engaged in their interests.
- Come up with a new meal plan that satisfies everyone’s needs (my oldest has a set of requirements due to sensory sensitivity vs. my youngest who has severe food allergies and thus, a different set of requirements). Again, I managed this for years. It won’t be a problem, but I am woefully out of practice.
- Remember that this is a normal part of our life and that we will adjust and relax. It will just take a little time.
Take a peek at what this looked liked like in reality last week.
Last Week’s Homeschool Lesson Plans vs. Reality:
I am including some details about activities for both of my children. Although only my youngest is technically homeschooling, it just works better for all of us if I think about both boys in my plan.
Sunday
THE PLAN
- Greek Mythology Play
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
- Greek Mythology Play
- Trip to computer store with my oldest
Monday
THE PLAN
- Physical Therapy – 2 hours
- Audiobook and Discussion
- Infusion – 4 hours
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
- Physical Therapy – 2 hours
- Drivers Ed Online
- Infusion – 4 hours
- Trip to grocery store and meal planning with my oldest
Tuesday
THE PLAN
- Drivers Ed Online
- CTCMath
- YouTube Video – His choice, something educational
- Online Voice/Music Lesson – one hour
- Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
- Drivers Ed Online
- Online Voice/Music Lesson – one hour
- YouTube – Paper Airplane guy
- Taking care of pets (both boys)
Wednesday
THE PLAN
- Rock Climbing with Coach – 2 hours
- Spelling Practice
- Drivers Ed
- CTCMath
- Audiobook and Discussion
- Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
- Rock Climbing with Coach – 3 hours
- Discussion of current and the gun control debate
Thursday
THE PLAN
- Audiobook and Discussion
- Social Time with friends – 1 hour
- Art class – 1 hour
- Rock Climbing with friends – 3 hours
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
- Audiobook and Discussion
- Social Time with friends – 1 hour
- Art class – 1 hour
- Rock Climbing with friends – 3 hours
- Watched Tech Tips videos with my oldest
Friday
THE PLAN
- Beyond Personal Finance
- Driver’s Ed Module and Quiz
- History – read aloud, Major Events in American History
- YouTube Video – his choice and educational
- Mapwork – South America
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
- My youngest built a skateboard from parts.
- My oldest built a guitar pedal board.
- I was involved with both builds, as a banker, for moral support and as a second set of hands.
Our Homeschool Lesson Plans For This Week
Monday
- Physical Therapy – 2 hours
- See a movie together as a family
- Infusion – 4 hours
Reference Notes: Every Monday, my son has subcutaneous immunoglobin infusions. This means we typically keep learning to a minimum.
Tuesday
- Drivers Ed Online
- YouTube Video – His choice, something educational
- Online Voice/Music Lesson – one hour
- Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports
- Bookstore with both boys
Reference Notes: Tuesdays are our first full school day of the week. Because my son always feels better post-Monday’s infusion, we typically do a large percentage of our more traditional homeschool work on this day.
Wednesday
- Rock Climbing with Coach – 2 hours
- Drivers Ed
- CTCMath
- Audiobook and Discussion
- Current Events Discussion – read and discuss various news reports
- Movies with friends all afternoon for my oldest
Thursday
- Early morning biannual immunologist appointment for my youngest (anxiety expected)
- Audiobook and Discussion
- Social Time with friends – 1 hour
- Art class – 1 hour
- Rock Climbing with friends – 2 hours
Reference Notes: We spend Thursdays in lessons mostly outside our home. My son attends a program on Thursday afternoons through a local private school.
Friday
- Beyond Personal Finance
- Driver’s Ed Module and Quiz
- History – read aloud, Major Events in American History
- YouTube Video – his choice and educational
- Mapwork – South America
- NAMM trade show all day for my husband and oldest son.
New Interest-Led Homeschool Lesson Plans And Updates, Every Week
Additional Resources For Strength-Based And Interest-Led Homeschooling
Take a look at all of our past lesson plans and recaps!
Research shows that a learner allowed to spend the most time studying in areas of strength, tends to perform exponentially better in all areas including the areas of weakness.
These resources are a great place to start!
For more information and support:
Weekly and Daily Routines (that are not so routine!)
Oh, Shawna. What an excellent topic to touch on again with teens. These different humans are who they are and some of these needs are never outgrown. This statement made me chuckle: “Call it optimism. Call it amnesia.” Oh, same. Sometimes I shake my head and think “when will I ever learn?” Hoping now that you have some of your tried and true strategies back in play, the transition is smoother.
I am glad I am not alone! We are slowly but surely getting back on track (I am relieved to say…).