Time to Switch Things Up?

Preteens and teens are wired to crave both steady tradition and a burst of something new, which makes “switching things up” in your homeschool routine a powerful tool rather than a sign of inconsistency. A small change in timing, format or setting can reset attention, relieve burnout, and actually help your older kids engage more deeply with the subjects that matter most. One of the great blessings of homeschooling is precisely this freedom to pivot when a routine stops serving your family well. Remember: we are not the slaves of a curriculum. We should be using curricula to serve the educational purposes of our family.

Honoring their love of tradition

Older kids often feel most secure when there are clear rhythms in place: morning readings, certain subjects on certain days, and familiar family rituals around learning. That kind of consisten structure gives them a sense of stability in the middle of all the emotional and physical changes of adolescence. Keeping anchor points (like daily scripture time, read-alouds, or a set block for math) assures them that “school still counts” even when you experiment with everything else.

At the same time, family-style routines and shared learning times can stay constant even as you rotate the content or format. For example, morning time can remain an unshakable part of the day while you cycle through different themes, resources, or discussion styles that better match your children's growing interests. This blend of familiar structure plus rotating content communicates, “Our family values and priorities are steady, but you are growing, and our homeschool grows with you.”

Meeting their need for novelty

Neuroscience shows that adolescents are drawn to novelty and higher levels of stimulation; that drive can be a tremendous asset when channeled into new projects, formats, and learning environments instead of risky behavior. Switching things up might mean trying a 6-weeks-on, 1-week-off rhythm, adding a once-a-week “project day,” or occasionally trading read-alouds for documentaries, field trips, and hands-on work. These are fresh inputs that reignite motivation without sacrificing academic goals.

When you regularly step back to tweak your schedule, adjust curriculum, or make room for interest-led work, you show your preteens and teens that their growing independence and God-given curiosity matter. Instead of feeling trapped by a stale routine, they learn that homeschooling is flexible, responsive, and built to help them discover who they are becoming, not just what they can memorize. This is the kind of life-giving learning atmosphere that keeps big kids at the table and makes them more likely to thrive at home through the teen years.