Are you facing a move and feeling completely overwhelmed about starting over with your homeschool? Maybe you’re wishing for some sense of rhythm and comfort when everything else around you is shifting.

In this episode, I talk with Melaney Smith, a pastor’s wife and homeschool mom of three, about what it’s like to leave everything behind and begin again. Melaney recently moved her family from Stockton, California, all the way to the snowy prairies of North Dakota. She generously shares what it was like to grieve, adjust (and freeze!), and eventually discover her new groove as a homeschooling mom.

We talk about what really happens when your routines get tossed upside-down and how to handle the emotional load, the reality of creating community in a completely new place, and how tools like Autopilot became Melaney’s secret weapon during the chaos. In her story, you’ll find surprising insights about why familiar routines matter so much during big transitions and how flexible habits can truly anchor your family when everything else feels unfamiliar.

If you are walking through a big life change or just need some honest encouragement (plus a few laughs about frozen winters and missing good hot sauce), you’ll find practical help and camaraderie right here.

• What actually happens (emotionally and practically) when you move cross-country with your family and begin homeschooling again
• How consistency and familiar homeschool rhythms can help everyone adjust after a big move
• Why planning tools and a supportive community are essential during chaotic seasons
• The basics of “Minimum Viable Days” and why these can be a lifesaver when your regular routines are impossible
• Creative ideas for adapting your homeschool to new climates, schedules, and cultures
• Why taking three to five years to feel at home is normal—and perfectly okay
• How letting go of perfection and choosing to show up faithfully brings peace and growth

• Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot
• Homeschool Consistency Bootcamp
• Podcast episode on the Minimum Viable Day
• Homeschool Better Together Community

For full show notes and a transcript of today’s episode, head to pambarnhill.com/hsbt42

Ever feel like “life” is just too much to keep homeschooling going? This one’s for you.

I sat down with Karissa Martin, a mom of four, seasoned homeschooler, and expert juggler who, this year alone, faced one family crisis after another: illness, caretaking, and more than a few emotional curveballs. But you know what? Not only did her family make it through, but they actually experienced more growth than they have in years.

We talk about the sandwich generation (yes, it even counts with grandparents), trying to keep homeschool afloat while at the hospital, late-night co-op assignments, and what it really looks like to let your vision and community hold you up when you can’t do it on your own.

Karissa pulls back the curtain on how she hit burnout, learned to finally ask for help, and found a “village” when she needed it most. She also reveals how, even with all the chaos, her kids’ education didn’t just survive…it thrived.

We don’t sugarcoat the messy parts, but you’ll come away with real encouragement, practical ideas for finding your footing in a tough season, and a hefty dose of hope.

• How Karissa homeschooled during crisis and family caretaking (without losing her mind)
• The do-the-next-thing approach to planning that kept her from feeling behind
• Why she now plans her whole homeschool year—spoiler: this saved her bacon
• How asking for help (even when it’s hard) changes everything
• Life lessons her kids learned from supporting extended family
• Why “behind” is almost always in your head
• The reality of burnout—and Karissa’s steps for climbing out
• The surprising ways community can show up, even when you think you don’t have a village

• Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot
• HSBT Podcast Free Community

Want more help with planning your year, surviving the messy seasons, and connecting with a community that actually gets it? Come join us in our free group!

For full show notes and a transcript of today’s episode, head to pambarnhill.com/hsbt41

Are you in a season where homeschooling just feels… well, impossible? Juggling toddlers, moving houses, job changes—or maybe even facing heart surgery for your baby? Deep breath—friend, this episode is proof you really can keep going, even in the crazy!

Today I’m joined by my friend, marketing pro, and veteran homeschool mom Tracey Matney. Tracey’s not only teaching her 8-year-old son (since Pre-K!)—she’s also wrangling a busy toddler after a wild couple of years filled with moving, house fires, a not-quite-soon-enough home build, having a newborn in a borrowed back-house, and that earth-shaking moment when her baby needed open heart surgery at just four months old.

If you’ve ever thought, “How am I supposed to homeschool through THIS?”—Tracey’s story will encourage you and give you a good reality check on what truly matters. (Spoiler: Perfectionism is out, “the main things” are in.)

• The only subjects that really matter during a crisis season (and what to ditch)
• How to build resilience—even when chaos reigns at home (hint: Bible, breakfast, and deep breaths)
• The power of homeschool community and leaning on others when you simply can’t do it all
• Practical ways to pivot your plans, release perfection, and keep going—even when you want to quit
• How Autopilot planning (and a clear homeschool vision) transforms your confidence and sanity—not just your lesson lists
• Why letting your kids see you grow is its own kind of homeschool win

• Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot
• Beast Academy math (for independent/gifted math)
• IEW Fix It Grammar
• Story of the World (history)
• Tracey’s Instagram
• Free Homeschool Community

For full show notes and a transcript of today’s episode, head to