The Grace-Filled School Day

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Raising Kids, Teaching Lessons, and Finding God in the Middle of It All

By Tricia Goyer

I didn’t plan on writing a blog about having grace in the middle of our school days. Not really. But after spending thirty hours talking to homeschool parents over one weekend—listening to their fears, their hopes, their deep weariness, and their deep faith—I couldn’t not write it.

I came home with a full heart and a long list of books I knew I needed to write. But more than that, I came home knowing this one truth: The hard seasons aren’t wasted. They’re sacred ground.

And in those seasons, homeschooling doesn’t stop—it shifts. It simplifies. It slows. And it teaches lessons no curriculum ever could.

When the School Lesson Plan Fails

I’ve walked through more “unplanned” days than I could ever count. Illness. Grief. Trauma. Chaos. And in the middle of it all, I still had little ones who needed to learn…and eat…and be hugged.

One of the hardest seasons was when we brought home a sibling group through adoption. It was beautiful—and brutal. Meltdowns. Nightmares. Regression. All while I was trying to “stay on schedule.” One day, I found myself sitting on the laundry room floor, surrounded by half-folded towels and toys, crying out to God: “I can’t do this.”

And that still small voice whispered back: You don’t have to do it perfectly. Just do it with love.

Giving Yourself Permission to Pause

When my grandma’s health declined and I became her full-time caregiver, homeschooling looked like sitting on the couch, reading Sarah, Plain and Tall aloud while she rested nearby. I didn’t log hours. I didn’t track subjects. But I was present. And my kids learned more about compassion, patience, and the value of life than any workbook could have taught.

If you’re in a hard season, pause. Heal. Rest. You’ll never regret it.

Grace Over Guilt

There was a season when everything felt behind. I hadn’t graded a thing in weeks, and then one day I found a science test in the fridge. (Don’t ask.) I laughed through tears and realized: I was holding myself to a standard God never asked of me.

I started reminding myself: “People over papers. Grace over guilt.”

You’re not behind. You’re right where you’re meant to be—walking in faith.

Redefining What Counts

One winter, I tossed out our curriculum for a week, and instead we did puzzles while watching Drive-Thru History. We baked Roman bread, watched episodes on ancient civilizations, and read aloud together.

It wasn’t a “school week,” but it was one of the richest weeks we had. Learning doesn’t just happen at a desk. It happens around a table, in the car, in the middle of life.

Reading as Refuge

After one of our most traumatic teen-trauma episodes, I couldn’t teach. My heart was too raw. So we just read. We read A Year of Miss Agnes every morning. That one book got us through a month. And you know what? It healed us. Together.

Here’s a great resource to create a screen-free family reading or devotional time!

There’s something sacred about reading aloud. The rhythm of the words and the safety of stories. It’s truth wrapped in a narrative. Books became our refuge when everything else felt broken. (And thankfully, that teen is doing much better now!)

Teaching Through Trauma

When COVID hit and all of us were out of sorts, I put away the textbooks. We spent our days walking, listening to worship music, and creating art. School became about healing. That season taught me more about what education really means than any seminar ever did.

If BIG emotions are happening, your kids can’t learn. And that’s okay. Your kids aren’t behind. They’re just walking a different path right now. Everything will work out, I promise.

Letting Kids Be Kids

One of my daughters—bright, creative, full of imagination—shut down every time she saw a math worksheet. But give her craft supplies? She’d bead, draw, and create to her heart’s content. It taught me something: Learning doesn’t always look like we think it should. Letting our kids be who they are unlocks everything. Especially in the hard seasons.

Holding School Routines Loosely

There were months where we survived on a “minimum day” schedule: devotions, math, reading. That was it. And it worked. That tiny bit of rhythm held us together.

If that’s where you are—just clinging to routine like a lifeline—it’s enough. It really is. Sometimes the routine of just being together is enough. Seasons of learning will come.

Faith, Not Fear

Homeschooling through financial hardship, health struggles, and grief has taught me one thing: Jesus is enough. When I couldn’t hold it all together, Jesus held me.

In our homeschool, we often start each day with Scripture—even just one verse. And some days, that was the only thing that went “right.” But it anchored us.

Modeling Resilience in the School Day

Years later, my daughter told me, “I don’t remember the science lessons, Mom. But I remember you praying when we didn’t know what to do. That’s what I learned from.” You’re teaching resilience just by showing up. And sometimes prayer is the best lesson—the one your child will cling to.

Help is Holy

I’ll never forget the friend who came every Wednesday afternoon to do art with my kids so I could nap or cry or pray. That gift of help was holy. Moms—we’re not meant to carry it alone. Say yes to help. The bonus is I also have beautiful art hanging on my walls as evidence of that season.

When Homeschool Looks Different Than You Dreamed

I used to dream of poetry teatimes and watercolor nature journaling. Some days we got that. Most days, we got crumbs, chaos, and flashcards. But even there—especially there—God met us. And grace showed up.

The Long View on School and Life

Now, looking back, I see the fruit. My grown kids love Jesus. They’re compassionate. They know how to persevere. Not because I taught it, but because they lived it with me.

So to every mama in the trenches: You’re not failing. You’re planting. Keep going. God is in every lesson.

Want to Share This?

If this blog post encouraged you, would you pass it on to another homeschool mama walking through a hard season? You never know how one word of grace can lift a weary heart.

Takeaways:

✔️ Grace shows up in the chaos, not the perfection.
✔️ Faithfulness isn’t finishing the curriculum, it’s loving through the mess.
✔️ Pause without guilt. Healing is holy work.
✔️ People over papers—always.
✔️ Slow progress is still progress.
✔️ God meets us in puzzles, read-alouds, and burnt toast mornings.
✔️ Stories can heal. Read together, even when it’s all you can do.
✔️ You homeschool the child you have, not the one you imagined.
✔️ A “minimum day” can be a maximum win.
✔️ Jesus is your co-teacher, and He doesn’t grade your performance.
✔️ Your example is the curriculum that matters most.
✔️ Help isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
✔️ Let go of the Instagram version of homeschooling.
✔️ You’re not behind—you’re planting seeds.
✔️ The hard days are still holy days.

Additional Resources

Looking for more parenting tips?

Check out Faith that Sticks! The book’s five key areas—prayer, Bible reading, family relationships, conversation, and service—provide a clear roadmap for parents who feel overwhelmed or unequipped. Using personal stories and examples, Tricia and Leslie’s relatable experiences acknowledge that while the journey isn’t always easy, it’s always worth it. They offer creative and practical ideas and activities that parents, caregivers, or mentors can implement in each of the five key areas, helping them feel more confident in their spiritual roles.

If you want to connect with your preteen on a deeper level and watch your kids grow in their faith, you will find Faith That Sticks the encouragement and direction you need!