Rituals, Traditions & Social Conditioning: Letting Go of Back-to-School Pressure in Home Ed
The BIG Home Ed ConversationsShow Notes
Feeling the urge to buy new pens or lunchboxes—even though your kids aren’t going “back to school”?
You’re not alone!
In this heartfelt episode, Kelly and Ashley dive deep into the rituals and traditions that sneak into home education, and how social conditioning around “back-to-school” can trigger anxiety, guilt, or FOMO—even for seasoned home ed families.
We unpack:
Why back-to-school shopping and new routines tug at our emotions (even when we know we don’t need them)
The difference between meaningful family traditions and habits that are just social pressure in disguise
How to create authentic, empowering rituals that suit your unique home ed lifestyle
Letting go of external judgment, performance anxiety, and the need to “keep up”
Practical ways to build core memories and intentional family traditions—without the overwhelm
Plus, we share real-life stories, gentle mindset shifts, and plenty of laughs about muddy camping clothes, first impressions, and the power of saying “no” to unnecessary expectations.
This summer, Outschool have offered us a sponsored opportunity to use—and honestly review—their learning platform right here on the podcast. Go listen to what we have to say!
If you’d like to take advantage of the offer we mention, head to www.outschool.com/HOMEED and use code HOMEED35 to get $35 off your family’s first month! Perfect for home educating parents in the UK (and beyond!) who want to break free from school-based conditioning, trust their instincts, and build a home ed life that feels good all year round.
Let us know: What rituals or pressures are you letting go of this year? Drop us a message on Instagram or TikTok @bighomeedpodcast!
More from The BIG Home Ed Conversations
Whether you came to home ed after your child burnt out of school, or you're the parent running on empty right now, burnout is something so many of us know far too well. In this Season 6 episode of our series on the tricky bits of home education, Kelly and Ashley get honest about home ed burnout: what parent burnout actually looks like, why it creeps up on us, and how to find our way back, for our kids and for ourselves.
Consistency is one of those words that can make home educating parents feel a bit twitchy. Some weeks your home ed routine flows beautifully, and some weeks the maths book hasn't been opened and someone's still in their pyjamas at 2pm. In this Season 6 episode on the tricky bits of home ed, Kelly and Ashley unpick what consistency really means in home education. Do you need a strict homeschool schedule, or is a gentler rhythm (showing up, keeping the curiosity going and coming back to things after a break) enough?
Welcome to season six of The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast, where we're digging into the tricky bits of home education. Not the sunshine-and-nature-walks highlight reel, but the real, unglamorous moments that every home educating family knows too well.
In this final episode of the season, we’re doing something a bit different. (Please note, no explicit details are mentioned, but use caution if you listen with children as we do discuss things they may be exposed to as they start to use the internet more widely.) We originally planned an episode focused on internet safety and online security… and then real life happened. We were away at our annual home ed camp, the world took over, and we decided to lean into the learning that was already happening right in front of us. So this becomes a wider conversation about:
In this bonus episode of The BIG Home Ed Conversations, Kelly Rigg is joined by Dr. Chris Bagley — educational psychologist, musician, author, and co-founder of States of Mind (with B. Herbert).