Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Life

Ever have those moments of finally getting your footing, only to have your plans fall apart?

My friend Lisa experienced this. After spending considerable time choosing a homeschool curriculum, she was pleased that it worked well for her son Justin. She thought that was that.

Yet two years later when she began teaching her second-born, Nicholas, from the same textbooks, he zipped right through them, catching on much faster than his brother, to the point of surpassing him.

 This upset Justin, crushing his self-confidence. He struck out in anger at himself and at Nicholas.

Ugg! What’s a mom to do? Something had to change.

Enter Who Moved My Cheese? This popular business fable by Spencer Johnson uses a simple allegorical story to illustrate how people deal with change in their lives.

The story involves four characters—two mice named Sniff and Scurry, and two "little people" named Hem and Haw—who live in a maze and search for cheese.

The cheese represents what you want in life, like happiness, health, recognition, success in school, etc.

The maze represents “where you spend time looking for what you want,” explained Kenneth Blanchard, like your place of work, the city where you live, or your relationships.

When the cheese is moved to a different location in the maze, each character reacts differently:

• Sniff quickly detects change and is ready to adapt.

• Scurry takes quick action to find new cheese.

• Haw is initially resistant but learns to adapt and enjoy the journey.

• Hem denies and resists change, fearing the unknown.

The main takeaway: Change is inevitable, and adapting to it quickly can lead to greater success and happiness.

The lessons of Who Moved My Cheese? apply well to homeschooling, which often requires flexibility, adaptation, and self-direction.

Here's how each character’s behavior and the book's main lessons translate into the homeschooling context.

• Sniff—The homeschool parent or learner who senses when a curriculum, method, or schedule isn’t working anymore and starts exploring new ideas early.

• Scurry—The action-taker who quickly implements new learning tools, co-op opportunities, or routines when something changes.

• Haw—The reluctant but growing learner or parent who learns to embrace new paths after initial resistance.

• Hem—The one who clings to an old curriculum, style, or idea ("this is the right way to learn") even when it's clearly no longer effective.

🧀 Key Lessons for Homeschooling

1. Change Happens—They keep moving the cheese

• Homeschool reality: Educational needs, interests, and family dynamics constantly shift.

• Application: Expect to revise your approach—what worked for your 8-year-old may not work when they're 12.

2. Anticipate Change—Get ready for the cheese to move

• Homeschool reality: Kids outgrow curriculums, interests evolve, and life circumstances (health, income, etc.) change.

• Application: Build flexibility into your planning. Have backup plans for tough days or alternate resources ready.

3. Monitor Change—Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old

• Homeschool reality: Is your child still engaged? Is this method still producing growth?

• Application: Regularly assess whether your tools and routines are still effective. If burnout is setting in, take it seriously.

4. Adapt to Change Quickly—The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese

• Homeschool reality: Sticking with a failing curriculum out of guilt or sunk costs wastes time and energy.

• Application: Let go of what’s not working—even if it was expensive or recommended by others.

5. Change—Move with the cheese

• Homeschool reality: Shifts might be toward more self-directed learning, joining a hybrid program, or adjusting to a parent going back to work.

• Application: Embrace new opportunities as they arise, even if they’re different from your original vision.

6. Enjoy Change!—Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese!

• Homeschool reality: Trying out a new method (like unit studies, co-op classes or online classes) can be exciting.

• Application: Celebrate flexibility as one of homeschooling’s greatest advantages.

7. Be Ready to Change Quickly and Enjoy It Again

• Homeschool reality: There will be more changes—new seasons of life, teens, college decisions.

• Application: Build a mindset of resilience and openness to continual growth.

🧠 For Parents

• Be like Sniff and Scurry when your child’s needs shift.

• Avoid being a Hem who sticks to a rigid plan because “that’s how we started.”

• Let your child be a Haw—they may resist change at first but can grow and thrive with support.

Kudos to my friend Lisa—she realized her cheese had moved.

She knew that simply pushing on, hoping things would work themselves out on their own, wasn’t going to cut it.

Her boys needed her help.

When faced with her original homeschool plan not progressing as she had envisioned, Lisa avoided the temptation to act like Hem and stick with it anyway.

Instead, she talked things over with her husband. Then she acted as Sniff, spending time researching more curricula and picking a new one for Nicholas.

That ended the comparison trap. Sibling rivalry averted, Justin stopped belittling himself. He stopped striking out at Nicholas. He enjoyed learning again and had fun playing with his brother.

Ahh, the pleasure of new cheese.