GUIDE

We're retiring and plan to spend about six months a year in Florida, but Grandpa helps the grandkids with homework every week. How do we stay part of their school year while we're gone?

By the seenow! teamLast updated:

Keep one weekly role that works from Florida, such as a standing homework or reading call, and set it up with the kids and parents before you leave. Add a short glimpse of your day so it goes both ways, plan your return around one school event, and set up mail forwarding so cards and school mail still reach you.

Note: This article reflects information available at the time of publication. Programs and services may change, so please check official sources for the latest details.

WHY

Why this happens

Wintering in Florida is a well-worn path. In the Census Bureau's 2020 housing brief, Florida had 667,000 homes held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, 15.3 percent of the national total and more than any other state. For many snowbirds, the season away lines up with the months when school is in session up north.

That timing is what makes it hard for grandparents who are part of the weekly routine. Grandparents doing real childcare is common. AARP reported in June 2026 that 69 percent of grandparents provide some level of care for their grandchildren, and 15 percent provide care daily or almost every day. If Grandpa is the homework helper every Tuesday, leaving for six months is not just missing a few birthdays. It is stepping out of a role the kids, and their parents, count on.

The good news is that the same AARP report says 76 percent of grandparents already rely on texting, video calls, social media and family group chats to stay connected. The question is less whether you can keep in touch and more which parts of your role you can keep doing from a thousand miles away.

HOW TO

What you can do starting today

  1. Keep one weekly role, and make it remote on purposeNo app needed

    Choose one thing you can still do from Florida every week, and hold that time like an appointment: a Tuesday homework video call, a reading-log check, spelling words, or a math facts quiz. Set it up with the kids and their parents before you leave, so it is a continuation of what you already do, not a new project. Keep it to 20 or 30 minutes so it survives busy weeks.

  2. Ask the parents to send the week's schoolwork aheadNo app needed

    Homework help is easier when you can see the worksheet. Ask the parents to snap a photo of the homework, the reading list or the class newsletter before your call. Then you are working on the same page, and you can ask about the class play or the science fair by name instead of "How's school?"

  3. Send them a piece of your Florida weekNo app needed

    Staying in their school year also means letting them into yours. Send a picture of the pelican on the dock, a shell for them to identify, or what the weather is doing while they are shoveling snow. A map on their wall with a pin in your Florida town gives them a way to picture where you are.

  4. Plan your return around one school eventNo app needed

    Ask for the school calendar early and pick one event in spring to come back for, or one in the fall before you leave, such as a concert, a field day or a class presentation. Knowing when they will see you in person gives the kids something to count toward, and gives you something to plan your season around.

  5. Forward your mail so the kids' cards still arriveNo app needed

    USPS says a temporary change of address is for relocating 15 days up to 1 year, so you can keep receiving birthday cards, report-card copies and artwork mailed to your northern address. For residential customers, its paid Premium Forwarding Service sends your mail in a weekly Priority Mail shipment instead.

    Source: USPS: Change of Address, Mail Forwarding

WITH SEENOW!

Doing it with seenow!

seenow! is a private family app where each person takes a short video, about 2 seconds a day. It fits the "show your day" part of staying in their school year.

A child insists on taking off her own rain boot while her mother listens
Grandma laughs when the dog brings the ball back for one more throw
A boy pauses before launching a paper airplane beside his dad
A little girl peeks out of her blanket fort with a secret smile
AI-generated images inspired by how the app is used.
  • The kids post a 2-second clip of their day with the seenow! camera, such as a spelling test sticker or the bus stop in the snow, and you post one of yours: the beach, the pool, a sunset. That day's clips open once you post yours, so both sides share a little every day.
  • The app has two main actions, taking a clip and watching clips, which keeps it simple for grandparents to use. The parents can send you an invite link by text message before you leave, and you join by opening it.

What seenow! can’t do

  • seenow! does not make video calls or let you see the kids' homework. Use a video call and photos of the worksheet for the weekly homework time.
  • Only clips taken with the seenow! camera can be posted, so school photos or artwork scans already on a phone can't be added.

POINT

Things to watch for in this situation

Talk with the parents before the kids

If you have been part of the weekly childcare, your leaving changes the parents' week as well. Talk with them first about what you can still do from Florida and what they will need to cover, and then tell the kids together.

Keep the time zone in mind

Most of Florida is on Eastern time, but if the grandkids live in the Central or Mountain time zone, an after-dinner call for you may land in the middle of their homework or bath time. Pick the call time on their clock.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Will the grandkids feel we abandoned them for six months?

Not if they know what stays the same. Tell them clearly when you leave and when you are coming back, keep one weekly time that is theirs, and come home for an event you promised. What you keep doing every week matters as much as where you are.

Can we still help with homework from Florida?

Yes, if the parents send you a photo of the assignment ahead of time and you keep a regular video call. Reading practice, spelling words and math facts work well remotely. Projects that need hands-on help are better saved for the parents or your next visit.

How do we keep getting mail while we're in Florida?

USPS offers a temporary change of address for 15 days up to 1 year, and a paid Premium Forwarding Service that sends residential mail in a weekly Priority Mail shipment. Check the current options on the USPS website before you leave.