The COVID-19 pandemic pushed educational systems worldwide towards virtual education. Evidence shows the positive role of family participation in students' education and academic success. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify how families participate in virtual education. This qualitative study, exploratory in nature, utilized a phenomenological approach. The study population comprised all families of primary school students in Ardakan city with at least one student in this educational level during the 2020-2021 academic year. Fourteen mothers were purposefully selected and interviewed using semi-structured interviews about their participation in their children's virtual education. The sample size was determined based on data saturation and the interviews were coded using inductive thematic analysis. The analysis revealed that families participate in virtual education through methods such as "support," "facilitating the learning process," "providing virtual education infrastructure," "creating an optimal learning environment," "supervision," and "holistic upbringing." Families also took on many executive and supervisory roles typically performed by teachers in traditional education, acting as a support system for the educational system. Therefore, educating families on effective participation in education is essential for improving virtual education outcomes, and this training can be based on the findings of this study.