Winston Churchill Failed Sixth Grade — And What That Means for Your Homeschool
Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. Not because he was unintelligent. Not because he was lazy. But because the system he was placed in had no idea what to do with a mind like his. His teachers wrote him off. His headmaster at Harrow described him as a persistent discipline problem. His own father — […]
The Year I Almost Quit Homeschooling
I want to tell you about the year I almost quit homeschooling. Not because I didn’t believe in it. I believed in it completely. But I was drowning in curriculum, behind on every subject, and convinced that my kids were falling irreparably behind some imaginary standard I couldn’t even define. The problem I was doing […]
We Were Three Months Behind on Our Mortgage the Year I Finally Figured It Out
We were three months behind on our mortgage the year I finally figured it out. I don’t say that for sympathy. I say it because I know some of you are doing the same math I was doing — the late-night, please-God-let-the-numbers-change-by-morning math — and I want you to know where I was when everything […]
So You Want to Homeschool — But You Have No Idea Where to Start
If you’re reading this, something has shifted. Maybe it was a conversation with your child that broke your heart a little. Maybe it was one too many mornings of tears before school. Maybe you’ve just had a quiet feeling for a while now that there’s a better way — and you finally decided to listen […]
60 Best Books for Homeschoolers: A Classic Literature List by Grade Level
60 Best Books for Homeschoolers: A Classic Literature List by Grade Level If there is one question I get asked more than any other in twenty years of homeschooling, it might be this one: What should my kids be reading and using for copywork? So I decided to create a list of the best books […]
Simplify Homeschooling: How Copywork Can Replace Your English Curriculum & Save You Time
Moms find it hard to believe that as a former high school English teacher-turned homeschooling mom of 24 years, I ditched our English curriculum and replaced it with copywork–the simple act of copying good literature exactly as it’s written so as to train the brain to use language well. I even wondered if it would […]
Stop Being a Bully About Purity Culture and Courtship: A Mature Perspective on Faith and Relationships
I’m so tired of it. And I think it might be the elephant in the room. So, you “did” courtship and now you see things that were off about it. I get it. There were weird versions like, “You can’t be trusted to be alone for a second with a member of the opposite sex” and “you […]
20 Years of Motherhood, Faith, and the Power of Staying Home: A Journey of Love, Challenges, and Blessings
For almost 19 years I’ve been blogging here (that’s crazy!) When I first started, I was a young, fiery mom with a passion for sharing my opinions. Why a large family, why homeschooling, why staying at home with your children…all the things. I built a tribe without knowing what I was doing. People resonated with […]
I’m giving you permission to stop homeschooling
Simplifying I don’t know what it’s like for you, but for me, Christmas is crazy. I know it’s wonderful and I love it (some of it) but the to do lists, the events, the dates to coordinate, the food to prepare, all the things to buy–this large family mom barely gets through if I’m just […]
Why Your Work Matters: Building Culture and Family with Excellence
If you haven’t gotten your girls, or YOU, the book, No Time to be Dumb, by Rachel Jankovic, you should. Take a minute to read this powerful excerpt.. Value your work “When women value their work and pursue excellence in it, God uses it in ways that you just can’t see on the surface. This […]