catholic home school moms

11: Jen Stoddard Shares Her Family’s Long Term Vision for Homeschooling

August 19, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/219872799″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! My Catholic Homeschooling Mom today is Jen Stoddard, who married her high school sweetheart in 2000, and then went on to add five children to her family. Jen loves talking to other moms about homeschooling and even started a ministry for them. She enjoys camping, hiking, reading, all things Lake Michigan, and a good glass of wine. Join us for more!

When Jen and her husband began praying about education options for their oldest son, Jen says she really felt like God was asking her to homeschool, mainly to commit to training up her children in the faith. She has kept it up now for seven years and doesn’t regret her decision!

Jen shares the following about her life:

Her normal daily schedule is as follows: Begin by 9 am with prayer, math, religion, history, lunch, language arts, and a special class.
Special classes vary from day to day and include Art, Science, Music, and co-op classes.
One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling to Jen is keeping the family together and having all the siblings together.
Jen is trying to NOT be too focused on curriculum, but “trusting God that it will be ok.”
Jen says one thing she would do differently before embarking on this journey would be to talk to more homeschooling moms and do research about educational philosophies.
Jen’s children participate in extracurricular activities such as music lessons, dance, swimming, and lacrosse.
The family participates in church activities by praying the rosary every day, doing specific prayers, and studying about the Saints each week.

Join me to hear more from Jen, like what books she’s reading right now, what she does for self-care and her advice to other homeschool moms.

Mentioned in this episode:

Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft (affiliate link)

The Beekeeper’s Lament by Hannah Nordhaus (affiliate link)

Homeschool Snapshots podcast by Pam Barnhill (Direct link to Pam’s podcast)

www.edsnapshots.com (Pam Barnhill’s website)

10: Special Medical Needs of Her Children Led Diana Klee to Homeschooling

August 12, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/218833009″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! Today’s homeschooling mom is Diana Klee, who has been married for 23 years. Diana has two children who have passed on to heaven, two who have finished homeschooling and has three at home now. Her children range in age from 7-21; she teaches two high school aged boys and her second-grade daughter. Diana’s children have unique medical needs, which are challenging. Diana lives by the motto, “Life is hard, but LOVE is bigger than hard.”

It was unique asthma/airway difficulties of her children that prompted the decision to homeschool early on, and a miscarriage that prompted Diana to deeper faith and assurance of heaven.

Diana talks about her experiences in the following areas:

Diana’s schedule varies from day to day and week to week. The children’s medical needs demand flexibility.
When things are going well, Diana prefers to begin the school day with prayers and reading aloud. Later in the morning and afternoon, the children do more independent work.
Diana likes to stick to a year-round school schedule when possible but is always open to breaks when the kids need them.
The multiple surgeries, appointments, and home health care duties have taught her to trust God in all things, believing He has truly called her to this position.
Her foremost desire is to teach her children how to “live” their faith and be part of the solution to the mess of current culture.
For self-care, Diana likes to knit, walk, bike, do adorations and prayers, and eat dark chocolate!

Listen in as Diana discusses extra-curricular activities, family devotions, and books she’s currently reading. Diana’s two tips for homeschooling moms are: Don’t lose focus on your marriage and Find joy in homeschooling. Read Diana’s blog at www.scenesofthisandthat.wordpress.com. Join us for more!

09: The Best of Both Worlds – Miriam Ashby

August 5, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/217852021″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! My guest today is Miriam Ashby, who is a homeschooling mom of four boys, ranging from 3 years old to 5^th grade. She also has another baby due next February! Miriam and her husband both grew up in SW Michigan, but neither were Catholic nor homeschooled.

Miriam shares the following about her family’s homeschooling experience:

The primary motivation for homeschooling is to maintain the purity and innocence of her children. The Ashby’s desire a strong bond among their children and they are learning little by little to let go as the boys grow older.
The family has a “mixed” homeschool experience, as the children go to a Classical Academy two days a week, are home two days a week, and attend a learning co-op on Fridays. Miriam calls it “the best of both worlds.”
Miriam’s biggest challenge in homeschooling is to be more spontaneous, and NOT to try to plan everything. She wants to be more open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in their daily activities.
The motivation for homeschooling is a simple one: to look into the future and see her sons as strong Christian men of faith and courage—to “be IN the world but not OF it.”
Concerning extra-curricular activities, Miriam tries to choose things that are short-term and that all the kids can enjoy together. Currently, those are soccer, baseball, choir, and church activities.
Miriam tries to incorporate many prayers and devotions into family life but prioritizes Sunday night “Circle Time” as a mainstay. The family bonds through spontaneous prayer, thankfulness, and the St. Michael Prayer.
Miriam also discusses the family’s love of reading, her own love of the outdoors and fresh air, and “Mommy Halftime.” This is the hour of quiet time every afternoon during the school year.
Miriam chose the word TEAM to describe her family because that’s exactly what a family should be!

You don’t want to miss Miriam’s very special letter she wrote from “May Miriam” to “February Miriam.” It’s her way to give herself a pep talk during those winter doldrums when she questions the wisdom of homeschooling. She takes a beautiful, honest, and poignant look at the wonderful benefits of homeschooling and family and gives herself reasons to not give in to a winter pity party. As with all depressing “winter” moments, we know spring and sunshine are just around the corner! Join us for inspiration and encouragement from Miriam!

08 – Reluctant To Homeschool? Cheri Was Too!

July 29, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/216781256″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! Today’s guest is Cheri, who is a homeschooling mom of four children, ages 2-11. She and her husband both converted to the Catholic faith while in their college years, but before they met each other. They live in a rural area outside Grand Rapids, MI. Cheri has a degree in painting and art history and worked in the education department of the Grand Rapids Art Museum before leaving her career eight years ago to begin homeschooling. Her husband is a writer and professor.

Cheri shares the following about her homeschooling journey:

Like most people, Cheri didn’t “set out” to homeschool. She and her husband explored the school options available to them, and they weren’t thrilled with any option.
Cheri and her husband are both products of public education, but they wanted more for their kids. Cheri says their public school education didn’t teach them to think critically but taught them to become “experts in memorization.”
Cheri has struggled with feeling inadequate to homeschool, mainly because of the gaps that exist in her education.
Cheri takes advantage of a “hybrid” model that allows homeschool students to attend a traditional school for two days weekly but be homeschooled for the other days. This works perfectly for her children and their family.
Cheri’s children are involved in various extra-curricular activities, but most are seasonal activities that are not simultaneous. One constant challenge is to plan ahead to keep up with their busy schedules.

Cheri has advice to anyone who might be a “reluctant” homeschooling mom like she used to be! Consider a hybrid model that uses either an online instructor or classes at a local school. Of course, the main motivation for anyone to embark on this journey is that we all want the best for our kids and want them to love learning. Join us to hear more from Cheri!

Episode 07: Homeschooling for the Sandwich Generation with Julie Foley

July 22, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/215789331″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! My guest for today’s show is Julie Foley, who is a homeschooling mother of four kids who was born and raised Catholic. Julie has a degree in Elementary Education and taught for three years before becoming a homeschooling mom. She currently homeschools her high school age daughter, has two middle schoolers who participate in a partnership with Sacred Heart Academy, and has a three-year-old at home. The partnership allows the students to attend a school program two days a week and be homeschooled the other days. Julie has taken on added responsibility by having her mother (suffering from Alzheimer’s) live with them.

Julie wants you to know the following about her homeschooling journey:

Julie’s oldest daughter began in school through her first-grade year. Julie noticed that she wasn’t happy at school, so even with fear and uncertainty, she took on the role of a homeschool mom.
Julie graciously views taking care of her mother as her “mission in life.” She uses this as an example to her kids of showing works of mercy and being Christ to her mother.
Julie faced a challenge when it came time to educate her son after two girls who were easy students to teach. Listen to how she took on that challenge and has made it work beautifully.
Julie advocates taking part in co-ops and homeschool groups for connection and resources. When she was beginning, she never knew this would become so vital.
Julie tries to start her day with quiet time and prayer. She feels it helps her be “less harpy” with her kids.
Julie uses devotion as an integral part of her children’s education. They pray the rosary, the divine mercy chaplet, attend mass, and use various bedtime devotions to strengthen the family’s faith.

Julie also shares with us what she does to relax and take care of herself in the midst of this busy life. She tells us about the great books currently on her nightstand, and the extracurricular activities that her family loves. She sums up her attitude about homeschooling like this: “IT’S ALL WORTH IT!”

06: Homeschooling Year By Year with Annie Tillberg

July 15, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/214776516″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! My guest today is Annie Tillberg, who homeschools her two daughters, ages three and ten. The Tillberg’s are a little unusual than most in their family dynamics. Annie and her husband are licensed foster parents and cared for a newborn foster daughter until she left to live with a biological parent at age 2-1/2. Naturally, this was quite a traumatic loss for the Tillberg family who had planned to adopt her! Annie has struggled with secondary infertility and is still hoping to add another baby, but they are currently “retired” from foster parenting. Annie also works (up to 30 hrs./weekly) from home as an instructional designer, designing training for companies. It’s a busy life for Annie, so listen in to hear her personal account!

Annie shares the following information about her homeschooling experience:

She began homeschooling her oldest daughter during the preschool years, after noticing some undesirable behaviors being learned from the school she attended.
Annie’s schedule varies, as there is no such thing as a “typical” day. They do take summer and winter breaks, prefer more of a block schedule of project-based learning, and try to focus on the most work during morning hours.
Annie’s biggest challenge, other than handling the age difference between her daughters, is finding the balance between schooling and household responsibilities. Listen to learn Annie’s great tips!
Annie’s biggest motivation for homeschooling is witnessing the progression in her daughter’s learning. She has a great story to share to illustrate this point!
Annie says that the one thing she would do differently in homeschooling is to worry less about getting “everything” done and what other people think.
Annie’s daughters participate in several extracurricular activities, including planned weekly field trips, swim lessons, tumbling/trampoline class, gymnastics, crochet, and Junior Achievement.

There is so much more included in our conversation! Annie discusses her family’s devotion exercises, books that she’s currently reading, what she does for self-care, and her overall philosophy about homeschooling. I hope you’ll join us for the exciting conversation with Annie!

Links and Resources:

anneryathome@blogspot.com (Annie’s blog and email)

Annery at home (Find Annie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!)

05: Homeschooling for Children with Special Needs – Katherine O’Brien Shares Her Story

July 8, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/213756996″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! My guest today is Katherine O’Brien, who is a busy mom of six children. Her children range in age from 10-21, and three have some degree of Aspergers. She currently is homeschooling her four youngest children. Katherine has written magazine articles, a book and has worked in her college consulting business since 2004. Katherine shares some unique aspects of her family dynamics that have been difficult and challenging. Hers is not the typical homeschool story. Join us for more!

Neither Katherine nor her husband had ever encountered or considered homeschooling as they grew up. They both viewed school as “not a happy place.” They had a friend who talked about the benefits of homeschooling, and began to consider the endeavor as their oldest son became school age. Katherine was impressed that the kindergarten homeschooling curriculum only called for 45 minutes of “school” each day. It felt “do-able,” and she thought she could do it for sure.

Katherine shares details about the following aspects of her homeschooling experience:

She feels gratefulness to those “pioneering homeschooling families of the 80’s, who did it even before it became easier and more widely accepted.
She loves the opportunity to “dig deeper” into certain subjects.
Katherine’s children currently follow a hybrid model of homeschooling and attending school on campus.
Each day’s schedule varies somewhat, according to which children are at home and which are at school. The schedule can vary from week to week as well.
Katherine has a mandatory devotional time for her children in which they pray the rosary for each family member, along with other seasonal devotions.
Katherine says what she would do differently is to be “nicer” to herself, and be more kind, patient, available, and forgiving to her kids.
She has had to learn to “give herself permission” to take time for herself, and even her kids now encourage her to do that periodically.
She advises couples to take the time to be together apart from the kids, to prioritize having a date night, or just walking together and talking.
Katherine currently has five books on her nightstand that she is reading, besides the Bible. The first one is The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin. Listen to hear about the other books!
The main extracurricular activities for her children are Boy Scouts and summer theater activities.

Katherine’s words of wisdom for anyone considering homeschooling are: “Do it anyway, even if you think it’s too hard! It’s a calling, so don’t give up, even during the high school years.” There are resources and special services available no matter where you live, and it will benefit your family in ways you can’t even imagine. Join us for more of Katherine’s story!

Katherine’s college consulting business is found on http://celticcollegeconsultants.com/

004: Why Does a Former Teacher Decide to Homeschool? Michaela Darr Explains.

July 1, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/212725533″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Welcome! Today’s guest is Micaela Darr, who has been a homeschooling mom for four years. Micaela’s five children range in age from 5 months through 9 years. Micaela was a teacher in both private and public schools, and NEVER thought she would homeschool her children. Soon, she felt the unmistakable call of God to educate her children this way when she couldn’t settle on a satisfying school choice. Micaela and her husband, Kevin, actually lived in South Korea for two years while Kevin taught at a military school. That is where her homeschooling journey began. Micaela writes a blog and loves her family, the beach, coffee, being Catholic, friendships, and Instagram.

Micaela wants you to know the following about her homeschooling experience:

Catholic Homeschool Mom, Micaela Dar.

Her children are in partnership with a charter school, which CA state law requires. Hear Micaela explain how it works and how it benefits her family.
Her teaching style is a combination of several styles and curricula but focuses on nature studies, projects, and LOTS of reading! (Reading aloud has become an important part of her day!)
Her most challenging issue has been OVERCOMMITMENT to outside classes that took her and her children away from home too much. She found that “more is not always better.”
The biggest motivation for what she does is knowing that educating her children is “her job—her vocation” for right now.
One thing she wishes she could do differently is to be more responsive to her kids’ individual learning styles.

Micaela also discusses the other components of her homeschooling day: extra-curricular activities, devotion, prayer, and Bible/saint stories. She shares great tips on scheduling ideas that have worked (and haven’t worked) well for her family.

Are you thinking about homeschooling, but are afraid you “can’t do it”? Micaela’s encouragement is, “If God calls you to do it, then He will make it clear to you and fortify you to do it!”

Links and Resources:

CaliforniatoKorea.com (Micaela’s blog)

Micaela_Darr (find her on Instagram)

Readaloudrevival.com (a podcast Micaela recommends)

002: Shannon Wendt Reveals How She Created Her Family Culture

June 16, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/210630626″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

My guest today is Shannon Wendt, who is here to share thoughts about her homeschooling journey. Shannon lives with her husband, Zach, and six kids in western Michigan. They are both business owners. Zach owns West Michigan Rocks, which is a real estate company. Shannon makes unique, handcrafted mothering and Catholic jewelry. Her business is called Organic Mama’s Shop. The Wendt children range in age from 2 weeks to 11 years. Shannon has been a homeschooling mom since 2008.

Shannon covers the following topics in our discussion:

Shannon and Zach knew early on in their marriage that homeschooling was for them. They felt a clear call from God to educate their kids in this manner.
The driving force behind their decision was to develop the “Wendt family culture” instead of letting a “school culture” govern their lives and schedules.
Shannon admits that scheduling is her Achilles’ heel in homeschooling. She has done much research and is still making adjustments to get it right.
The Wendt children have experienced a combination of homeschooling and going to school this year. Shannon feels that this arrangement works well and gives the kids “the best of both worlds.”
Shannon reveals that homeschooling is not always “fun.”
The Wendt’s have instituted family rosary prayer to help teach the children to pray for specific things and see the results. It has brought peace to their busy household.
Shannon encourages extracurricular activities for her children, but not at the expense of family time. For this reason, 4H involvement has worked out well.

Shannon’s advice to anyone looking to homeschool is to consider their strengths and weaknesses. Homeschooling offers a more flexible family schedule, and there are unlimited resources to help. Anyone can make it work if it’s what you want to do. “If God calls you to do it, then He will equip you!”

001: Laura Dominick shares home school resources

June 16, 2015

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/210603362″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Welcome! Today’s guest is Laura Dominick, who has homeschooled her seven children for the past 18 years! Laura has a blog, a website and has written a book—all about her experiences as a Catholic homeschooling mom. Check out the links at the end of our show notes!

Like many moms, Laura was one of those who said, “I WILL NEVER HOMESCHOOL MY KIDS!”

She currently has three college-age children, two high schoolers, and two in grade school.

Our conversation brings Laura’s insightful tips on the following topics:

Realize that children have different learning styles, so be creative in the use of workbooks, unit study, and structured/less-structured curricula.
Take advantage of unit studies that encompass several subject areas and can involve children across all age levels.
Understand that homeschooling is more about “the love of learning” than the facts of learning. Don’t be afraid to take a fun, relaxed approach. Engage them and capture their attention.
Be flexible! This is especially important as babies and toddlers are added to the family.
For high school students, concentrate on finding out what colleges want from students. Do your research and don’t be afraid that you’ll mess it up. “After all I’ve invested in educating my children, God will make sure they have what they need.”
Homeschooling is a CALLING and is filled with challenges. “Doing anything else would be going against what God wants me to do!”

Laura also gives advice on the importance of a support system, being organized, and making prayer the cornerstone of your homeschooling journey. She has great advice on how to incorporate extracurricular activities into the homeschooling family. Join us to find out more!

Links and Resources:

Catholic-homeschooling-resources.com (Laura’s website)

www.hsjoy.blogspot.com (Laura’s blog)

Aplanforjoyinthehome.com (Laura’s book)

Mileschristi.org (The spiritual organization recommended by Laura for youth and family retreats and camps– A great addition to extracurriculars!)