If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of Mother Culture, it's not a new one and has been adapted over the years to fit many definitions, but its origins seem to point within the homeschool community to ideas laid out by Charlotte Mason and elaborated on over the years by Karen Andreola. In fact, Karen’s book Mother Culture is a beautiful compilation of many ideas surrounding this concept which she summarizes in this way…

In early January of 2020, I adjusted our typical homeschool routines and curriculum in preparation for the arrival of our third son at the end of the month. At that time, we had no idea that a pandemic was on the horizon, nor could we foresee that the relaxed rhythms and simplified resources we had transitioned to for a temporary season would lay a foundation for some of the best learning and sweetest memories made around our table…

Mary and Martha — I think every woman of God who puts her hands to the work of making a home shares a deep connection to these sisters found in the Gospel accounts of Scripture. Martha embodies everything we know about keeping a home, serving our families, and living on mission for our Savior, Jesus Christ. While Mary serves as the example of a right spiritual posture before our King — sitting at His feet, learning from Him, and allowing that knowledge to grow us in a closer relationship to Him as we seek to be holy…

Looking back at my childhood, I can pinpoint the exact moment my love language burst on the scene — I was between the ages of 6 and 8 years old and I had been playing in my room when I was suddenly struck by the thought that my mama was the absolute best person on the planet and my love for her almost overwhelmed me…

I'm going to share a cringe moment from my early years as a homeschool mama: when my oldest son was ready for some gentle preschool work, I became overly excited and temporarily lost my mind. I printed off enough material for an entire Montessori school, organized it in 47 binders, laminated 500 flashcards, and made an hour-by-hour plan for an entire 356 days. You can probably guess the end of this story already…

As homeschooling families, we’ve chosen a lifestyle that gives us an incredible amount of freedom and flexibility. Our children experience these blessings first-hand when they are given the space and tools to explore topics they are truly curious or passionate about in their learning…

Me to my kids: I’m not going to tell you again.
Narrator: “She did, in fact, tell them again.

I saw this giggle-worthy quote floating around on a letter board the other day and could immediately hear the narrator’s voice in my head. Over the past few weeks, I find myself repeating the same things over and over to these bundles of energy that are disguised as my boys…

I remember the day a dear friend admitted to me that though she has been homeschooling for years, she's never cracked a "homeschooling book" — those ones that are filled with educational philosophies and methods, and how-to suggestions. She said this in hushed tones as though the home education police would surely hear and drag her away for committing such a crime…

Year-round scheduling is one of my favorite elements of our family’s homeschool lifestyle. By eliminating the stress of squishing all our official time with our books into the traditional August-May calendar, we’re able to establish consistent rhythms with lots of built-in flexibility. Here are some of my favorite benefits with this type of schedule…