I’m a Veteran Homeschooler
Lots of questions?
Feeling overwhelmed?
Let's fix your homeschool.
Start here, with the 5 Reasons Homeschooling Isn't Fun Anymore & How to Find Joy Again! ⬇
Less than a year into homeschooling? Check out our tips for first-time homeschoolers here.
What they don't warn you about with homeschooling: All of the questions...not your kids', but yours —
- "How do I teach my son now that he's been diagnosed with a learning disability?"
- "How do I teach fractions to my 3rd grader while keeping the toddler from sticking a protractor up his nose?"
- "How can I be consistent and keep the kids from falling behind when I feel like we're on a hamster wheel of survival mode?"
- "How do I meet the needs of all of my kids, all at different grade levels?"
- "Should we ditch the curriculum? Try a new plan or schedule? Scrap the whole homeschool thing and send them to school?"
You don't WANT to stop homeschooling (okay, some days you have the public school on speed dial) — but what you really want is for someone to show you how to make this whole homeschooling thing actually work for your family.
If that's you, you're in the right place, because that's exactly what we do here at Heart of a Mother. ⬇
Hi, I'm Jenny,
And I'll help you love homeschooling again.
I've been homeschooling for 17+ years — yes, even through high school — and I actually still like it most of the time!
Here's what I've learned throughout my years of homeschooling (and what I started Heart of a Mother to teach every homeschool family):
➡ Your plans will most likely change from year to year — or even mid-year — and IT WILL BE OKAY. I promise.
➡ Finding community with other homeschool moms will make or break your experience.
➡ Not every day of homeschooling will be joyful, but you CAN enjoy homeschooling overall.
Because here is what I've become convinced of: ⬇
If God has called you to homeschooling, it wasn't to make you miserable.
He called you to it because it is your family's path to heaven. So that means the reason your homeschool is not joyful is not your kids' fault or even yours!
We've found that it's typically because you've forgotten or never figured out your homeschooling "why," you need to make a change in curriculum or structure, you're facing a challenging situation (school-related or otherwise) that you have zero idea what to do about, or you're trying to do way too much.
The good news? All of those are fixable!
Ready for a better homeschool?
At Heart of a Mother, we believe that every family — yes, even your chaotic one — can find joy and balance in homeschooling.
And before you ditch the curriculum or try to implement ALL of the strategies you received from your desperate Facebook group plea, there are actually only four steps to having a calmer, more organized, and joyful homeschool:
FIGURE OUT WHY YOU'VE LOST YOUR JOY.
Start with our 5 questions to ask yourself first to figure that out.
TREAT THE BURNOUT.
We can't change anything while you're burnt out — and I have yet to meet a homeschool mom who didn't get burned out at least once a year. If you can't remember the last time you weren't in survival mode, here are my top 10 tips for combatting burnout.
COME UP WITH A PLAN.
Now, with a clearer brain, we figure out what needs to be changed. Sometimes it's a simple tweak; sometimes it's a complete overhaul. Need help coming up with that plan? That's our favorite thing to do through our affordable, 1:1 homeschool consults.
ADJUST AND CONNECT.
Then comes the hard work...actually adjusting. That's where The Sunroom comes in! It's our community where you get advice from fellow homeschool moms, practical strategies to try, and accountability to follow through — plus Catholic homeschool mom friends who get it!
Heart of a Mother is professional development
for Catholic homeschool moms
From the random "how do I ____?" questions that pop up to the complete homeschool overhaul, we provide Catholic homeschooling support to answer your questions, help you develop a plan you'll actually stick to, and get you back on track.
We primarily do this through 1:1 consulting and our group membership, but you'll also find us hanging out in our free Facebook community, offering tips on our YouTube and blog, or developing our growing library of DIY workshops and courses.
So feel free to roam around our site and explore our resources (but if you get overwhelmed easily, start with our 5 Reasons Why Homeschooling Isn't Fun and then I'll email you with what you'll need next!).
Our Homeschooling Philosophy
Wonder if we'll jive with your homeschool philosophy? We believe:
➡ Homeschooling doesn't need to be so complicated, for your kids or for you. We help make homeschooling doable, because we've found simple typically = more enjoyable.
➡ We are not judging you. We don't think you're a horrible mom. Trust us — we've been there. Homeschooling is hard AND rewarding, and they can coexist.
➡ There is no one right philosophy, curriculum, or style of homeschooling that works for everybody. There's only the one that's right for you! And we have experience in many, so we can help you figure out which is right for you!
Heart of a Mother is served by three consultants with 35+ years experience homeschooling 15 children between us — and we're all still current homeschool moms!
Want Even More Regular Homeschooling Help?
From Day 1 of homeschooling until your last graduates your homeschool, we're here to help you homeschool well (and maybe even with your sanity intact!).
Read homeschooling reflections on our blog.
I spent time looking through the Heart of a Mother website and using some of the free resources available...sometimes it's so nice to talk to someone who shares your values but isn't "in the weeds" with you you can give you a fresh and honest perspective. That's what I needed. The call was so helpful.
- Cheryl, Heart of a Mother client
Our Most Popular Resources for Veteran Homeschoolers
Want some DIY help to get you started? Here are some of our favorite veteran homeschooler resources:
HOMESCHOOLING WITH HEART
A complete planning course, including three of our popular planning bootcamps to pick new curriculum and plan your days
DIY HOMESCHOOL RETREATS
Mama...you need a retreat! This bundle features our four most popular DIY homeschool mom retreat guides.
CONVERSATIONS WITH CATHOLIC KIDS
Questions for each liturgical season to foster meaningful faith conversations with your kids
The simplest path to an easier homeschool?
Do it with others.
And no, we're not talking about co-op. We're talking about support for YOU! In The Sunroom, you not only get homeschooling advice and weekly accountability and troubleshooting...you also get a community of other moms to do this whole homeschooling thing with.