Homeschool Mom Spotlight #12

Meet Amanda

Every month here at Patterns for Life we highlight an individual homeschool mom through a written interview in order to encourage and inspire our readers. We know it can be helpful to meet — whether virtually or in real life — other mothers who are in the trenches with us here and now, and can relate to our daily struggles and joys.

This month we are pleased to introduce Amanda, who shares some great pieces of wisdom in her interview. Enjoy!

1. Tell us about yourself and your family.

I live in a tiny, rural town in the Midwest with my husband and our 8-year-old. I work full time while my husband stays home with our boy. He also works from home as a writer, runs a board game club in several area communities. We have a bit of a snarky streak and we like spooky stuff. We also love Jesus, and we try to love other people too.


2. How long have you been homeschooling and what motivated you to start in the first place?

I suppose the official Charlotte Mason answer is that we started with AmblesideOnline year 1 and we’re now in year 3, so a couple years. But we did do some preschool activities that were easygoing but planned and prepared (mainly to keep us organized—avoiding decision fatigue and making good use of all our resources). So we’ve been at it for five years now in some form. Back then we playfully called it “stories and poems and songs and prayers,” because that’s pretty much what it was, in addition to playing around with numbers. And a little of it was in Spanish.

We never expected to be homeschoolers. My dad was an outstanding public school teacher for 30+ years and neither of us have ever known many real-life homeschoolers. I think the idea ended up in my head because of the kinds of online blogs and essays I was reading, and then it seemed like I kept running across it in different ways. My husband was open to it, and he started to encounter the idea too—like God was making sure we’d stumble into it, one way or another!

3. Describe a typical homeschool day in your home.

I do most of the homeschool planning and then my husband and I share the teaching. Our son usually gets to wake up on his own, which I love. Then he and I do our part of school (an hour-ish) during and after breakfast—prayers and blessings to start the day, Spanish, math, and most of the “riches” (various forms of music, poetry, memory work). Also theology or devotional writings or church history or some other faith-formational sort of thing(s). When we’re done he has a break and then he picks up with Dad. They do most of the AO readings, copywork, reading practice, art and handicrafts, nature study, and a few other things. Afternoons are for outings and adventure, game club, playing, building, Minecraft, reading.


4. What is your favorite part of homeschooling?

We are homebodies at heart, and I love that we get lots of time together, as a family, at home. I’m happy that learning and wondering are central to our family culture. None of our family is local, so we love the flexibility to travel for visits during the week, and to center our family life around the liturgical life of the church rather than the school calendar. I also love that our boy is himself. He hasn’t yet faced much pressure to conform, and we really enjoy him as a person.

5. Does homeschooling affect the way you parent? If so, how?

I’m sure it affects the way we parent, but it’s the only way we’ve ever done it, so it’s hard to pin down the specific effects! I do think it’s true that when you’re spending more time together, you have to invest more into forming good habits and behavior patterns (for everyone!). And it’s easier to do that when we have lots of relaxed time at home instead of frantic schedules.

We are mostly surrounded by public schoolers, most of whom do lots of activities. The more we hear about their schedules, the more we appreciate our own quiet rhythms. Homeschooling just feels like a natural extension of parenting, and the idea of sending our son away all day now feels rather foreign, even though that’s how we both grew up, and we didn’t think anything of it then.

6. What is your least favorite part of homeschooling?

I wish we had more opportunities for regular groups here, and a wider variety of activities we could participate in, especially ones that aren’t led by us. That’s more about our rural context than homeschooling, I suppose. But with an only child who’s mostly with us (so far), I find we have to be careful not to turn every social situation into a Learning Opportunity, lest our son feel like every outing is some kind of test.

Also, I wish we had time for all the good books and things we encounter! It’s such a bummer sometimes to have to say no to great resources, but time is finite. And, as much as all of life is learning, our son needs to be nurtured as a whole person, not just a student. So I tell myself maybe we can get to all the rest of the good stuff in eternity.


7. What have you found to be the most humbling aspect of parenting/homeschooling?

I really notice the areas where we particularly fall short. We don’t have as much outdoor time as I wish we did, for example. And parenting certainly makes it easy (and necessary!) to confront my own shortcomings in patience and many other virtues.

8. Looking back to the beginning of your homeschool journey, what are some things you wish you had known? What would you tell your younger self as she was just starting out?

Little bits of consistency really do add up! I don’t know why this is so surprising, but I can’t emphasize it enough. It’s a correction for those of us who struggle with consistency and too easily let things slide. And also for those of us (like me) who tend to make grand plans and pack in too much. Don’t worry about doing everything, or doing it perfectly. Just do a little bit of something good and do it consistently. It will have an impact.

9. How does your faith affect your homeschooling?

Our faith is foundational to everything we do. Our homeschooling includes more direct faith formation type elements, like scripture and devotional reading, learning about the saints, singing hymns, and following the liturgical year. The bigger picture is that we see God’s hand in everything we study or encounter—because, of course, it’s always there! We revel in the presence of God in all the tasks of daily life, in all our conversations, learning, and leisure. Our life simply is a Christian life, and that includes education.


10. What are some of your favorite homeschool resources?

How long do we have?! Really, we are so fortunate to live in a time of abundant, high-quality resources of every imaginable type. To say nothing of the wonderful people we may have in our lives, who serve as the best resources of all.

This post by Wendi Capehart about the early years.

Ambleside Online! I appreciate that the curriculum and all the guidance available is truly a ministry for the Advisory, and the forum is full of people who will bend over backward to help with any needs. We certainly feel free to tweak and customize for our own family, but it’s a beautiful and solid foundation.

For a few specifics, we’ve appreciated My Little Robins materials for teaching reading. Also Cuisinaire rods (thanks, Lisa!) and Math Mammoth.

11. What do you consider to be the most rewarding aspect of homeschooling?

We get to spend a lot more time together as a family than we otherwise would, focusing on our own priorities, building our family culture, following the Spirit’s lead. Plus, Mom and Dad get to learn alongside the official student!


12. Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks to all the mamas who have shared their wisdom in these spotlights, to all who walk alongside one another in myriad ways here and elsewhere, and to all who pray for their fellow mothers, known and unknown. The fellowship of seasoned women, along with the great cloud of witnesses that always surrounds us, is an immense comfort and support along the way.

Thank you, Amanda! I hadn’t read that post by Wendi Capehart about the early years before — what a gem of an essay! And it truly is such a blessing to be able to be with our children every day and enjoy them as themselves as they grow.