Welcome!

Welcome, thanks for joining me! Let me introduce myself. My name is Taryn, and I am a Catholic wife and mother of four awesome kiddos. I made the decision to homeschool when my oldest was 3, so that means I already have four years of experience! Now, don't take that to mean that I know what I'm doing. More often than not, I feel at a total loss and wonder how I got into this craziness. But home education is an ongoing journey, and I am learning more every day.

There is one thing I have learned in these four years, and that is the reason I decided to start blogging about my family's education. I have discovered that there is an insane amount of pressure put on children to perform well and to fit into a particular mold. I was blessed with a firstborn who refused to let me put him into a mold, so I was forced to examine my views of education and childhood. In doing so I made some wonderful discoveries! I created this space to share the ideas and resources that have inspired me in my homeschooling journey, and to document for myself the successes and setbacks of our living education.

There are a few words that continually come back to me when I reflect on what I want my children's education to look like. If these words ring true to you, I hope you can take something helpful away from these pages.

Simple
I am not an organized person. I plan many of my lessons in the morning during breakfast. I don't think this is an ideal setup, but for now that's how we roll. Because of this, I am always on a search for ways to make our education as simple as possible. I look for simple crafts, activities, and experiments, often using what I can find around the house. And I strive to keep my mission simple: I want to instill in my children a love of learning so that they will desire to take charge of their education.

Inspiring
Like I said above, I want my children to own their education. The only way to do this is to help them learn to love learning. How do I do that? I listen to them and give them a lot of input on their education, even at ages 7 and 5. I also make it a point to get excited about things that I'd like them to learn. If I'm excited to learn about something, they are much more likely to show interest.

Individual
No two children are alike, and nowhere is that more true than my own home. I have a "mad scientist" firstborn son (I mean that as a compliment to him!) and a type-A second son who loves worksheets and math problems. They excel and struggle in very different areas, so it is impossible to teach them both the same way.

Worry-Free
I named my blog based on the scripture verses Luke 12:6-7: "Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows." I strive to give my kids an environment free of comparison and worry, because they are exactly who they are meant to be. God is watching out for each of them and if I place them in His hands, I have nothing to worry about!


If you are the parent of a homeschooling family, I hope my thoughts and ideas can inspire you. If you are unfamiliar with this type of education, I hope I can help dispel some myths about what a "homeschooling  family" looks like. I firmly believe that parents are the best people to make decisions about their kids, so whatever kind of education you have chosen for your family, I hope that you will trust yourself and follow the advice of Padre Pio: "Pray, hope and don't worry."