I often joke with moms in consultations that I have homeschooled long enough to make every mistake that it is possible for a homeschooling mother to make, and am eager to help others avoid some of the pitfalls. I was slow to learn, and as I shared last month, God has been faithful to my… Read More Reflections, Part 2

As we reflect upon the year behind us and prepare for the year ahead, I think it is very common to feel a certain amount of discouragement. We are tired. We are not where we thought we would be when our plans were shiny and new. I’ve seen more and more comments online through our… Read More Sow Thy Seed

It’s here and is nearly gone faster than a racehorse: the merry month of May. Over the years I have learned May takes more schedule juggling than Christmastime. But, we love it, and not just because spring has sprung. Just like the kids, the relief of school being out, or nearly over, is a great… Read More Reflections

The above quote was sent to me a couple of days ago. James Clear is author of Atomic Habits, one of A Delectable Education’s titles for the 2020-21 PEC List. Can I hear you all saying, “Amen!” to this statement: the last thing I need is to think about what to do with my time!… Read More Be Humble

Charlotte Mason said that the outcome of her curriculum was character. We breathe a sigh of relief, because we sure know our children’s character needs work. I think she was chuckling within herself when she wrote this because she knew what I suspect she also meant. For me, it is teaching with her method and… Read More How Long, O Lord…?

I am not going to beat about the bush. I just deleted a long, long introduction, which I decided was just hemming and hawing. Your time is valuable, so I will begin simply by saying that I am a recovering perfectionist, but what I want to encourage you with is not the cure for perfectionism.… Read More The Hindrance to Spreading the Feast, or, On Not Being Good At Everything

Learning never ends. Is this exciting or discouraging for you? Have you noticed that lessons in life repeat, get learned again and again? One of those, for me, is that I live not by bread alone (and I truly do adore bread—all kinds!), but live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.… Read More What Do You Have?

Over the next several months, I want to focus on some of the common questions and concerns I hear during consults or receive via e-mail. I’m usually too busy to keep a running tally and add all the questions up. Still, without any record, certain worries rise to the surface quite frequently. Probably the top… Read More He is For You

Time has limitations. Those limitations mean we have to decide between many good things because there isn’t time to do all we wish. Perhaps because I’m getting older, I now consider time quite precious and want to make the most of it. I am not as careless of time as I used to be. I… Read More  Against the Clock

At one of our ADE at Home conferences, I gave a brief meditation on sowing and reaping. Just as “the feast” is a great analogy for the Charlotte Mason curriculum, gardening is also apt, especially as relates to the teacher. Remember Miss Mason’s reference to Ecclesiastes, “In the morning sow your seed, and in the… Read More Reading: Compost for Composition, or, Sow a Book, Reap a Composition