Homeschool Better Together

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I just need to fix this homeschool,” this conversation might make you pause before you change another curriculum, schedule, chore chart, or routine.

In this episode, Laney sits down with Emily Brown to talk about a question we’ve been hearing more and more around Homeschool Better Together: What exactly is mindset coaching, and what does it have to do with homeschooling?

Emily explains what a mindset coach actually does—and why it has very little to do with someone telling you how to live your life. Instead, mindset coaching helps you become more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and reactions so you can understand what is really happening underneath the problem you’re experiencing.

And that matters in homeschool because the way we think about our kids, our time, our curriculum, our calling, and ourselves directly affects how we show up each day.

Emily is very clear about this.

Mindset work isn't about sprinkling “positive thinking” over a difficult situation and pretending reality isn't hard.

It's about separating the facts from the interpretation we've added to those facts.

This is an especially meaningful part of the conversation for the HBT community.

Emily explains how her faith undergirds the way she approaches mindset coaching. She believes our brains and bodies were designed by God and that understanding how they work doesn't compete with faith—it can actually point us back toward the Creator.

• What a mindset coach actually does
• Why mindset coaching isn't about someone telling you how to live
• How thoughts influence emotions and actions
• Why homeschool moms can feel trapped by their circumstances
• The difference between facts and our interpretation of facts
• How mindset can uncover practical problems that actually need to be addressed
• Why changing your thoughts doesn't mean ignoring reality
• How mindset coaching fits with a Christian worldview
• What mindset coaching can look like inside Elevate
• Why community matters when you're trying to make lasting change
• Emily's “Holy Spirit pause” for the overwhelmed homeschool mom

Emily offers mindset masterclasses and open coaching calls inside Elevate, alongside practical homeschool classes, community support, and other resources designed to help you homeschool with more confidence and less overwhelm.

• Homeschool Consistency Bootcamp
• Elevate

Have you ever found yourself reminding your kids about the same things over and over again?

Finish your math.

Stay focused.

Check your schedule.

Get back to work.

Why aren’t you doing the thing we already talked about?

Sometimes what looks like a behavior problem is actually a skill that hasn’t been developed yet.

In today’s episode, I’m giving you a sneak peek inside one of Emily Brown’s recent Elevate mindset classes: School and Home Skill Building. Emily walks through five skills she believes kids need to practice in order to become more capable and independent—and five skills moms need to practice in order to create a healthier, more functional homeschool.

And even after more than 20 years of homeschooling, I walked away with practical things I could use in my own home.

• Why self-confidence is the belief that “I can do it or I can figure it out”
• Helping kids discover their own reasons for doing difficult things
• Using goals to build independence
• Emily's whiteboard system for helping her kids plan their day
• How to practice focus with small, achievable wins
• Why kids need to know what “done” actually looks like
• The three-question evaluation Emily uses with her kids
• How moms can build belief in their children
• Setting reasonable and age-appropriate expectations
• Why constantly moving the finish line can break trust
• Keeping shame out of skill-building
• Taking responsibility for our own emotions
• Celebrating our own wins as homeschool moms

Elevate Membership: https://homeschoolbettertogether.com/elevate

What if the thing making you feel overwhelmed isn't that you're bad at managing your time?

What if you just have too much on your plate?

I know. Revolutionary.

In this episode, I'm talking with Kayse Pratt of Anchored Women about something both of us have had to wrestle with: simplification.

Kayse recently made a pretty dramatic change in her business. After 16 years of creating digital products, she found herself with 223 different products. And here's the kicker: the business whose entire mission was to help people simplify had created a product line that was actually making things more complicated.

So Kayse did something that is not easy to do.

She cut it down to four.

And that decision got us talking about what happens when we look at our own lives and realize we've done the exact same thing.

We've added good thing after good thing until our lives are completely packed.

And then we wonder why we're exhausted.

As homeschool moms, this can happen especially easily. We aren't just educating our kids. We're managing the house, feeding everybody, running people to activities, keeping up with relationships, serving at church, working jobs, and trying to maintain some semblance of spiritual life somewhere in the middle of all of it.

So how do we know what needs to stay?

And what are we actually allowed to let go?

Kayse and I talk honestly about the difficulty of simplifying, why we sometimes have to "hit the wall" before we're willing to change, and what it looks like to trust God with the things we can't control.

We also get very practical.

We're talking about making decisions once instead of over and over again, using a Top Three list, simplifying meals, creating family rhythms, and recognizing that homeschool absolutely counts as one of the things taking up your time and energy.

Because simplifying isn't about becoming more efficient so you can cram even MORE into your day.

It's about making room for the things that actually matter.

• Why adding good things can still leave you with an unsustainable life
• How Kayse decided to cut Anchored Women from 223 products down to just four
• Why simplifying can be painful before it becomes life-giving
• How to recognize when you're approaching the point where something needs to change
• Why homeschool belongs on your list of actual time and energy commitments
• How making decisions once can dramatically reduce daily decision fatigue
• How to use a simple Top Three system without pretending you have unlimited capacity
• Why simple family rhythms can actually help your kids feel more secure
• How to simplify meals without creating another complicated system
• Why we sometimes need to let go of good things to make room for better things
• How pride and our desire for control can keep us from simplifying
• What Psalm 23 has taught Kayse about trusting God instead of trying to make everything happen ourselves
• Why simplification isn't necessarily permanent—sometimes we're in a season of cutting back, and sometimes we're in a season of growth

• Elevate--Support for the homeschool mom
• Anchored Women (planning resources + community)
• The Steadfast Over Scattered Planner
• Brain Dump and prioritize FREE Download

Are you doing everything “right” in your homeschool… and still wondering if you’re doing it right enough?

In this episode, I’m talking with Jeanette Pascua, a longtime homeschool mom of five, former high school theology teacher, and the editor behind much of what we create at Homeschool Better Together.

Jeanette has been homeschooling for about a decade, and her oldest is now in high school. That means she has something I think every homeschool mom desperately needs: perspective from the other side of the elementary years.

Her homeschool looks pretty different today than it did when she started. Her kids are scattered around the house doing different things, her older children have significant control over their schedules, and the whole day feels much more relaxed.

But it didn't start that way.

We talk about what it actually takes to help our kids grow into independent learners, why independence looks different for every child, and how Jeanette gradually handed over pieces of her children's education instead of throwing them into the deep end.

And then we get into something I think almost every homeschool mom has wrestled with: the pressure to do homeschooling “the right way.”

Jeanette is a Charlotte Mason homeschooler, and she talks honestly about the pressure that she puts on herself to follow this method the way others prescribe that it "should" be done.

Sound familiar?

We also talk about letting go of the perfect plan, what happens when subjects or books fall off the schedule, and the surprising reassurance that comes from watching an older child move toward high school.

Because sometimes you don't realize your homeschool is working until you get far enough down the road to look back.

• How Jeanette gradually transferred responsibility for school from herself to her kids
• Why independence doesn't look the same for every child
• How to invite your kids into homeschool planning without handing them the whole steering wheel
• The pressure to follow an educational philosophy “correctly”
• Why you need to homeschool the kids actually standing in front of you
• What happens when a book, subject, or entire chunk of your beautiful plan gets dropped
• How reaching the high school years can give you a completely different perspective on your earlier homeschool worries
• Why a homeschool that looks relaxed from the outside may actually have a lot happening underneath
• How homeschooling has shaped Jeanette into a gentler, more patient mom
• And, naturally, whether iced coffee counts as a homeschool snack

Jeanette also shares what she loves most about working behind the scenes at Homeschool Better Together—including the books she discovers while editing our curriculum plans.

And if you've ever looked at your homeschool plan three months into the year and realized, Wait…we're not actually doing that subject anymore, you're definitely going to want to hear this conversation.

One of my biggest takeaways from our conversation is this: balance in a homeschool isn't static. We're constantly adjusting. Sometimes something needs more attention, something else needs to take a back seat, and that's okay.

That's not failure.

That's homeschooling.

• Homeschool Better Together
• Wonder Studies
• Science Together
• Language Arts Together
• Mystie Winckler at Simply Convivial
• Little Women
• The Chronicles of Narnia

Homeschooling is never a straight line. Seasons change, families grow, circumstances shift, and the way we teach our children evolves along the way.

In this episode of Homeschool Better Together, I talk with Betsy Cypress, one of the curriculum writers behind Homeschool Better Together, about what it means to truly learn alongside your children.

Betsy shares her homeschool journey—from raising five children and graduating her oldest, to unexpectedly welcoming four additional students into her homeschool after the loss of a close friend. Through that season, she discovered even more deeply that homeschooling together isn’t just about making lessons easier—it’s about building relationships, creating community, and learning through life’s challenges.

We also dive into the process behind creating Wonder Studies, including:

• why picture books can open the door to deeper learning
• how curriculum can serve as a springboard rather than the finish line
• why conversations and connections often become the most meaningful parts of homeschooling
• how learning alongside your children changes the way you teach
• why consistency and loving kindness matter more than perfection

Whether your homeschool has one child or many, whether you are adding students or watching them leave the nest, this conversation is an encouragement to embrace your current season and discover the wonder waiting there.

• Betsy’s unique homeschool story and how her family adapted through major transitions
• How multi-age homeschooling can create connection and community
• Why learning alongside your children benefits both parents and kids
• How Wonder Studies help families explore topics through beautiful books and meaningful discussion
• Encouragement for homeschool moms who are trying to stay faithful in challenging seasons

• Wonder Studies https://homeschoolbettertogether.com/wonder-studies-annual-access
• Through Sand and Salt: A Tale of Discovery Across the Sahara by Elizabeth Zunon
• Deserts Wonder Study
• The William Hoy Story by Nancy Churnin
• Baseball Wonder Study
• Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang
• Japan Wonder Study
• Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr

Ever found yourself eyeing someone’s “Pinterest pretty” homeschool and wondered if you’re missing something? Today, I’m sitting down with Katy Wallace—our very own graphic designer at Homeschool Better Together—to pull back the curtain on what “real” homeschooling actually looks like. Katy is not just a talented visual visionary—she’s an Alabama homeschool mom of teens, an accidental chicken-keeper, and someone who swore she’d never give up the corporate grind. (Spoiler: she did.)

We’re getting personal about how both of us landed in the world of homeschooling when it was NOT on our radar, how our school days have shifted as our families have grown, and what happens when your high schoolers start flying the nest. Katy shares how her creative side spills into her homeschool days (yes, there was sidewalk chalk involved), and why she never joined a co-op—plus how she deals with comparison and all the “shoulds” that come with doing things a little differently.

We laugh about slow mornings and Southern accents, dig into why beautiful curriculum actually makes a difference, and talk honestly about sanctification, flexibility, and how homeschooling will expose all your perfectionist tendencies…and why that’s not a bad thing.

This one is for every homeschool mom who’s wondered if she’s the only one doing it her own way (hint: you’re not). Join us for a down-to-earth conversation that will leave you feeling encouraged, seen, and a lot less alone.

• Katy’s totally unexpected journey from corporate life to rural homeschool mom and graphic designer
• The “normal” (and not-so-normal) homeschool days—slow mornings, morning baskets, and navigating high school independence
• What actually changes (and what doesn’t) when your kids become teens and start dual enrollment or get part-time jobs
• Why Katy never found a co-op that fit and how she avoids the comparison trap
• The surprising impact beautiful curriculum design has on our homeschool mood and function (and how clutter really messes with us!)
• Pep talks on perfectionism, the myth of having it all figured out, and learning to embrace flexibility—even when you’re more “planner” than “free spirit”
• How faith, prayer, and real-life messiness shape our days more than the right planner or perfect routine
• Honest talk on the sanctifying work of homeschooling (it’ll grow you just as much as your kids)

• Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot (step-by-step planning system):
• The Elevate Program with Finishers Club + live planning accountability:
• Science Together
• Heaven is Having You by Giles Andreae
• Epposumondas by Coleen Salley

Ever feel like your homeschool planner is just a guilt trip in a spiral binding? Been there, bought the (overly ambitious) boxed curriculum, cried all over it. In this episode, I’m peeling back the curtain on my own 23-year planning evolution—the good, the bad, and the “how did we get this far off track?” moments.

If your school year starts hopeful, but quickly turns into a flip-and-flop scramble between “we’re already behind in math” and “wait, who moved the lesson plans again?”, you’re not alone. I’ve walked that tightrope between Pinterest-perfect plans and the reality of messy, beautiful family life.

• Why your planning approach might actually be feeding your overwhelm
• The not-so-glamorous backstory of my own planning fails (and what finally clicked)
• Why I finally ditched those one-size-fits-none grid schedules for a plan that actually works

And yes—we’re going deep on my absolute favorite strategy: Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot. Honestly? Total game-changer for ditching the chaos, the guilt, and the endless Sunday-night planner panic.

If you’re ready for practical peace, more consistent days, and just a tad more joy in your homeschool, you’ll find all kinds of hope in this conversation.

• How boxed curricula and rigid schedules can set you up for stress and comparison (yep, I lived it)
• The ugly truth about planning “shoulds” vs. what actually fits your real life
• Why a big-picture vision beats lesson-plan whack-a-mole every time
• The simple shift that freed up my weekends—and gave me back my sanity
• How to build a homeschool plan that’s flexible, realistic, and totally guilt-proof
• The underrated superpower of periodic reviews and “just do the next thing” lists
• Why planning in the summer is my secret weapon for a strong finish—no more mid-year meltdown

• Put Your Homeschool Year on Autopilot (step-by-step planning system): https://shop.homeschoolbettertogether.com/products/put-your-homeschool-year-on-autopilot
• The Elevate Program with Finishers Club + live planning accountability: https://homeschoolbettertogether.com/elevate

Are you tired of feeling like you have to have all the answers (and keep every colored-pencil-coded planner page perfect)? You’re not alone—in fact, that’s exactly why we created Elevate.

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Emily Brown, certified life coach and the new owner of Homeschool Better Together, about what moms REALLY need to thrive in their homeschool (spoiler: it’s not just the “right curriculum”). We’re opening up about decision fatigue, unrealistic expectations, self-doubt, burnout, and why you don’t have to go it alone. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re the only one struggling to stay consistent (or just wondered if you’re the only “normal” homeschool mom who hides in the laundry room to regroup), you’re going to feel seen.

We also share how community, mindset shifts, and permission to invest in you breathe life into your homeschool journey. Plus, we spill all the details about Elevate—the new membership designed specifically to encourage, equip, and connect homeschool moms, all year long.

• The biggest struggles homeschool moms face—beyond curriculum (and why no one talks about them enough)
• Why community and mentorship are game-changers for your peace and confidence
• What unrealistic expectations and “mom guilt” really cost us (and what to do instead)
• Practical ways to feed your mind, heart, and faith—even in the most chaotic seasons
• How to spot and break out of the “I don’t know” spiral (it’s not you, it’s decision fatigue)
• What you actually get inside Elevate (and why we’re obsessed with making it affordable and flexible)
• Tips for getting real support (free or paid) so you never feel isolated again

• Join the free Homeschool Better Together Community
• Elevate Membership: access to masterclasses, co-working, mentorship, and ongoing support (now open!): https://homeschoolbettertogether.com/elevate/

Are you craving more connection and less chaos in your homeschool life? This week, I got to sit down with the brilliant Dawn Garrett, Homeschool Better Together’s community manager and an experienced homeschool mom whose kids have all graduated and flown the nest. (Yes, she survived—she’s living proof.)

We got candid about what “togetherness” really looked like in her homeschool. Dawn shared the honest ups and downs: the seasons when being together at the table was the perfect fit—and the moments when togetherness just wasn’t working. Hear how she pivoted, created new rhythms, faced those inevitable sibling squabbles, and nurtured the deep family bonds that have lasted well into her kids’ adulthood.

We also dug into the importance of community for moms—especially when overwhelm strikes. Dawn dishes on finding mentors, being encouraged by fellow homeschoolers, and how relationships with both your kids and other moms are what really matter, long after the worksheets are graded.

This one is jam-packed with real talk, encouragement, and more than a few laugh-out-loud stories—because let’s be honest, if you’ve never measured your day by whether someone’s book crossed “the tape line” at the kitchen table, are you even homeschooling?

• Dawn’s “origin story”—why she went all-in on homeschooling (spoiler: the desire started long before kids arrived)
• The power of morning time as the anchor for their best homeschool days—and what happened when she had to let it go
• Why being together is beautiful… until it isn’t (and how to recognize when it’s time to try something new)
• The messy, hilarious reality of sibling relationships at home (and the infamous masking tape table trick)
• How the atmosphere you create—over years—helps kids remain connected long after graduation (yes, even when you thought they might never stop bickering)
• Simple, practical ways to foster relationships, reconciliation, and wonder at your homeschool table—even on days you want to wave the white flag
• Why community with other homeschool moms is essential for your sanity, confidence, and growth (plus, Dawn’s tips for finding true connection—even if it’s online)
• What to do when you’re in the thick of overwhelm: where to focus, what to drop, and how to “step out of the chaos and into the wonder.”

• Cindy Rollins’ resources
• Ambleside Online (for Charlotte Mason inspiration)
• The Homeschool Better Together Community

• Ready to build honest, lasting relationships in your homeschool? Join our free online community for encouragement, resources, and real connection.
• Never miss an episode! Be sure to follow, subscribe, and leave a review so you don’t miss what’s next.
• Find out more about Homeschool Better Together resources for your best homeschool year.

Ready to finally break free from the relentless go-go-go of homeschool mom life and actually feel rested again? (Nope, that nagging to-do list doesn't count.) In this episode, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of my own summer shift—from noisy productivity to a slower, more soul-filling kind of rest.

Here's the not-so-secret truth: most of us homeschool moms are absolutely terrible at resting. I know I am. Give me an empty summer calendar, and suddenly I’m knee-deep in a bedroom declutter, my head bursting with more projects than I could possibly finish. Meanwhile, my kids are doing exactly what summer’s meant for: slowing down, savoring, sleeping in, play, and a little joyful loafing. Why is it so hard for us to join them?

This week, I’m reflecting on what rest really means (hint: it's way deeper than a rare solo trip to Target). There’s “day at the spa” rest, sure—but even more, there’s the everyday spiritual and emotional rest Jesus offers. I’m sharing practical habits I’m actively working on—like journaling in my Bible, being intentional with what I choose to read (and what inputs I allow!), slowing down my audiobooks (yes, really), and actually carving out margin to just...be quiet. Maybe you’ll hear something that sparks your own personal “rest” list.

Want to create habits of rest, not just wish for them? Grab your notebook. Let’s do it.

• The honest confession: why “rest” never makes it to the top of my list—and what changed this summer.
• The four types of exhaustion (and why it matters for homeschool moms).
• What spiritual rest really looks like (spoiler: it’s not a spa day).
• My personal “habits of rest” list for summer—including practical, small ways to slow down.
• Choosing your “inputs” and why intentionality matters for an overwhelmed mind.
• How to reclaim quiet reflection and model healthier rhythms for our kids.
• The “shutdown practice” I’m experimenting with to protect my evenings and my sanity.

• Tired of Being Tired by Jess Connolly
• Matthew 11:28-30
• Journaling Bible
• Kayse Pratt’s Weekly Reset System on sale through June 30, 2026!
• Previous episode with Kasey Pratt on monthly planning

• What would make your own "habits of rest" list?
• Which type of exhaustion is loudest in your life right now?
• Share your list or reflections in our homeschool community!