EPISODE SUMMARY 

Dr. Ray Guarendi has 45 years  helping parents stop second-guessing themselves—and in this conversation, he brings his trademark humor, straight talk, Catholic faith, and experience as the father of ten homeschooled children.

Maeve and Dr. Ray talk about his journey back to the Catholic Church, the heartbreak parents can feel when an adult child walks away from the faith, and why even doing “everything right” can never override a child's free will. They dig into discipline and authority in the homeschool, sibling fighting, why some parents feel they “could never homeschool,” and the surprising psychological advantages homeschooling can offer.

They also tackle one of the biggest parenting challenges of our time: smartphones, gaming, pornography, and the level of vigilance required to protect childhood without trying to protect children forever. 

And perhaps most importantly, Dr. Ray reminds good parents to stop catastrophizing every mistake. You don't have to parent perfectly. You need faith, common sense, consistency—and enough humor to survive the whole thing.

Because as Dr. Ray puts it, “The experts have really taken the fun out of parenting.”

SHOW NOTES Published September 13, 2026:

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dr. Ray Guarendi

GRN (Gaudalupe Radio Network) Academy — Dr. Ray’s Seven-Week Parenting Course

• Dr. Ray Guarendi’s Website & Bookstore
• https://www.drray.com/
• Living Right with Dr. Ray on EWTN
• The Doctor Is In on EWTN Radio

Books by Dr. Ray

• Thinking Like Jesus: The Psychology of a Faithful Disciple
• Living Calm: Mastering Anger and Frustration

Mentioned in the Episode

• The Logic of Being Catholic by Dr. Ray Guarendi — Lighthouse Catholic Media
• The Logic of Being Catholic — Watch/Listen on FORMED

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

How do we raise kids who aren't afraid of hard things?

Maeve sits down with Catholic homeschool mom, entrepreneur, accountant, and Youth CEO Academy creator Sue Campo to talk about the life skills our children develop when they're given room to create, fail, try again, and take ownership of their ideas.

They talk growth mindset, grit, entitlement, entrepreneurship, following through, discovering a child's God-given interests—and why Mom doesn't necessarily need to turn every new passion into another homeschool class.

Plus, Sue shares how even selling can become an act of service, why our children need the freedom to experiment, and the beautiful ways St. Padre Pio seems to keep showing up in her family's life.

Because homeschooling isn't only about raising educated kids. We're raising capable kids who know how to contribute, persevere, discern—and ultimately become saints.

Show Notes: 

Published September 6, 2026

Learn more about Sue and Youth CEO Academy at youthceoacademy.com.

Youth CEO Academy

Book mentioned:

Grit by Angela Duckworth

What happens when we stop protecting our children from every hard thing—and instead teach them that they can figure things out?

In this episode, Maeve talks with Sue Campo, Catholic homeschool mother of three, accountant, entrepreneur, and creator of Youth CEO Academy, about developing an entrepreneurial spirit in our children—even if they never become entrepreneurs.

Maeve and Sue discuss:

• Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset
• Why childhood is the perfect time to do hard things
• Teaching children to see failure as feedback
• The connection between agency and entitlement
• Giving kids freedom to experiment (and make messes!)
• How to encourage interests without turning every passion into a homeschool class
• Why following through develops grit
• Reframing sales as an act of service
• Helping children understand and share their story
• Discernment and discovering where God may be leading them
• Sue's family's special connection to St. Padre Pio

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

What counts as a successful homeschool day?

Maeve and Mat are still hanging onto their “bonus summer,” even as everyone else seems to be heading back to school. Piper is settling into college, NCAA homeschool paperwork is testing Maeve’s sanity, and an innocent moonwalk has somehow turned into a family hip-hop class.

But when Maeve tries to gently ease everyone back into school, nobody can seem to get moving—and one simple comment from one of the kids changes the way she sees the entire day.

This week, Maeve and Mat talk about the lessons that never make it onto a transcript: empathy, charity, noticing what our children are carrying, and remembering that homeschooling is about forming a whole human person—not simply producing an academically successful student.

Show Notes:

In this episode:

• Why Maeve is declaring an extended “bonus summer”
• Piper’s transition to college
• A warning for homeschool parents of prospective NCAA athletes
• Why homeschooling is about formation, not just academics
• Maeve’s tendency to turn every new interest into a class
• The moonwalk that resulted in hip-hop lessons
• Recognizing what may be underneath a child’s lack of motivation
• Romans 12:15 and empathy in the domestic church
• Why charity begins at home
• Helping children notice and respond to what others are carrying

Scripture: Romans 12:15

Mentioned in this episode: Dr. Ray Guarendi will be joining us for an upcoming episode. Send Maeve your parenting and family questions for Dr. Ray at [email protected].

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

After 21 years of marriage, Mat and I have learned a few things.

Some the easy way. Some… definitely not. 😂

This week, we’re going a little old-school—less polished, more banter, and a very real conversation about marriage, what makes a spouse feel truly appreciated, and a few lessons we wish we’d figured out a whole lot sooner.

We also revisit one of our earliest podcast opinions (a retraction is officially in order), share a marriage moment from our recent trip to Maine, and somehow end up discussing everything from love languages to purses at Communion.

Because a good marriage doesn’t just happen—even after 21 years.

Sometimes you have to work on it.

And sometimes you have to laugh at it.

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

What happens when a Catholic mom goes looking for wholesome, faith-filled screen time for her little ones—and can't find quite what she's looking for?

She makes it herself.

This week, Maeve sits down with Tara Bonna, better known as Mrs. Faith, creator of Raising Saints TV. And it's especially fitting that this episode airs on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the same feast day Tara chose to launch Raising Saints TV last year.

Tara shares how motherhood helped lead her back to the Catholic faith, and why discovering the truth of the Eucharist changed everything.

They also talk honestly about screen-time guilt, raising children in a culture that doesn't always share our values, listening when God asks you to do something that feels impossible, and finding the encouragement to keep going when the work gets hard.

And because this is Homeschooling for Catholic Parents, the conversation naturally includes a CatholicMatch love story, babies napping in the car, Our Lady of Champion, saint relics, Mary Magdalene—and a Catholic cookbook that apparently requires you to be a French chef.

A joyful conversation about motherhood, media, the saints, and what can happen when a Catholic mom says yes to an idea God won't let her forget.

Our Lady assumed into Heaven, pray for us!

Show Notes:

Raising Saints TV: https://www.youtube.com/@raisingsaintstv

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

After years of homeschooling, how do you know if it actually worked?

Our oldest daughter, Piper, is heading off to college—so we decided it was time for an exit interview.

Piper joins Maeve in the studio for an honest (and sometimes hilarious) look back at her homeschool years: what she loved, what she definitely did NOT love, what made her feel most loved by her parents, the rules she appreciates now, and what she thinks we could have done better.

But the conversation goes deeper as Piper shares how homeschooling prepared her to take ownership of her education, develop a strong moral compass, and understand and defend her Catholic faith.

And because no exit interview should be completely comfortable, Maeve puts 18 years of Catholic formation to the test by pulling out the old apologetics cards and quizzing Piper on the spot.

If you're still in the trenches wondering whether all those read-alouds, field trips, phone battles, catechism lessons, and ordinary days at home are actually making a difference, this one's for you.

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

What if one of the greatest gifts you could give your children isn't another vacation... but another challenge?

In this episode, we share what I thought was one of my biggest homeschooling failures—a Daytona Beach field trip that involved hypodermic needle warnings, a homeless man wearing tarp pants, and a drug deal. Yet somehow, that disastrous day became one of the experiences our kids still talk.

That led us into a fascinating concept from Dopamine Nation called "club goods" and why psychologists have discovered that people value—and bond over—the things they work for together.

We discuss why:

•  Challenge creates identity. 
•  Families need a mission, not just entertainment. 
•  Shared stories unite siblings more than shared comforts. 
•  Simple family adventures can strengthen your relationships for years to come. 

If you've been longing for more unity in your home, this episode may completely change how you plan your family's time together.

In this episode:

Related Episodes

• Episode 115: From Resurrection Joy to Closet Tears (Maeve's Daytona Beach surfboard rescue story) 
• Episode 125: The Faith Has To Be Theirs (Rotary Club, purpose, and putting more into a club than you get out) 
• Episode 127: How to Write a Family Mission Statement (A Catholic Homeschool Guide) Because, If You Don't Build Your Family's Culture, Someone Else Will (Building an intentional family culture) 
•  Our Colorado trip and baby Nora's baptism 
•  Why God may have answered Maeve's prayer with... laryngitis 
•  The infamous "Skid Row" homeschool field trip 
•  Lessons from Dopamine Nation and the concept of Club Goods 
•  Why contribution creates stronger communities 
•  "Comfort creates pleasant experiences. Challenge creates identity." 
•  How to create a family culture that builds teamwork 
•  Practical family challenge ideas—from hiking and service projects to family goals 
•  Why your children need adventures more than entertainment 

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

What can busy Catholic mothers learn from Carmelite nuns?

More than you might think. We continue our second in the Holy Spirit-led series on Carmelite Spirituality as Maeve sits down with Catholic writer Tina Mayeux to explore how the wisdom of St. Teresa of Ávila, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and the Carmelite tradition can transform ordinary family life. Tina shares her remarkable vocation story—from discerning religious life with the Missionaries of Charity and the Discalced Carmelites to embracing her true calling as a wife and mother—and explains how contemplative prayer, simplicity, humility, and the "Little Way" can bring greater peace into even the busiest Catholic homes.

Whether you're juggling homeschooling, toddlers, teenagers, or simply longing for a deeper spiritual life, this conversation offers practical encouragement for living your vocation with greater joy and intentionality.

In this episode

•  Tina's journey through religious discernment to marriage and motherhood 
•  What "Discalced" actually means 
•  What contemplative prayer is (and isn't) 
•  Why busy moms are called to prayer too 
•  Lessons from St. Teresa of Ávila 
•  The Little Way of St. Thérèse in everyday motherhood 
•  Why motherhood is a "hidden life" 
•  Living the liturgical year without making it overwhelming 
•  Building a family rule of life 
•  The importance of Catholic friendships 
•  Finding silence in a noisy world 
•  Encouragement for aspiring Catholic writers 

Books Mentioned

• Story of a Soul — St. Thérèse of Lisieux 
• The Interior Castle — St. Teresa of Ávila 
• The Way of Perfection — St. Teresa of Ávila 

Learn More

•  Tina's Substack: The Way of the Wildflowers
•  CatholicMom.com 
•  Tina's upcoming book The Little Way of Motherhood

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

Wait...you mean my kids bicker incessantly because my interior life is lacking?

Well...not exactly. 😅

But in this fascinating conversation, philosopher and educator Perry Smith explains why the virtues (and vices) we cultivate as parents quietly shape the atmosphere of our homes. Long before our children can define the "interior life," they're absorbing it.

Together we explore what Catholics mean by the interior life, why virtue is simply a good habit, practical ways to introduce meditation into family life, how to choose saints over celebrities as our children's heroes, and why the liturgical calendar provides the rhythms every Catholic family longs for.

If you've ever wondered how to raise children who become lifelong friends of God, Perry offers timeless wisdom that begins with an unexpected place: Mom and Dad.

Show Notes: 

Published July 19, 2026

In this episode we discuss:

• Why Perry wrote Spiritual Parenting—even though he isn't a parent

• What Catholics really mean by "the interior life"

• Why children imitate the virtues (and vices) of their parents

• The simple definition of virtue that every child can understand

• How to begin family meditation—even if you've never tried it before

• Practical ways to cultivate peace in your home

• Saints vs. celebrities: choosing better heroes for our children

• Technology, leisure, and creating healthy family habits

• Building daily, weekly, and yearly rhythms around the liturgical calendar

• Perry's favorite saints and the spiritual writers who shaped his life

Resources Mentioned

• Spiritual Parenting by Perry Smith
• Institute for Catholic Family Formation
• Divine Intimacy
• St. Teresa of Ávila
• St. Alphonsus Liguori
• St. Thomas Aquinas
• Laudate App
• iMissal App

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1

Every family is building a culture—whether intentionally or not.

In this episode, Maeve and Mat share the surprising story of how an unexpected weekend in downtown St. Pete became a powerful reminder that every worldview is trying to shape what we love and value. That experience led them back to an important question: What culture are we intentionally creating in our own home?

They'll walk you through a simple five-step process for creating a family mission statement that helps guide your homeschool, strengthen your family culture, and keep your priorities rooted in Christ. You'll also hear practical questions to ask your children, examples of mission statements, and encouragement to build a home that points your family toward its ultimate goal: sainthood.

Whether you're just beginning your homeschool journey or have been homeschooling for years, this episode will help you define what matters most—and build your family around it.

Show Notes, Published July 12, 2026

In this episode, we discuss:

•  Why every family has a culture—even if it's never been written down 
•  The surprising lesson we learned from an unexpected weekend getaway 
•  Why intentional family culture matters more than ever 
•  Stephen Covey's wisdom on family mission statements 
•  The five simple steps to writing your own family mission statement 
•  Questions to help identify your family's core values 
•  Examples of Catholic family mission statements 
•  How to use your mission statement to guide calendar decisions, activities, and priorities 
•  Why your children will remember your family's culture long after they forget their worksheets 
•  The connection between intentional family life and raising future saints 

Links:

📝 Read the companion article:
How to Write a Catholic Family Mission Statement
https://maevejemison.com/127

📒 Catholic Homeschool Planner
https://catholichomeschoolplanner.com

🎤 See Maeve speak live at the TBHC Homeschool Convention (July 18, 2026)
Use code MAEVE26 for a discount.

📧 Join our newsletter:
 https://maevejemison.com

🎙 Subscribe to Homeschooling for Catholics wherever you listen to podcasts.

Resources Mentioned

• Stephen Covey — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families
• Stephen Covey — The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
•  Dr. Kent Keith — The Anyway Poem
•  Mother Teresa's adapted "Anyway" quote 
•  The four Cardinal Virtues: 
  •  Prudence 
  •  Justice 
  •  Fortitude 
  •  Temperance 

Grab the 2026-2027 Catholic Homeschool Planner here.

Isn't it hard to find Catholic friends?! I've got a solution. Hop on over to the Homeschooling for Catholic Parents Facebook community. Where we share about apologetics, homeschooling, and family life!

https://maevejemison.com/


Purchase Home Is Where The Truth Is:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Truth-Should-Homeschool/dp/B0CSWJ2QXC/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1705863918&sr=8-1