Rooted Homemaking

✨ Wondering what it would look like to build realistic rhythms that help you run your home instead of it running you? Come join us inside the Rooted Homemakers Collective, my membership where I walk you through exactly how. → https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

In this episode, I'm walking you through our curriculum choices and our whole homeschool schedule — from our morning family learning time (Bible, catechism, scripture memory, history, and science) to our more independent work block (reading, math, writing, and Latin), all the way to our lighter fifth day for catching up, deep cleaning, and field trips. I'll share the curriculum we're using at every stage, how we manage a toddler and littles while teaching older kids, and the "wait your turn" rule that's saved my sanity.

In this episode:

-Our two-phase homeschool day

-Bible reading, catechism, and our scripture memory box system

-The hymn of the month and where we find it

-History and science from a biblical worldview

-How I teach reading, phonics, spelling, and writing across different ages

-Math, piano, and Latin — and who's teaching what

-Managing a toddler and baby while working with older kids

-What our flexible fifth day looks like

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

-Biblioplan (history/Bible/literature curriculum): BiblioPlan - Cool Classical History and Literature Curriculum

-Apologia (science): Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology (Young Explorer Series)

-I Belong to God Catechism by Rich Lusk: I Belong to God: A Catechism for Covenant Children

-Simply Charlotte Mason scripture memory box system: Memorize Scripture in Just Five Minutes Each Day

- @‌HappyHymnody

-Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons: Revised and Updated Second Edition

-Chickadee Readers (Canon Press)

-Math Mammoth (for all grades): Math Mammoth Kindergarten Worktext A

-Voetberg Music Academy: Voetberg Music Academy

This episode is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.

CHAPTERS

00:13 Introduction and Personal Update

00:13 Homeschooling Overview and Curriculum Decisions

01:32 Daily Homeschool Routine

04:04 Family Learning Time

08:18 History and Science Curriculum

13:35 Independent Learning

20:08 Flexibility in the Homeschool Schedule

— CONNECT WITH THE HOST —

Ask questions/contact: https://laurenmefford.com/contact

Youtube: Lauren Mefford, PhD

✨ Struggling to build rhythms that actually work in your home? My free masterclass shows you how to create simple routines that are rooted in biblical priorities and actually work. Watch it here: https://www.laurenmefford.com/free-training

Lauren is homeschooling six kids ten and under, including a toddler and an infant, and if she is not intentional, their mornings can get chaotic fast. In this episode, Lauren walks through the three simple systems that took a lot of that chaos out of peak learning hours, and made the school day much more enjoyable for everyone.

Key Takeaways:

• Why the evening reset is key to a smooth homeschool morning
• How prepping breakfast the night before saves precious morning minutes (and only takes about three minutes)
• What family learning time at the table actually looks like with six kids and a baby in the mix
• Why breakfast time and keeping the toddler busy with their hands at the table makes teaching everyone else possible
• How carpet time keeps a toddler content and engaged during one-on-one reading lessons
• Why she changed the order of subjects this year, and what happened when she did

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

✨ Rooted Homemakers Collective — my monthly membership for building personalized home management rhythms: https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

NeoLife protein shake — NeoLife

*I am a promoter for Neolife, which means if you purchase a shake through this link I will get a small commission :)

Happy Hymnody — Happy Hymnody

Toddler's carpet/floor pad — PAPAMAT 1.3" Thick Baby Floor Play Mat 50x50 Foam Kids Play Mat, Dark Grey | Memory Mat for Baby to Play, Waterproof Easy Care with Non-Slip Tummy Time Play Mat for Nursery Playroom Classroom

CONNECT WITH THE HOST —

Youtube: Lauren Mefford, PhD

Instagram: Lauren Mefford, PhD, FNP-BC (@laurenmichellemefford) • Instagram profile

Website/Contact Us_:http://www.laurenmefford.com

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Homeschooling 6 Kids 10 and Under (With a Baby and a Toddler)

00:24 The evening reset and why it's counterintuitive but essential

03:18 Family table time (Family Learning Time): Bible, recitation, and lessons while everyone eats

08:05 How I manage one-on-one teaching time with little ones underfoot

✨ Wondering what it would look like to build realistic rhythms that help you run your home instead of it running you? Come join us inside the Rooted Homemakers Collective, my membership where I walk you through exactly how. → https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

In this episode, Lauren and Jeremy sit down to talk about something almost every family with more than one child wrestles with: sibling bickering, and how to actually cultivate love between siblings instead of just refereeing conflict all day. They are quick to say this isn't meant to be a how-to, more just what they have learned raising six kids and watching the Lord work in their home.

KEY TOPICS

• The discussion centers on teaching children to love others well using biblical principles, especially 1 Corinthians 13 and the command to love your neighbor.
• How to handle tattling
• What they do with bickering children
• The episode distinguishes between communal toys and personal property, teaching both generosity and respect for ownership.
• Lauren and her husband discuss how age matters, especially when toddlers are involved, and how older children can be asked to help, serve, and play with younger siblings.
• Family rhythms like dinner table sharing, birthdays, and noticing generosity are presented as ways to cultivate a home where siblings enjoy one another.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Hubbard: Don't Make Me Count to Three
• Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic: Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches - Grace Based Christian Parenting

This episode is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.

CHAPTERS

05:51 What We Do First When a Child Comes Tattling

12:00 How to Handle Bickering as a Mom Solo Parenting During the Day

14:16 When Telling on a Sibling Isn't Actually Tattling

17:28 The Walk We Make Our Children Take When They're Unkind

20:42 The Toy Rule That Ends Almost Every Argument

24:07 Why We Don't Squelch a Generous Heart

28:26 How We Think About Sibling Hospitality in Our Home

35:31 Teaching Older Children to Help With the Littles

39:28 The One Question We Come Back to When We're Stuck

—CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS —

Ask questions/contact us: https://laurenmefford.com/contact

Youtube: Lauren Mefford, PhD, FNP-BC

✨ If you've been moving all day but nothing seems to get done — start here. A daily rhythm to help you get food on the table, laundry moving, and peace back in your home. $27. Instant access. → https://go.laurenmefford.com/faithful-in-the-little-things-page

✨Overwhelmed by meals, laundry, and endless to-dos? Learn the simple system that makes home feel manageable again in my FREE Masterclass → https://www.laurenmefford.com/free-training

✨ Ready for a small reset? Get the free guide here 👉 https://www.laurenmefford.com/rooted-reset-sign-up-page

If your home feels chaotic and you're constantly overwhelmed, you're not alone. I used to feel completely unqualified to manage my home—until I began living out these 5 biblical habits that transformed my life as a Christian homemaker.

In this video, I’m walking you through the exact rhythms I’ve built that brought structure and peace to our home. These simple but powerful routines are rooted in Scripture, and they’ve made a massive difference in how I manage my home and love my role as a wife and mother.

Whether you’re in survival mode or just craving more stability, these biblical homemaking habits will give you a framework to build from.

✨ Watch the notebook video I mentioned → https://youtu.be/N5zdDeKeZ80

✨ Follow along on Instagram for the full wellness challenge → https://www.instagram.com/laurenmichellemefford/

✨ Check out the supplements I mentioned 👉https://shopneolife.com/rootedvitality/shop/product/2996G

✨Overwhelmed by meals, laundry, and endless to-dos? Learn the simple system that makes home feel manageable again in my FREE Masterclass → https://www.laurenmefford.com/free-training

CONNECT WITH THE HOST

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenMefford/videos

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmichellemefford/

Website/Contact Us: http://www.laurenmefford.com

✨ Wondering what it would look like to have rhythms that help you run your home instead of it running you? Come join us inside the Rooted Homemakers Collective, my membership where I walk you through exactly how. → https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

Lauren shares her seven-year journey of finding a way to stay connected to the outside world without being pulled away from her home and family. She discusses the pros and cons of using dumb phones and the transition to a smarter smartphone solution that allows for customization and reduced distractions.

Takeaways

• The journey of finding the right balance between staying connected and being present at home.
• The transition from a dumb phone to a smarter smartphone solution that allows for customization and reduced distractions.

-RESOURCES MENTIONED-

✨ How to actually dumify your Android (full tutorial): https://youtu.be/RZZl7_m2tDg

✨ Why texts drop between iPhone and Android, explained: https://youtu.be/yZAWF_Fq758

✨ The refurbished Google Pixel I bought to dumify: https://amzn.to/4gzYvGe

✨ O Launcher (the app I use for my minimalist home screen): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.olauncher&hl=en_US&pli=1

✨ The Sunbeam F1 Pro (the flip phone I used and loved): https://sunbeamwireless.com/by/31010/

This video is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why I Went the Flip Phone Route

01:45 Pros and Cons of Dumb Phones (and How I Adapted)

06:18 The Transition to a Smarter Smartphone

09:27 What I Kept (and Cut) + My Final Verdict

—CONNECT WITH THE HOST —

Ask questions/contact me: https://laurenmefford.com/contact

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenMefford/videos

#DumbPhone #DigitalMinimalism #FlipPhone #ChristianHomemaking #HomeschoolMom

✨ Wondering what it would look like to build realistic rhythms that help you run your home instead of it running you? Come join us inside the Rooted Homemakers Collective, my membership where I walk you through exactly how. → https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

In this episode, Lauren and Jeremy share the story behind a question many of you have asked: why did we move from being Reformed Baptists to Presbyterians? They walk through where they started, the moment that first cracked things open, and the theological questions that shaped how they now think about faith, baptism, and raising their children.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

Baptism Is Not Enough — one of the books that shaped this conversation: Baptism Is Not Enough: How Understanding God's Covenant Explains Everything

Genesis 17:7, Romans 4, Galatians 3, Acts 2, Acts 16 (the Philippian jailer), Jeremiah 31 — key passages referenced throughout

The catechism we now use with our kids — I Belong to God: A Catechism for Covenant Children

This episode is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.

—CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS —

Ask questions/contact us: https://laurenmefford.com/contact

Youtube: Lauren Mefford, PhD, FNP-BC

Instagram: Lauren Mefford, PhD, FNP-BC (@laurenmichellemefford) • Instagram profile

CHAPTERS

00:13 Journey from Reformed Baptists to Presbyterians

07:57 Understanding Covenant Theology and Its Implications

13:38 The Role of Faith

20:33 The Shift in Perspective on Baptism and Children

27:27 Understanding the Covenant and Its Implications

31:18 Baptism and Its Significance in the New Covenant

✨ If you've been moving all day but nothing seems to get done — start here. A daily rhythm to help you get food on the table, laundry moving, and peace back in your home. $27. Instant access. → https://go.laurenmefford.com/faithful-in-the-little-things-page

✨Overwhelmed by meals, laundry, and endless to-dos? Learn the simple system that makes home feel manageable again in my FREE Masterclass → https://www.laurenmefford.com/free-training

This description below includes affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may receive a small commission—thank you for supporting my channel!

Do you feel constantly distracted by your phone—scrolling through apps while dinner burns, kids need you, and the day slips away?

You’re not alone. In this video, I share the simple 3-minute notebook routine that helped me stop mindless scrolling and become the focused, present homemaker I truly wanted to be.

After trying many different methods and planners, this $10 notebook is what worked.

I’ll walk you through the exact way I use it each day and week to retrain my brain, reclaim my time, and stay anchored in real life—not lost in my phone.

***I will say, this notebook is a big part of the equation, buts not the ONLY part. Self control is still important—and finding ways to choose not pick up the phone and scroll (i.e., limiting times to check it, using app blockers, keeping it in another room, etc.). BUT, using paper instead of having another reason to reach for the phone (to plan, keep lists, etc.) has been very helpful for me, personally.***

Whether you’re trying to scroll less as a stay-at-home mom, create weekly rhythms that stick, or finally feel clear-headed when you wake up, this system will help.

You’ll learn:

Why we reach for our phones and how a simple notebook helps

The weekly planning rhythm that keeps my homemaking calm and consistent

My 5-minute evening routine that helps me wake up already in motion

How I use my notebook for meals, priorities, to-dos, and even a custom dopamine menu that rewires my brain toward life-giving choices

If you’re a Christian homemaker who wants to stay focused, love your role, and create systems that bring peace and joy to your home, this video is for you..

My notebook: https://amzn.to/44TlHJQ

My favorite erasable pens: https://amzn.to/48WycXt

CONNECT WITH THE HOST

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenMefford/videos

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmichellemefford/

Website/Contact Us: http://www.laurenmefford.com

✨ Wondering what it would look like to have rhythms that help you run your home instead of it running you? Come join us inside my membership, the Rooted Homemakers Collective, where I walk you through exactly how → https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

Answering your questions on balancing chores and play, our new homeschool plan, how I meal plan, and how we train our children's’ character.

This episode is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.

Resources and Products Mentioned in this video:

✨Voetberg Music Academy: https://www.voetbergmusicacademy.com?affiliate_code=29079a

✨ BiblioPlan (our history, Bible, and literature curriculum this year): https://www.biblioplan.net/

✨ IEW: https://amzn.to/4w7x5fy

✨ Apologia Science: https://amzn.to/4zimkKj

✨ Math Mammoth: https://amzn.to/4wMAAsU

**For Math Mammoth, you have to get the A and B workbooks, plus tests/quizzes and answer key

CHAPTERS

00:00 Balancing Chores and Play

12:09 Our Evening Schedule

14:25 Homeschool Updates

22:31 How I Meal Plan

25:18 How We Discipline & Train Our Children's Character

—CONNECT WITH THE HOST —

Ask questions/contact us: https://laurenmefford.com/contact

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenMefford/videos

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmichellemefford/

✨ Wondering what it would look like to build realistic rhythms that help you run your home instead of it running you? Come join us inside the Rooted Homemakers Collective, my membership where I walk you through exactly how. → https://laurenmefford.com/rooted-homemakers

— SHOW NOTES —

Ashley Buffa is a mother of eleven who has homeschooled from the start and graduated four children. But for the first fifteen years, she'll tell you plainly that she hated it. In this conversation she shares what finally changed her heart, why keeping your kids out of school isn't the same as homeschooling well, and how she structures a full life as a homeschool mom and businesswoman without letting either one run the show.

Lauren and Ashley cover the practical and the heart-level: why getting dressed sets the tone for the day, loving your children, pulling toddlers in instead of pushing them away, and cultivating a family culture that loves beautiful things without nagging anyone into it.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Ashley on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@AshleyMBuffa
• The Homeschool Excellence Framework and other homeschooling resources can be found at https://go.vocationalhomeschooling.com/
• Keep an eye out for Ashley's upcoming motherhood course (releasing end of August)

—CONNECT WITH THE HOST —

Youtube: Lauren Mefford, PhD, FNP-BC

Instagram: Lauren Mefford, PhD, FNP-BC (@laurenmichellemefford) • Instagram profile

Website/Contact Us_:http://www.laurenmefford.com

✨Struggling to build rhythms that actually work in your home?

My free masterclass shows you how to create simple routines that are rooted in biblical priorities and actually work. Watch it here: https://www.laurenmefford.com/free-training

If you’ve tried planners, routines, and every self-help strategy but still feel behind, this video walks through a biblical approach to time management that is actually effective and freeing, because its based on biblical fruitfulness and faithfulness, not the worlds view of productivity and hustle culture. We’ll talk about fruitfulness vs productivity, seeing your homemaking through Scripture, and why your identity in Christ changes the way you build habits.

You’ll learn practical ways to build habits that stick and help you faithfully manage your home, how to leverage rhythms God already built into the day, and how habit-building connects to the kind of Christian woman you’re becoming.

CONNECT WITH THE HOST

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenMefford/videos

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenmichellemefford/

Website/Contact Us: http://www.laurenmefford.com