The Homeschool Connections Podcast

Can what your child eats really affect focus, behavior, energy, and learning?

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara sits down with Theresa Kasper, a certified Integrative Health Practitioner, former special education teacher, and Catholic homeschool mom, to discuss the link between nutrition and a child's ability to learn and thrive.

The good news? This isn't about throwing away everything in your pantry or creating a complicated new diet. Theresa shares simple, realistic changes homeschool families can make, from building breakfast around protein and healthy fats to prepping easy grab-and-go snacks and pairing carbohydrates with protein.

You'll come away with practical ideas you can start using at your very next meal.

Well Designed Health

Learn more about Theresa's work and virtual wellness practice at:

WellDesignedHealth.com

Follow Theresa on Instagram:

@welldesignedhealth

https://www.instagram.com/welldesignedhealth/

Kaitlin and Theresa discuss:

• Food is fuel for a child's body and brain
• How protein can help support sustained energy and focus
• Why healthy fats matter for the developing brain
• The role of complex carbohydrates and fiber
• A simple breakfast formula for a busy homeschool morning
• Nutrition considerations for children struggling with attention or hyperactivity
• How to think about snacking throughout the homeschool day
• The relationship between nutrition and sleep
• Simple snack-prep ideas that make healthy choices more convenient
• How children can become more independent in choosing and preparing nourishing foods
• And so much more

Theresa also shares one especially helpful strategy for busy homeschool families: make the healthiest choice the convenient choice. Prep simple snacks ahead of time so children can grab something nourishing when they're hungry instead of automatically reaching for chips, crackers, or cookies.

Don't start by trying to create the “perfect” diet. Start by giving your child's brain better fuel.

As Theresa explains, if food can negatively affect children's behavior and energy, the right foods can also support them. Food isn't simply calories—it provides the fuel growing bodies and brains need to learn, focus, and thrive.

Theresa Kasper is a certified Integrative Health Practitioner, former special education teacher, and first-time homeschool mom preparing to begin kindergarten with her son this fall.

After spending more than a decade supporting children with diverse learning and behavioral needs in the classroom, she became passionate about helping families understand the powerful role nutrition and lifestyle can play in a child's ability to learn, grow, and thrive.

Through her virtual wellness practice, Well Designed Health, Theresa serves women and families across the United States and beyond, helping them improve their health through personalized wellness strategies, lifestyle changes, and functional lab testing.

Theresa lives in the Houston area with her husband and son, where faith, family, and wellness are at the center of daily life.

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. She combines her classroom experience with the everyday realities of homeschooling to encourage parents to approach education with confidence, flexibility, and joy.

What can nearly 20 years of serving Catholic homeschool families teach us about homeschooling, parenthood, faith, and the education of our children?

In this special episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara sits down with Homeschool Connections co-founder Maureen Wittmann as she steps back from day-to-day leadership and enters a new season of semi-retirement.

Maureen looks back at the unlikely beginnings of Homeschool Connections—from a handful of online webinars and one nine-week government course to hundreds of LIVE and recorded Catholic homeschool courses serving families around the world. She shares the moments that convinced her this work mattered, what homeschool parents and students have taught her, and why she believes homeschooling can strengthen not only a child's education but family relationships and faith.

Maureen also shares what she is most proud of, why Homeschool Connections has always put parents at the center of education, and why she is excited about the next generation of HSC leadership.

And for every homeschool parent who has ever wondered, “Am I enough?”, Maureen has a message she hopes you'll remember: You are.

Homeschool Connections exists to support parents, not replace them, as their children's primary educators.

With LIVE interactive classes, hundreds of recorded courses, passionate Catholic instructors, and resources created specifically for homeschool families, HSC can help with the subjects you don't feel equipped to teach while keeping you at the heart of your child's education.

Explore courses and homeschool resources at:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/

Homeschool Connections Blog:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/blog/

Meet Cate Godlewski, HSC's New Associate Director:

Kaitlin and Maureen discuss:

• How Homeschool Connections began. And why neither Maureen nor co-founder Walter Crawford imagined what it would become
• Growing from a single government course to hundreds of live and recorded classes
• How genuine friendships and community can develop through online homeschool classes
• What nearly 20 years of Catholic homeschool families have taught Maureen about motherhood, marriage, faith, and community
• How outside classes can help parents continue homeschooling through high school without having to teach every subject themselves
• Why homeschooling can help lay the foundation for strong relationships with adult children
• What Maureen is most proud of after nearly two decades with Homeschool Connections
• The importance of teachers who don't simply know their subjects, but genuinely love what they teach
• Why parents are encouraged to learn alongside their children
• Why Maureen knew the time was right to hand off some of her responsibilities
• Why she is confident in Associate Director Cate Godlewski and the next generation of HSC leadership
• How Homeschool Connections plans to continue adapting to changes in technology while remaining grounded in the Catholic faith
• Why HSC created its own learning management system specifically for homeschool families
• The threefold mission that has guided Homeschool Connections from the beginning
• Maureen's message to parents who wonder whether they are enough
• Her heartfelt thank-you to the students she has been privileged to serve

You don't have to know everything to homeschool your children well. You just have to be willing to keep learning, seek help when you need it, and remember why you started.

Homeschool Connections itself grew from that principle. Maureen and Walter didn't begin with a grand plan to build hundreds of courses. They listened to parents, trusted their teachers, responded to needs as they arose, and, as Maureen puts it, kept saying yes.

If you've ever wondered, “Am I enough to homeschool my child?”, Maureen's answer is simple: Yes, you are.

Maureen may be stepping back from day-to-day leadership, but she isn't saying goodbye to Homeschool Connections. She'll continue working behind the scenes on the Homeschool Connections Podcast, the HSC Blog, and other creative projects she especially enjoys.

And she's excited about what comes next.

With Co-Founder Walter Crawford, Associate Director Cate Godlewski, and the HSC team carrying the mission forward, Homeschool Connections will continue looking for new ways to serve Catholic homeschool families—from expanded grade-school options and free parent resources to thoughtful approaches to new technologies.

The methods and technology may change, but the mission remains: Give glory to God, serve homeschool parents, and give gifted teachers the freedom to share what they love.

Maureen Wittmann is a co-founder of Homeschool Connections. After many years serving as Co-Director, she recently stepped back from day-to-day leadership into a semi-retired role. She continues working behind the scenes, producing the Homeschool Connections Podcast, editing the blog, and contributing to other creative projects she especially enjoys.

A popular Catholic homeschool author and speaker for 30 years, Maureen is passionate about encouraging parents and strengthening families through faith-filled education.

Maureen and her husband are the parents of seven children, all of whom were homeschooled and are now thriving in their own families and careers. She is also the grateful grandmother of 11 grandchildren and counting.

Having benefited from the wisdom and encouragement of other homeschool parents throughout her own journey, Maureen remains committed to giving back through Homeschool Connections and its many efforts to support families “in the thick of it.”

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. She combines her classroom experience with the everyday realities of homeschooling to encourage parents to approach education with confidence, flexibility, and joy.

What does the future of Catholic homeschooling look like, and how can Homeschool Connections continue helping families navigate it?

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara sits down with Cate Godlewski, the new Associate Director of Homeschool Connections. A homeschool graduate herself, Cate brings a lifelong love of education, years of teaching experience, and a deep commitment to Catholic families to her new leadership role.

Cate shares her own homeschooling story, how Divine Providence led her to Homeschool Connections, and why she believes homeschooling is much more than an educational method. For Cate, it is a family calling, one that gives parents a unique opportunity to form the whole person while recognizing the individual gifts God has given each child.

Kaitlin and Cate also look toward the future. They discuss the challenges presented by rapidly changing technology and artificial intelligence (AI), the importance of preserving genuine human connection in online education, and Cate's vision for providing homeschool parents with even more guidance, resources, and support.

It's a wonderful opportunity to get to know one of the people helping carry the Homeschool Connections mission into its next chapter.

This Episode Is Sponsored by Homeschool Connections

At Homeschool Connections, we believe parents are their children's primary educators. Our job is to make their homeschool journey easier.

From live interactive classes to hundreds of recorded courses taught by experienced Catholic instructors, Homeschool Connections gives families the flexibility to choose the support that works for them.

Explore courses and homeschool resources at:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/

In This Episode

Kaitlin and Cate discuss:

• Cate's experience growing up as a homeschooled student
• How she discovered her love of teaching while still a homeschooler herself
• The unexpected path that brought her to Homeschool Connections
• Her journey from administrative assistant to teacher, mentor, and Associate Director
• Why Cate sees homeschooling as a family calling, not simply an educational method
• Why parents remain the primary educators of their children
• Helping children discover and develop their God-given gifts
• What Cate has learned from working with Homeschool Connections families
• The creativity Cate witnessed in HSC's student Makers Fair
• Why HSC events and resources can serve the wider homeschool community—not only enrolled HSC families
• Cate's work developing scope-and-sequence resources to help parents see the bigger educational picture
• How Catholic homeschool families can thoughtfully approach AI and changing technology
• Why technology should support—not replace—human connection in education
• Building real community through online classes, siblings, friends, and homeschool co-ops
• What excites Cate about the future of Homeschool Connections
• Why homeschool parents can trust in God's Providence even when the path feels uncertain

One Big Takeaway

The tools available to homeschool families may change, but the heart of education does not.

Cate sees tremendous opportunities ahead for Catholic homeschoolers. New technologies, new educational models, and new resources will continue to change how families teach and learn. But the fundamental mission remains the same: parents know their children, families are central to their formation, and education should help each child grow intellectually, personally, and spiritually.

As Homeschool Connections moves into its next chapter, Cate hopes to help families navigate those changes while keeping that mission firmly at the center.

And for parents who sometimes wonder whether they can really do this, Cate offers a simple reminder from Scripture: “Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” Trust God's Providence for your family and your children.

About Cate Godlewski

Cate Godlewski was homeschooled herself and joined Homeschool Connections in 2021 as an administrative assistant. Since then, her work has expanded to include teaching, mentoring, and leadership, and she now serves as Associate Director of Homeschool Connections.

Cate has published poetry in literary journals, self-published three Shakespeare adaptations written specifically for homeschoolers, and hosted a poetry podcast devoted to the works of Emily Dickinson. She believes passionately in the power of Catholic education to strengthen families, elevate the culture, and glorify Christ through His Church.

About Your Host

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. She combines her classroom experience with the everyday realities of homeschooling to encourage parents to approach education with confidence, flexibility, and joy.

How do you keep homeschooling and keep loving your family well when life is extraordinarily hard?

Author, speaker, and veteran homeschool mom Mary Lenaburg joins Kaitlin Zara for an honest, hope-filled conversation about homeschooling, parenting a child with profound disabilities, caring for siblings' needs, strengthening a marriage under tremendous pressure, and finding joy even in seasons of suffering.

Mary and her husband homeschooled their son, Jonathan, from second grade through high school while raising their daughter, Courtney, who experienced significant medical and developmental challenges throughout her life. Looking back, Mary shares both the beautiful memories and the things she wishes she had done differently.

Her advice is refreshingly practical: fall in love with your children and what they love. Get help before you think you need it. Protect your marriage. Let go of the idea that a successful homeschool is measured by completing every page of curriculum. And when a family you love is overwhelmed by medical or special needs, don't simply ask how you can help; show up and do something.

Above all, Mary reminds us that joy is not the same thing as having an easy life. It is something deeper, rooted in knowing who we are and trusting God with what we cannot control.

John Paul the Great Catholic University in California offers hands-on programs in creative arts, digital media, theology, and business within a faithfully Catholic environment.

Apply for free and explore free online storytelling courses for homeschool students at:

https://jpcatholic.edu/homeschool

Kaitlin and Mary discuss:

• Why Mary began homeschooling in the 1990s
• Homeschooling a gifted child while caring for a sibling with profound disabilities and medical needs
• How homeschooling gave Mary's family greater flexibility during an unusually demanding season
• What Mary wishes she had understood about the needs of siblings in special-needs families
• Why parents should “fall in love with what their children love”
• The importance of seeking counseling and outside support
• Protecting your marriage when parenting and caregiving become overwhelming
• Why being fully present doesn't mean being available to everyone every minute
• Giving yourself grace for the parenting decisions you made with the knowledge you had at the time
• Why practical life skills, character, faith, and relationships matter alongside academics
• How friends can practically support families caring for a child with disabilities
• Mary's simple advice for helping an overwhelmed parent: “Don't ask, just do.”
• Finding hope after loss

A successful homeschool and a successful family aren't ones where everything goes according to plan.

Looking back on decades of motherhood, homeschooling, caregiving, marriage, loss, and healing, Mary encourages parents to focus less on checking every academic box and more on the people God has placed in front of them.

When life doesn't look anything like you expected, remember Mary's words: “Joy is a choice.”

Mary Lenaburg is a wife of nearly four decades, mother, grandmother, author, speaker, and veteran homeschool mom. She is the author of the award-winning Be Brave in the Scared, Be Bold in the Broken, and a forthcoming book from Ascension Press arriving in October 2026. Her writing has also appeared in newspapers, magazines, and seven additional books.

An acclaimed international speaker, Mary leads retreats, delivers keynotes at conferences, and co-hosts The Mary and Jerry Podcast with her husband. Known for tackling difficult topics with both passion and humor, Mary seeks to help people know that they are seen, known, and loved by God.

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. She combines her classroom experience with the everyday realities of homeschooling to encourage parents to approach education with confidence, flexibility, and joy.

What happens when a public school principal decides to homeschool her own children?

After nearly a decade as a principal, literacy specialist, and educator, Liz Powell never imagined that homeschooling would become part of her family's story. But motherhood—and especially thinking about what her own children needed to thrive—changed the way she looked at education.

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, Kaitlin Zara talks with Liz, known online as Principal in Pajamas, about what she learned from seeing education from both sides of the classroom.

Liz shares why she left school administration to homeschool, what public schools do well, and what she believes homeschooling makes possible that even excellent classroom teachers can struggle to provide. She and Kaitlin also talk about individualized learning, ADHD and movement, creating structure at home, letting go of the fear of “falling behind,” teaching real-life skills, and why parents don't need a teaching degree to be effective homeschoolers.

John Paul the Great Catholic University in California offers hands-on programs in creative arts, digital media, theology, and business within a faithfully Catholic environment.

Apply for free and explore free online storytelling courses for homeschool students at:

https://jpcatholic.edu/homeschool

Follow Liz Powell — Principal in Pajamas:

https://www.instagram.com/principal_in_pajamas/

Homeschool Connections:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/

Kaitlin and Liz discuss:

• Why a longtime public school principal chose to homeschool her own children
• How becoming a mother changed Liz's perspective on education
• What public schools and classroom teachers do well—and where the system can make individualized education difficult
• Why one-on-one attention is one of homeschooling's greatest advantages
• Homeschooling a child with ADHD and incorporating movement and breaks naturally into the day
• Why “connection before curriculum” matters
• How to give children structure without recreating school at home
• Visual schedules, movement breaks, and other practical ways to make homeschool days run more smoothly
• Why it's okay to close the workbook when a curriculum isn't working
• How parents can let go of homeschool guilt and the fear of falling behind
• Why former teachers may actually have some things to “unlearn” when they begin homeschooling
• Whether you need professional teacher training to successfully homeschool your children
• Incorporating cooking, homemaking, nature, and other real-life experiences into education
• How Liz's definition of a successful education changed after leaving school administration
• Why education doesn't have to revolve around test scores, reading levels, or college readiness
• Encouragement for parents whose children are struggling academically

You don't need to recreate a traditional classroom to give your child an excellent education.

Liz encourages parents to remember that homeschooling allows them to do something classroom teachers often wish they could do more easily: slow down, change course, take a movement break, follow a child's interests, spend more time on a difficult concept, or set aside the workbook when it isn't serving the child.

Most importantly, parents know their children in a way no outside teacher can. Homeschooling gives families the freedom to build education around the individual child rather than requiring the child to fit the system.

Liz Powell is a former public school principal, literacy specialist, homeschool mom, and content creator living in coastal Maine with her husband and three young children.

After nearly a decade serving as a public school principal, Liz stepped away from her career following the birth of her third child and embraced life at home with her family. She began her career through Teach For America, taught in multiple states, and later earned her literacy specialist certification.

Today, Liz homeschools her two oldest children and shares practical teaching strategies, literacy support, homeschool ideas, and encouragement for mothers through her Instagram page, Principal in Pajamas. Her perspective combines years of educational leadership and literacy expertise with the everyday experience of homeschooling her own children.

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. She combines her classroom experience with the everyday realities of homeschooling to encourage parents to approach education with confidence, flexibility, and joy.

Does history sometimes feel like a disconnected collection of names, dates, and events? What if your children could begin with people they already have a reason to care about? Their own ancestors?

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara welcomes longtime Catholic educator, homeschool mom, and curriculum creator Maryanne Patterson for a fascinating conversation about teaching history through genealogy and family stories.

Maryanne explains how researching her family tree became one of her family’s most memorable homeschool experiences. By placing their ancestors on a 400-year timeline, exploring the places they lived, and connecting their lives to wars, inventions, saints, immigration, and major historical events, history became personal, meaningful, and unforgettable.

This approach also transformed history into a whole-family, interdisciplinary study that incorporated geography, writing, art, research, science, faith, and prayer.

Then Maryanne brings the method to life by revealing what she discovered about Kaitlin’s Italian ancestors. It is an emotional and unforgettable reminder that our lives were made possible through generations of love, prayer, courage, sacrifice, and faith.

This Episode Is Sponsored by John Paul the Great Catholic University

John Paul the Great Catholic University in California offers hands-on programs in the creative arts, digital media, theology, and business—all within a faithfully Catholic environment.

Apply for free and explore free online storytelling courses at:

https://jpcatholic.edu/homeschool

Resources

Explore Family of God and Maryanne’s Approach

See photographs, examples, project ideas, and information about using genealogy to teach history:

https://allfortheepublications.godaddysites.com/

Download Family of God: A Study of History Through Genealogy for Catholic Homeschooling Families

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Family-of-God-A-Study-of-History-Through-Genealogy-for-Catholic-Homeschooling-14937312

Contact Maryanne Patterson

[email protected]

In This Episode

• Why family stories can give children an engaging doorway into history
• How Maryanne turned genealogy into a multi-age, whole-family homeschool study
• Creative project ideas, including ancestral timelines, scrapbooks, maps, biographies, and family interviews
• Why stories help children retain historical facts better than memorization alone
• How genealogy can build gratitude, empathy, resilience, identity, and a sense of belonging
• Simple and affordable ways to begin researching your family tree
• Helpful genealogy resources, including Ancestry, FamilySearch, Ellis Island records, and Find a Grave
• How family history naturally integrates history, geography, writing, art, science, faith, and prayer
• Why speaking with living relatives and preserving their stories should be a priority
• Maryanne’s moving discoveries about Kaitlin’s Italian ancestors and their connections to immigration, saints, military service, New York City, and centuries of history

One Big Takeaway

History becomes more meaningful when children understand that their family did not exist apart from it.

Their ancestors lived through wars, migrations, political changes, inventions, epidemics, economic hardship, and cultural transformation. They worked, prayed, sacrificed, raised families, and made decisions that eventually led to the lives we have today.

You do not need to research hundreds of years of family history to begin. Start with one photograph, one name, one date, or one conversation with a living relative.

About Maryanne Patterson

Maryanne Patterson is the creator of the Family of God curriculum and a longtime Catholic educator, homeschool mom, and parish ministry leader.

A mother of six and grandmother of four, she spent 15 years homeschooling her children while actively serving her parish in numerous educational and ministry roles, including preschool teacher, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechist, ministry coordinator, and Vacation Bible School leader.

Inspired by a lifelong interest in genealogy and family history, Maryanne developed Family of God: A Study of History for Catholic Homeschooling Families to help children connect faith, family, and Catholic heritage in meaningful and memorable ways.

Her passion is creating resources that strengthen family bonds while fostering a deeper love for the Catholic faith.

About Your Host

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. See her homeschool blog posts here:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/author/?n=245991

Kaitlin Unscripted Episode 13: No scripts, no interviews—just homeschool real talk.

What if you could design the perfect school for your child? Choose the curriculum, class size, teachers, and everything else? Would you still homeschool?

Kaitlin's answer is yes.

In this episode of Kaitlin Unscripted, Kaitlin shares why homeschooling has become much more than an alternative to traditional school for her family. It's a choice she would make even if every other educational option were exactly what she wanted.

Kaitlin talks about:

• The freedom to follow a child's interests and individual learning style
• Why the whole world can become a homeschooler's classroom
• How children learn from far more people than just Mom
• Letting learning fit naturally into family life instead of arranging family life around school
• Creating a healthy rhythm of busy days, quiet days, work, play, and even boredom
• Why one-on-one attention allows parents to recognize what makes each child unique
• The irreplaceable love and attention parents bring to their children's education

Homeschooling doesn't have to be something families choose because other educational options have failed them. It can be something they intentionally choose because of what homeschooling uniquely offers.

For Kaitlin, that means freedom, flexibility, learning woven into everyday life, and the opportunity to give her children an education shaped by the people who know and love them best.

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. See her related blog posts here: https://homeschoolconnections.com/author/?n=245991

“Are you going to homeschool through high school?”

For many homeschool parents, that question carries an unspoken warning: high school is different, more complicated, and perhaps too difficult to manage at home.

Rachel Kovac offers a very different perspective.

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara welcomes Rachel, author of Their Future Is Shining Bright, for an inspiring and practical conversation about the tremendous possibilities of homeschooling the high school years.

Together, Kaitlin and Rachel discuss college preparation, alternative pathways, standardized testing, internships, career exploration, screen habits, peer pressure, and the lasting value of simply enjoying life with our children.

This Episode Is Sponsored by John Paul the Great Catholic University

John Paul the Great Catholic University in California offers hands-on programs in the creative arts, digital media, theology, and business—all within a faithfully Catholic environment.

Apply for free and explore free online storytelling courses at:

https://jpcatholic.edu/homeschool

Resources

Read Rachel Kovac’s Substack

https://substack.com/@rachelkovac

Follow Rachel on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/rachelstitchedtogether/

Learn More About Rachel’s Book, Their Future Is Shining Bright

https://mediacenter.tyndale.com/search?q=Rachel%20Kovac&c=

Find the Book on Amazon

https://amzn.to/3UB6OJi

Kaitlin’s blog article, 10 Benefits of Homeschooling Through High School

https://homeschoolconnections.com/10-benefits-of-homeschooling-through-high-school/

In This Episode

• What a successful homeschool high school experience can look like
• Why faith, family connection, healthy relationships, and vocation matter alongside academics
• How interest-led learning and strong core academics can work together
• Why the high school years offer time for internships, businesses, creative projects, volunteering, and career exploration
• How homeschooling helps teens develop independence, self-direction, and time-management skills
• How peer pressure and the desire to belong can shape teenage choices
• Why homeschoolers can still enjoy proms, graduations, friendships, and other memorable high school experiences
• How job shadowing and real-world experience can help teens make wiser college and career decisions
• Why college is not the right path for every student
• Why teens benefit from relationships with people of many different ages
• How books, conversation, faith, and family culture continue forming students into adulthood
• Why enjoying our children now can help build strong relationships with them later
• Rachel’s encouragement for parents who feel weary in the work of homeschooling

One Big Takeaway

Homeschooling gives teenagers time to pursue academics, develop independence, explore possible careers, serve others, deepen their faith, and discover the interests and gifts that make them uniquely themselves.

Just as importantly, it gives families more time for the ordinary moments that form lasting relationships.

Rachel reminds parents that this work is worth it, even when it becomes tiring. The love poured into our children is never wasted.

About Rachel Kovac

Rachel Kovac brings a fresh and much-needed voice to the homeschooling community, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities of the often-overlooked high school years.

As a writer, speaker, and educator, Rachel understands the uncertainty many parents feel when deciding whether to homeschool through high school. Drawing from years of experience homeschooling her own children and helping them enter college with scholarships, she empowers families with vision, practical guidance, and encouragement.

Rachel helps parents approach academics, college admissions, and alternative pathways with confidence while nurturing a home life rooted in connection, purpose, and love.

She lives in Texas with her husband and four of their six children, while their two eldest attend college. When she is not writing or homeschooling, Rachel enjoys photography, sewing, gardening, baking sourdough, and learning Italian.

About Your Host

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. See her homeschool blog posts here:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/author/?n=245991

We spend a lot of time thinking about how homeschooling is shaping our children—but what if it's shaping us just as much?

In this episode of Kaitlin Unscripted, Kaitlin gets candid about five things homeschooling has exposed in her own life: tying her worth to productivity, wanting immediate results, trying to control the schedule, rushing through the day, and realizing just how much grace she needs.

She shares how homeschooling has taught her to loosen her grip on perfection, trust the learning process, slow down for the moments that matter, and remember that connection matters more than completion.

Kaitlin talks about:

• Why a completed to-do list doesn't determine your worth as a homeschool mom
• Learning to be patient when your children don't grasp something immediately
• Trading rigid schedules for more flexible rhythms
• Choosing which moments of family life you refuse to rush
• Giving yourself grace when homeschooling doesn't go perfectly
• How homeschooling can form parents as deeply as it forms their children

Perfection isn't the goal. Faithfulness is. Homeschooling gives us countless opportunities to grow alongside our children—to try again tomorrow, apologize when necessary, laugh when things fall apart, and trust God with the children He has entrusted to us.

About Your Host

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. See Kaitlin’s homeschool blog posts here: https://homeschoolconnections.com/author/?n=245991

Does Your Preschooler Need a Curriculum?

For many new homeschool parents, this question comes with a surprising amount of pressure. Should a four-year-old be learning letter sounds, practicing handwriting, and completing structured lessons? Or should the early years be filled with stories, mud, blocks, imagination, and unhurried family life?

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara welcomes veteran homeschool mom, consultant, and speaker Jenny Bales back to the show for an encouraging conversation about play-based learning, school readiness, and what young children truly need before formal academics begin.

Jenny explains that parents do not necessarily have to choose between learning and play. Young children can learn letters, numbers, language, motor skills, habits, and social skills. However, the way they learn in the early years should look very different from traditional classroom instruction.

Together, Kaitlin and Jenny discuss how to recognize readiness, introduce early academics without pressure, establish peaceful family rhythms, and trust that children are learning far more through ordinary life than parents may realize.

This Episode Is Sponsored by Into the Deep

Catholic homeschool moms, we’ve got something you’re going to love! If you’re looking for beautiful Catholic faith formation, practical homeschool encouragement, and lots of free resources, you’ll feel right at home at Into the Deep.

Visit: https://intothedeep.co today! Use code HOMESCHOOL10 to save 10%.

Resources

Visit Heart of a Mother

Find encouragement, consulting, and practical support for Catholic homeschooling mothers:

https://heartofamother.net/

Join the Free Heart of a Mother Facebook Group

Connect with Jenny and a community of Catholic homeschool moms:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/heartofamothermoms

Helpful articles on homeschooling preschool: https://homeschoolconnections.com/category/homeschool-preschool/

In This Episode

• How a child’s readiness and interest should guide the timing of instruction
• Why early learning looks different from upper-elementary learning
• How pushing academics too early can affect curiosity, attention, self-regulation, and a love of learning
• The difference between “we have to” and “we get to” learn
• How routines, hygiene, dressing, chores, and cooperation prepare children for later academic success
• Ways to teach letters, sounds, shapes, counting, and early writing through games and everyday life
• How read-alouds build vocabulary, listening skills, attention span, comprehension, and patience
• How to tell when a child is ready to hold a pencil, learn to read, or begin foundational math
• The foundational skills Jenny recommends before formal academics
• How to help a child learn to play independently without relying on screens
• Affordable ways to make room for messy play without overwhelming your home
• How to introduce reading, handwriting, and foundational math gently
• Why formal sit-down learning may only need to take about 30 minutes a day at this age

One Big Takeaway

Young children do not need their days recreated to look like a traditional classroom.

They are learning when they listen to stories, build with blocks, paint, dig in the mud, help with chores, dress themselves, talk with adults, negotiate with siblings, explore outside, and live alongside their families.

As Jenny reminds parents, the early years are not a race toward formal academics. The goal is to preserve curiosity, create good habits, build foundational skills, and help children see learning as something joyful.

Live life with your children. They are learning simply by living beside you.

About Jenny Bales

Jenny Bales is a Catholic homeschooling mom, homeschool consultant, and speaker whose mission is to share her love of homeschooling while helping mothers gain confidence, grow in peace, and homeschool with joy.

She has homeschooled her four children for the past 19 years, including graduating two students who were homeschooled from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Jenny loves Jesus in the Eucharist and days when her entire family is together and laughing. A full-blown extrovert living among introverts, she jumps at any opportunity to spend time with other women. When she is home, she enjoys college football, detective novels, jigsaw puzzles, and sweet tea.

Connect with Jenny and discover her support for Catholic homeschooling mothers at:

https://heartofamother.net/

About Your Host

Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. See her homeschool blog posts here:

https://homeschoolconnections.com/author/?n=245991