Sharing a convo with my virtual bud Meg this week. Meg and I have known each other since 2019, but have never met in-person. She lives in Vermont and has three kiddos: a sophomore in college, a junior in high school, and a six year old. She’s the first person I’ve interviewed who a) doesn’t live in Colorado and b) has older kids, so I’ve been excited to share, because she’s done the thing, is doing the thing, and her story is a reminder that you can’t predict the path. Also: all of it is temporary and fleeting; a window of time you can’t get back.

She speaks to the winding road between public school, homeschool, public school, college, and homeschool hybrids…echoing some of what Amanda (ep. 9) shared: that one of the gifts of homeschool is that her older kids had a solid sense of self by the teen years. “They knew who they were, they know who they are.”

And I gotta pull this quote, too:

“Part of that betrayal was my own, like I was learning in real time that the idea that I had had that someone other than myself and Chris were responsible for our children’s education….that that was never actually true to begin with. It was just an idea that I had absorbed through the culture.”

Oof.

It’s so good, Meg is so easy to talk (and listen) to, and I find her perspective a breath of fresh air.

Thanks for listening 💫

Resources shared >

Orton Gillingham

Singapore Math

Mathhelp.com

Brave Writer

Meg’s substack and website

Watch this interview on YouTube

Sharing my conversation with Tiffany this week, who is homeschooling her 9 year old. I love a lot of things about this convo, but one of which is the way Tiffany describes homeschooling….as something that is creative, technical, philosophical, humbling. A multi-layered project. She talks about the relationship with her daughter as the most important thing (“8-10 more years of orbiting her center”😭) and shares candidly about their “re-upping” moments.

We talk introversion (and the polarity of that with an extroverted kiddo), she shares some of their sweet practices (Morning basket, Mail Mondays, beginning & end of year letters, Yule School…) and she also talks about her experience of being a “gifted and talented kid” and the ways in which that, ultimately, didn’t serve her. This is also the first convo that dives a little bit more into the homeschooling requirements in CO, specifically the third grade test requirements.

Also - I said I would circle back at the end to the topic of Tiffany not driving and then I never did lol. BUT I did circle back via text. Her response:

“So, I never learned to drive. Never had a license. The way I think about it is this: friction is a tool. It’s not always a bad thing. If I want to adopt a new behavior, I try to remove any friction between me and doing the thing that I want me to do. If I want to discourage a behavior, then adding friction makes it harder to do the thing that I might be tempted to do but do not want to do. Choosing not to drive aligns with my values. It’s one of the ways I care for the environment. I prefer the pace of life. It has a way of slowing things down. Traveling on foot, by bus, or bike, just offers a different view of being in the world. As a homeschooler, it can limit what we choose to do. But, if it is super important, we make it happen. Values-aligned self-imposed limits help you get real clear on what matters and inspires you to get creative. I love not running around. I love that it forces me to invest in the relationships I have with the people who live on my street. I love interacting with people on the bus whom I would otherwise never be in the same space with. I love walking or riding the bike and taking in my surroundings. I can feel the breeze, the heat of the sun, the scent of the lilacs if I am riding by some bushes. More specifically, with homeschooling, I have to say no to a lot of amazing wonderful opportunities. As a parent, you want them to have every and all opportunities. But the best anyone can do in life is have a portfolio of experiences. We can’t have and do it all. And it all comes back to the quality of our time. I give myself permission to not try to give my kiddo everything.”

I admit, I totally romanticize this decision and often think about how different community is, now…when we’re driving 30 minutes to find it vs. committing to our neighborhood. I imagine there are many challenges to it, too (it’s also, on a practical level, part of the reason Tiffany and I don’t see each other as much) but I agree with all her reasons for not doing it and wish, every day, that our country had infrastructure like Japan lol. Why don’t we have more trains, Americaaa?! To me, it’s also a valuable perspective and practice to add into the mix because it does actively fight against so much of what I think many modern parents struggle with…which is the pressure of running & doing, despite believing in the importance of slowing down and helping our kids see that their worth is not tied to their doing.

Anyway - it’s another good one :) Enjoy.

Resources shared >

Life Ways - Waldorf Early Childhood Certification

Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Tools of the Mind, John Dewey and the Chicago School, John Gatto, Charlotte Mason *

Night Zookeeper (Gamified Language Arts)

Homeschool requirements in CO

Stanford 10

Homeschool Boss - NWEA Map Growth

*Note: I get a little kickback from books purchased through those bookshop links

Tiffany writes on substack, too!

As always, you can also watch this interview on Youtube.

This week’s conversation is with my friend Amanda, who is also my fellow Wisconsinite/artist/mindful entrepreneur/dreamer/enneagram 4. She’s my slice of Wisco here in the mountains and I’m super grateful for her presence in my life. Her kids are 8 and 4.

Amanda is the first person I’m interviewing who was homeschooled herself, and who also had an abrupt transition out of homeschool (not by choice), so she carries a deep, unique perspective with her. We talk about her experience, how it informs the experience she’s building for her kids, life as learning, dimmed lights, theory vs. practice, how “the way we do one thing is the way we do everything” and so much more.

So many gems in this one that I’m carrying forward. A gift that keeps on giving.

Resources shared >

Learn more about Amanda’s work as a life coach via her website

Unschooled by Kerry McDonald*

Teaching from Rest by Sarah Mackenzie* - neither Amanda or I have read this but it’s a Lauren rec that comes up in our convo :)

*Note - I get a little kickback if you decide to buy books

To watch this interview, click here

This week is with my friend Abbey, whose kiddos are 7 and 4. We name this in the episode but, the reality with literally every episode so far is we’re all rookies y’all 😅 And quite frankly, I think that’s a super-power for our Colorado crew at the moment. We don’t need to take ourselves so seriously (she said to herself…again and again, in all areas of life). Abbey spoke to how easy it is to lose sight of the why, which I could relate to. For example, many of us were drawn to homeschooling, at least in part, because of the flexibility, and in the early years, the ability to keep the wonder, not put so much pressure on, etc. And yet, I think every mom so far has described the pressure and found themselves adding it, putting it on, etc. without meaning to.

We went down a couple rabbit holes, like how philosophies have infiltrated parenting and homeschooling, but also how sometimes those philosophies get watered down and become more of an aesthetic than a rooted practice….and about the busy-ness of homeschool vs. what Abbey dreamily described as “real home homeschooling” 😆 ☠️. For the introverts among us. None a’ that FAKE COMMUNITY STUFF lol.

Abbey went from being the person who was like, “what a cool thing, but that’s not my thing” to it being her thing! And as is the case with all of these so far, I feel like we cover a lot of ground. Thanks for listening <3

Resources shared >

I gave a quick little shout to Outschool

And Abbey mentioned Khan Academy

As per ushe, you can watch this interview on YouTube, too.

Evelyn has four boys, and at the time of recording this (January) they were 20 months, almost 3, almost 6, and 8 so…are happy birthdays in order Evelyn?! 😅 We talk everything from Wild + Free (which I clearly forgot I ever co-led lol), to her moving from Colombia to Texas at age 13 and teaching herself English, to the realities of homeschooling multiple kiddos, patience, what we value vs. what we’ve been taught to value, taking it one day at a time, and so much more.

I’ll also say, Evelyn works full time in addition to homeschooling and I feel like I need to have a whole ‘nother interview with her to dive into that, specifically. As someone who works part time, and feels stretched in so many different directions, I was curious how she handled it all.

Her words:

“How do I do it? Honestly, it rarely looks as put-together as it sounds.

I’m a homeschool mom and I work full time, which means my days are a constant weaving of roles rather than neatly separated blocks. I’m grateful—deeply—that my job is remote and my team is flexible. That flexibility is what makes this life possible. But it doesn’t make it easy.

What it actually looks like is early mornings with coffee and a mental checklist already running. It’s jumping between math lessons and Slack messages, reading aloud one minute and replying to emails the next. It’s planning school around meetings, and planning meetings around the parts of the day when my kids are most independent—or at least occupied.

There are a lot of “in between” moments. Work squeezed into nap times, quiet reading time, or the rare stretch when everyone is focused. And then there are the evenings—where I pick up what didn’t fit into the day, trading rest for catching up. Some nights feel productive, others just feel long.

The hardest part isn’t the logistics—it’s the tension. When I’m in meetings, I feel the pull of not being fully present with my kids. When I’m deep in homeschooling, there’s a quiet awareness of what’s waiting for me at work. There’s guilt in both directions, even though I know I’m showing up in meaningful ways for both my family and my job.

But it’s also full of small, grounding moments. Being there for a question, a breakthrough, a story in the middle of the day. Building a life that, while messy and stretched, is intentionally close.

I don’t do it perfectly. I do it by adjusting constantly, by letting some things be “good enough,” and by reminding myself why we chose this in the first place. It’s a rhythm that shifts daily—sometimes hourly—but it’s ours, and we’re making it work the best we can.”

I could reaaaaally relate to this. The weaving of roles, all the in between moments, pockets of days, long nights, etc. And the guilt. I often feel bad that I can’t seem to stop working, even though I chose this path. Homeschooling and being with my kids is what I love most, but I also like using other parts of my brain and being of service in other ways. And, quite frankly, we live in an expensive place. And we love traveling, and giving our kids experiences that cost money. And then there’s just like… gas and groceries. So even though I don’t make nearly as much as my partner, I know my financial contributions matter, and I’m proud to be able to contribute in that way.

I think it’s assumed that people who homeschool must give up career pursuits to do it, or that it only works if there’s a partner who’s a bread winner so that the other person can stay home and not work. There are a lot of factors. And we are privileged. And also, some of us keep working! Both because we want to, and because we have to.

Meanwhile, there is a quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) narrative that’s like: if you choose homeschooling, it should be your whole identity. Or: if you’re working, something must be getting shortchanged. And especially for women, it often becomes: you should be able to do it all, but also feel peaceful while doing it. And if you aren’t picture perfect calm 100% of the time, then something’s wrong. (And maybe that’s true some of the time, but also…maybe there are just seasons where it’s a lot. What happens when we let that be okay, without feeling the need to scrap everything?)

The reality is it’s not easy. And there are sacrifices. And stress. And pressure (from myself and society) and sometimes impossible expectations. For me it was meaningful to talk to someone who, despite all those things, seems to agree that she wouldn’t have it any other way. Finally a voice that’s like… yes it’s hard, to balance homeschooling and career, but also here’s what it gives back. And you’re not a bad person, for wanting both.

Resources from this episode >

Wild + Free - (Another thing Lauren conned me into doing was co-leading a Wild + Free group that she took over 😅 We left being officially W+F and are now just planning things for our community.)

The Call of the Wild + Free*

Hunt, Gather, Parent*

The Coddling of the American Mind*

The Good and the Beautiful - math and language arts

Tapping. + a video.

And finally - those beloved transformer toys* 😂 . (We don’t have the exact same ones, but we have these and these which are a similar concept and also very loved.)

Note: I get a little kickback for all the * links if you decide to shop.

As always, you can watch this video on YouTube, too.

Chaz is a mom of three (ages 7, 5, and 18 months). Our conversation covers everything from balancing work and motherhood during COVID to following her intuition through birth and into homeschooling. We talk about her values - slow, secular, nature-based- and how to stay grounded in those values in a fast paced world.

I appreciated Chaz’s vulnerability in this conversation, and got the sense that she is often checking in with herself, re-evaluating whether her life actually reflects what she values or not, which felt deeply relatable. Like if you say you want to slow down, but you’re driving more than you’ve ever driven in your life, are you doing it?

I think there can be a tendency to overcommit in homeschool circles, in part because our kids have wide-open days, and we feel a responsibility to fill them with enriching experiences - to expose them to as much as we can. Every year as my kids get older, I feel this pressure to “ramp things up”…yet that instinct runs completely counter to why I chose homeschooling in the first place, which had nothing to do with how much we accomplish in a day and everything to do with having time and space together. That said, Colorado is currently a very homeschool friendly state, and I think we’d all rather live in the need-to-dial-back vs. the opposite, where there is no community and no outside support.

I’m still chewing on a lot from this convo; I hope you enjoy it.

Resources from Chaz >

Wild & Free - an online homeschool community with in-person groups worldwide

Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth *

Blossom & Root - the main curriculum they follow

*note - I get a little kickback from books purchased through this link

As always, you can watch this episode on YouTube, too.

This week I’m sharing my conversation with Marisol. She is a mom to three kids - an older son who has autism (and who deeply inspired parts of her journey including becoming a special education teacher in public schools), a 7 year old who she’s homeschooling, and then a sweet, brand new little nugget who was with her for this entire interview (hence my high pitched oh em geee look at herrrr voice lol - it was my first time seeing her!)

We talk about advocacy, homeschooling with an infant, the learning that happens all the time (and the knowledge that isn’t valued as much - like knowing your poop type lolol), de-schooling our brains, the confidence piece for homeschooling parents of trusting you’re enough and that you are capable of teaching your kid(s) (whether you’re a teacher or not), and so much more.

I’ll close by saying this (since you mentioned your homeschool room, Marisol): I totally created a homeschool space in our basement in 2023 mainly because I was tired of stuff being all over the house. And guess what? Stuff’s still all over the house, and lately we’re only down there to play piano, have dance parties, and build with legos 😆. So yes, relatable. The learning happens all over. It cannot be contained. Parts of this convo reminded me of Julie Bogart’s “stages of homeschooling,” one of which is “playing school”. She says,

“We recreate the classroom we remember: bulletin boards, workbooks lined up in magazine files, color-coded schedules. We’re trying to make learning look official, because that’s what we know. Over time, though, we notice a gap between the tidy plan and the messy reality of family life. Someone melts down, someone’s sick, someone’s building an elaborate Lego world during read-aloud time—and, secretly, we’d rather join them than fight it […] Eventually, we arrive at a place we might call “us schooling.” We’re no longer trying to fit someone else’s mold. Instead, we’ve pieced together an education that reflects our family’s values, capacities, quirks, and dreams. It’s not perfect. There are still hard days and unfinished assignments. But there is a growing sense of calm: we know our kids, we know ourselves, and we trust the learning that unfolds in the middle of real life.“

Resources from Marisol >

Logic of English - the reading and language arts curriculum she follows, though she supplements with lots of things, including these books:

Singapore math - one of the math curriculums they use

Khan Academy - according to her, the app is for younger students, web for older kids. They use both.

Teach your monster number skills

Mia academy - her “right now” solution, with a newborn

Also, this is the Shambhala center :) Meditation in Boulder.

As always, you can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Today’s conversation is with Megan, who lives in Colorado and is a mom to two boys. Megan worked in the public school system as a Special Education teacher, and was inspired to homeschool by her husband who was homeschooled from start to finish. (Side note: she’s also a great Irish dancer. She led our kiddos in a mini class for St. Patrick’s day last year 🍀 )

We chat about everything from obsessively planning field trips, to flopped lessons, obedience and what it means to be a “good student,” the importance of building community (with ideas on how to find & start one) and more.

Thank you Megan for sharing your time and insights 🙏

Resources she mentioned >

Free Forest School

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins*

*Note: I get a little kickback on books purchased through this link, if you decide to check it out.

This episode is also available to watch on YouTube.

This week is with my friend Elena, who lives in Colorado and is mom to two boys. In this conversation we cover everything from the windiness of parenting littles, to public school in post soviet Russia, patchwork quilting curriculum, the balance between discipline and play, the pressure we put on ourselves and the projection of that onto our kids, how it feels to actively build community vs. just being a part of one, and more.

I will admit, I can be defiant about parenting books/theories/advice/etc. but there are a lot of little gems in here, too, for how homeschooling and parenting inform each other. Are they different things? Or one and the same?

She is so intentional and thoughtful, and I feel like those qualities come through in this interview in spades. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed chatting with her.

Resources for things that came up >

Early on, with her first baby, she was inspired by Waldorf philosophy, and read books like: You are your Child’s First Teacher: Encouraging your Child’s Natural Development from Birth to Age Six by Rahima Baldwin Dancy. (Her favorite piece of this was the “Head, Heart, Hands” idea)*

In terms of schooly stuff, they’re currently big fans of Blossom and Root.

P.S. Windy days writing, from the archives, from the first part of this conversation :)

Housekeeping notes:

*I do get a little kickback from books linked through bookshop.org if you decide to shop.

I officially linked to Apple Podcasts, too, and with the RSS you should be able to listen wherever you listen to podcasts.

Video is also available on YouTube.

Episode two is with my friend Lauren. She lives in Colorado and has three kiddos, 8, almost 6, and 2. Honestly, she’s the reason I ended up finding a larger homeschool community because she welcomed me into one. And not only did she welcome me in, but she kept.on.me (in a very kind, loyal way) when I was having commitment issues lol.

All that to say, she has taught me a great deal about what it means to be in community, and as the extrovert to my introvert, she continues to pull me out of my shell when I’d rather hole up and hide which is…often. (Like, what, we’re going dancing now Lauren? Just tell me what to wear! 🤣)

In this episode, we dive into everything from a Montessori inspired education, to the realities of homeschooling multiple children with a toddler along for the ride, learning alongside your children, cyclical wisdom, labels and the pressure to categorize what we’re doing, and more.

I should also say, I ended up writing her yesterday because in listening back to this before posting, I was like wait - but why homeschooling? Why not a Montessori school?

And she was like, “It’s so funny you ask that because I was thinking after we recorded - I really only told half of how I came to homeschooling!”

So for those of you who might be wondering the same thing, Lauren said that the public Montessori schools in Colorado were actually part of the motivator in moving, and they did enroll their eldest in public Montessori kindergarten the year she was turning 5. But then, in her words, “We got the acceptance and we were just looking at this day, like…she’s gonna be gone from 7:30-4 by the time we get home. And we just didn’t want to do that. So a big piece of it was the time - having time to spend together. We didn’t end up accepting, and then we didn’t start officially homeschooling until the following year.”

As someone who is very interested in identity, I loved the back and forth about 2/3 of the way in about what it is that we “do” and the expectation to have a specific kind of answer; to categorize ourselves in some way, even in something that is counter-culture. As Lauren said, “We homeschool, and that means so much.” It can feel impossible to distill down, and really…the beauty of it is the wild expanse of it all.

To me, this is part of the unlearning. Letting it stay big and open and all encompassing, and resisting the urge - and pressure - to put it, ourselves, and our children in a box.

Resources from Lauren >

Child of the Redwoods - the Montessori curriculum she follows

Books:

The Secret of Childhood by Maria Montessori

The Absorbent Mind by Maria Montessori

The Deep Well of Time by Michael J. Dorer

*The Power of Showing Up by Daniel Siegel

*Hold on to your Kids by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté

*These last two are not Montessori specific, but also inspired Lauren to homeschool. Also, note: for all the books linked through bookshop.org, I (Eva) do earn a little kickback as an affiliate if you decide to shop through those links.

Lauren has also been inspired by Nicole Kavanaugh - this is her website/blog and podcast - Shelf Help).

And finally - quick shout out to my friend Laura who made me think about cyclical wisdom in relation to homeschooling (which I hadn’t, before.) She does a lot with this in relation to business (like scheduling/avoiding certain activities on certain days of your cycle) and though I haven’t implemented rhythm in quite this way, I am becoming more aware of my patterns (they really are so dang predictable) and how they impact my capacity. Also cool to think about, in raising a daughter. For a free guide to some of this info, click here (that also links you to her website).

And for my visual peeps, know this episode is also available to watch on YouTube.

This first conversation is with my friend Lisa. She lives in Colorado and has three kids, ages 9, 5, and 2.

In this episode, she shares what life was like before kids, what inspired her to homeschool, and a little bit about what it actually looks for their family in the day-to-day. All episodes in this first season follow a similar framework; essentially people’s starting stories, and where they find themselves now in the journey.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation was early on, when Lisa was talking about rediscovering some of the rhythms from before kids, with kids. Rejoining the rock climbing gym, going skiing with her eldest, including kids in travel…

It was reminding me of a conversation I had with another friend about “regaining our pink,” which was inspired by something her therapist told her: that flamingos, after they give birth, literally lose their pink hue. Both parents get drained of energy and nutrients while feeding their chicks, putting everything into the crop milk and as a result, not having as much for themselves. When the chicks are no longer dependent, the parents regain their pink.

Ever since my friend told me this, I’ve been reflecting on what “regaining my pink” would mean for me, while also trying to release any feelings I have about admitting that I lost some pink to begin with. I’m not a fan of the messaging surrounding the idea that mothers “let themselves go” or “lose themselves” in having kids, and I can see how “losing pink” could easily become another version of that story. But what strikes me is the neutrality of it for the flamingos. It isn’t framed as failure or self-sacrifice. There’s no psychological shaming, it’s literally just a biological shift- for both parents. One could argue the same is true for humans, just in more complex ways. The shifts are real, but the meaning we attach to them is not.

I digress 😅 This isn’t exactly what Lisa was talking about, but her joy in rediscovering pieces of herself from “the before times” and being able to share those pieces with her kids made me go: Ah! Pink! Regained and integrated.

And beyond that, her honesty about how it all unfolds, especially with a toddler in the mix, is refreshing and I certainly found it relatable. Flying by the seat of our pants can be a superpower - it keeps us responsive! And open!

Resources for some things that came up >

The Good and the Beautiful - what Lisa’s currently using for math and language arts

Also, we didn’t talk about this but Lisa made an app for homeschooling parents! It is close to being live, and I will update this post when it is with the link (check back within the month.) Here’s what she says about it: “I created this app because I wanted one simple place to plan our learning, manage our family calendar, and support our rhythm without overcomplicating it. From organizing curriculum and tracking lessons and attendance, to logging reading, travel, and real-world experiences, this app helps capture both the planned and organic learning that happens every day. It was born from a desire for less chaos and more clarity, so families can stay organized, present, and confident.“

Yay Lisa! 👏

Listen above, on Spotify, and/or watch this conversation on YouTube.

My latest brain baby. A combo of video, audio & written content coming soon.

Many Ways Home is a storytelling space featuring heartfelt conversations with homeschooling parents. Each episode offers perspective, connection, and a thoughtful exploration of what education is and the many ways it can take shape.

I’m not really sure how this came about, to be honest. If you want the real real…it probably stemmed from me wanting to talk more about homeschool, but not wanting our family to be the sole focus…so I conned a bunch of my friends into letting their families be the focus lol.

Over the last month I’ve interviewed 13 moms - mostly Colorado, and mostly with young kids as that’s the community I’m in, so it made sense to start there. The conversations are unedited, other than balancing sound quality (all the um’s, ah’s, fumbles and stumbles intact!), and the views of the people are the views of the people - they do not necessarily represent my beliefs.

For me, this project is actually less about what each of us do in our homes and more about what we think learning and education are and how it happens. None of us are saying homeschooling is the best way, and obviously it’s not the only way - but it is one way, and it’s inspiring to hear how people are actually living it out; guided by values and shaped by ever-evolving circumstances and seasons of life.

It’s also, quite frankly, an exploration of peace. I love storytelling interviews because they create space for people to share their perspectives honestly, and it gives listeners the chance to hear what is real for each person, without shaping the outcome. Storytelling builds community by honoring different beliefs and experiences, even when they differ from our own. There is a lot of like-mindedness in these initial interviews but as this project grows, I am committed to sharing what’s actually true for people; not what I wish was true for them.

What to expect

The first episode will drop next week. Others will follow, on a weekly basis. These first interviews are very much an intro of sorts - who we are, why we are homeschooling, what that actually looks like, etc.

Audio will be posted here and linked to Spotify, so you can listen on either. If you want to see our faces, the videos will also be on YouTube.

In addition to audio, the Many Ways Home section on substack will also house my own written reflections on the conversations, as well as any applicable links for those who might want to check out additional resources shared by each guest.

I should also say, this is very much an ongoing project and in order to stay true to my commitment above - I need to widen my circle! If you are homeschooling, or you know someone who is, please connect.

Finally, all of this is going to stay free of charge because I want it to be accessible. That said, if you enjoy the conversations and have the means, upgrading to a paid subscription would mean the world and help keep the project going.

Very excited about this. More soon.