Would you like to know more about everyday homeschool life in real families? Every so often on the blog, I love to give you a sneak peek into “our life” collectively as homeschoolers by sharing interviews with everyday homeschoolers just like you!

I am excited to share this interview I had with Anna Bruce (from @annabruceco), the author of the homeschool Bible Curriculum “Morning Manna: A Family Guide to Teaching Your Children Biblical Truths.” Join us as we talk about incorporating Bible in your homeschool.

Video Interview with Anna

Meet Anna

Anna is a devoted wife and mom of four, living with her family in South Carolina. Her children, ages 11, 8, 5, and 3, bring endless joy and energy to her days. Alongside her husband, Zach, Anna has been homeschooling for the past five years and finds the experience deeply rewarding and fulfilling. They love homeschooling because it gives them more family time and the flexibility to create meaningful moments together.

Anna never imagined she would homeschool, but the Lord had other, more beautiful plans for her family. What drew her to homeschooling was the opportunity to spend more time with her kids and play an important role in their daily lives. Having experienced homeschooling herself, along with private and public schooling, Anna brings a unique perspective to her eclectic homeschooling approach. She prioritizes family time, consistency, outdoor adventures, and discipleship, creating a learning environment that nurtures both education and faith. His plans, far more fulfilling than she ever expected, have brought her joy and purpose beyond measure over the last five years.

Anna loves creating resources for families, including her family devotional Hello Peace: A Family Devotional to Pursue Peace in the Home and Within and her Bible curriculum Morning Manna, both designed to help families grow in faith together.

Anna is passionate about helping parents embrace their God-given potential as homeschool educators and parents. For years, she has openly shared the joys and challenges of her journey through social media, blogging, and YouTube. When she’s not enjoying a hot cup of coffee or thrifting for hidden gems, you’ll find her sharing honest, heartfelt experiences to inspire moms to create life-giving homes, grow in faith, and lead with love.

When teaching Bible in your homeschool, what do you want to be the biggest takeaway that sticks with your kids?

Whether I’m leading a Bible lesson during homeschool or sharing heartfelt conversations about the Lord while baking cookies together, my goal is always the same: to help my children grow in their understanding of who they are in Christ.

My husband and I want them to grasp the deep and unchanging truth that they are beloved children of God and to experience the vast, unconditional love of their Heavenly Father in every season of life.

In a world that constantly tells them to “follow your heart,” “live your truth,” and “do whatever makes you happy,” we see it as our calling to equip them with a strong foundation of faith. It’s so important to us that they learn to measure the messages they hear against the unshakable truth of God’s Word, so they can confidently discern what is true and stand firm in their beliefs, no matter what they face.

Every small moment—whether we’re reading scripture as a family, sharing stories of God’s faithfulness during a car ride, or praying together before bed—is an opportunity for us to plant seeds of faith in their hearts.

I often reflect on Deuteronomy 6:6-8, where God commands us to keep His words on our hearts and impress them on our children—talking about them when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, and when we get up. This scripture inspires us to weave God’s truth into the rhythm of our daily lives, trusting that these seeds will grow into a bold and unwavering trust in Him, guiding our children and helping them shine His light in a world that desperately needs it.

What have you done in the past for teaching Bible? What worked/ didn’t work? 

We’ve tried it all! For years, I searched tirelessly for the perfect Bible curriculum to use in our homeschool. We’ve experimented with everything from structured Bible curriculums to storybook Bibles, and even spent seasons simply reading directly from the Bible together. Each approach had its merits, but none of them quite captured everything I envisioned for my children’s spiritual growth.

As I explored different options, I realized that so many Bible curriculums are lacking in key areas. The biggest issue I found was the absence of the Word itself. Many curriculums never once encouraged families to open their Bibles, and most didn’t prioritize scripture memorization.

I also noticed that prayer was often overlooked or treated as an afterthought, rather than being an integral part of teaching and applying God’s Word. This was something I couldn’t overlook. I wanted a curriculum that didn’t just talk about the Bible but actually guided children into God’s Word, encouraged them to hide scripture in their hearts, and helped them build a meaningful prayer life. This dissatisfaction sparked a deeper search for something better.

Last year, during yet another search for the “perfect” Bible curriculum, I began writing down key truths from scripture that I felt were essential for my children to learn. What started as a simple list of ideas quickly grew into something much bigger. What started as a way to meet our own family’s needs ultimately blossomed into my very own Bible curriculum: Morning Manna, which I launched last summer.

Since then, Morning Manna has truly taken off, and the feedback has been incredible. Families are loving it, and it’s been so rewarding to see how it’s helping others grow in their faith journeys. What sets Morning Manna apart from other Bible curriculums is that it’s not just another study or workbook—it’s a deeply interactive and scripture-centered approach to teaching children about God’s Word.

The curriculum includes scripture memory, catechism memory, Biblical affirmations, and Bible passage memorization. One feature that families love is the inclusion of QR codes, which allow kids to learn scripture through song—making the process both engaging and fun. Morning Manna also emphasizes reading directly from the Bible and praying together as a family, which I feel is essential in a Bible curriculum. We even have copywork that goes along with it!

This school year, we’ve been using Morning Manna in our own home, and it has been such a blessing. Not only have we grown individually in our walks with the Lord, but we’ve also grown closer as a family. The conversations we’ve had as a result of these lessons have been rich, heartfelt, and full of moments where we’ve seen God working in our hearts. It’s been such a joy to watch Morning Manna not only impact our own family but also bring God’s truth into the homes of so many others. You can check it out here.

What does Bible time look like now in your homeschool? 

Let me start by saying, our Bible time isn’t always picture-perfect. In fact, most days, it’s far from it. Some mornings, I’ve got a toddler hanging off my leg, dramatically demanding snacks like they haven’t eaten in days, or I’m juggling a tissue in one hand, wiping snotty noses, while trying to read scripture with the other. If I’m lucky, I get through a verse without someone yelling, “He’s looking at me!” or a baby suddenly deciding it’s the perfect moment to practice their high-pitched scream. And somewhere between all of that, I’m nursing my fourth cup of coffee, hoping it’s enough to get us through this blessed chaos.

And yet, even in the chaos, this time is precious. Despite the distractions, the interruptions, and the occasional meltdown (sometimes mine!), we gather together to focus on the Lord. These messy, imperfect moments are still filled with meaning, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Our homeschool day begins with Morning Manna, and it has truly transformed how we approach Bible time as a family. We start by coming together in prayer, sharing any requests that are on our hearts. Each child has the opportunity to contribute their prayer requests, and we record them using the Morning Manna Prayer Requests and Answers Tracker. Watching the Lord answer those prayers and being able to look back and see His faithfulness has been a really sweet experience for us this year.

Next, we open our Bibles and read a short passage of scripture. This year, we’re focusing on the Psalms, which has been such a blessing. After reading, I ask a few simple questions to help my children reflect on the passage and connect it to their lives. This often leads to some amazing conversations and gives us an opportunity to explore the heart of God together.

From there, we move on to catechism memory. I ask about 10-20 catechism questions, and my children recite the answers. This has been such a valuable way for them to learn foundational truths about our faith and really understand why they believe what they believe. Following that, we work on scripture memory, focusing on one verse each week. Repeating the verse daily has made it easier for them to internalize God’s Word, and it’s so rewarding to see how quickly they can recall it (even my 3 year old).

Some days, if we have time, we incorporate Biblical affirmations, where we declare truths from scripture over ourselves, reminding the children of their identity in Christ. Also if we have time, we spend time memorizing longer Bible passages, such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Fruit of the Spirit, or the Armor of God. Morning Manna offers so many options to choose from, and I love that we can tailor it to fit our focus for the week or month.

Altogether, our Bible time takes about 20-30 minutes, but it’s hands down my favorite part of our homeschool day. It’s not just about learning scripture—it’s about growing closer to the Lord as a family, starting our day with Him at the center, and building a strong foundation of faith that I pray will stay with my children for a lifetime. Morning Manna has made this time intentional, meaningful, and something we all look forward to each day.

I should mention, we also do family devotions as a family on most weeknights. We go through different devotionals and are currently doing one by The Daily Grace Co. I actually wrote a family devotional last year as well called Hello Peace: A Family Devotional to Pursue Peace in the Home and Within that might also be a great option if you’re looking for one to do together as a family. 

Can you give suggestions to other homeschoolers on how to make Bible time run more smoothly?

First, let me say that Bible time is going to look different in every season of life—and that’s completely normal! When I had a newborn, Bible time often looked like, “Okay, everybody run to the living room and let’s speed-read this devotional before the baby wakes up or someone spills milk again!” all while the sound of a breast pump echoed in the background like the world’s least relaxing soundtrack (if you know, you know).

Now that our youngest is 3, attention spans have slightly improved (on a good day), and we can actually spend 15-20 minutes (or more) exploring God’s Word together without someone parachuting off the fireplace hearth in a Batman costume or asking, “When is this going to be over?” halfway through a verse. If your Bible time doesn’t look like mine, don’t sweat it—you’re just in a different season, and trust me, God’s got you right where He wants you.

That being said, I’d love to share some practical tips that have helped us during our 11 years of family devotions. Whether you’re incorporating this into your homeschool day or doing it as a family in the evenings, these ideas might help make Bible time more smooth and enjoyable:

1. Embrace hands-on activities.

Most kids, especially younger ones, focus better when their hands are busy. It might sound counterintuitive, but letting them doodle, play with Play-Doh, work on an Etch A Sketch, or build with LEGOs while you’re reading scripture can actually help them retain what they’re hearing. In our home, we have a “quiet bin” that stays at the top of a shelf right off our living room. When it’s time for devotions, we pull it down, and it’s the only time they get to use this bin (other than read-aloud time). They look forward to it so much!

The bin includes things like sticker books, magnetic blocks, an Etch A Sketch, coloring books, electronic drawing tablet, and fidget toys—nothing noisy, of course. Having this special bin has been a game-changer. When our kids are engaged in something quiet and tactile, they’re more attentive, less fidgety, and more likely to absorb what we’re discussing or reading.

2. Pray before you start.

This one is so simple yet so powerful. Before you even open your Bible, take a moment to pray over your time together. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill the space, calm your hearts, and guide your conversations. I can’t tell you how often a chaotic morning or evening has turned into a sweet, Spirit-filled time just because we paused to invite God into it. He promises to meet us when we seek Him, and this small step can set the tone for the entire devotion time.

3. Adjust your expectations.

This is a big one, especially if you’re in a season of life where toddlers, tantrums, or you’re navigating the ever-dramatic world of preteens. Bible time doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. Expect interruptions, giggles, or even outright resistance at times, and know that these moments are still planting seeds. God works through the messy and the imperfect!

4. Don’t give up.

There will be days when it feels like no one is paying attention. Maybe your toddler decides to dump out every toy you own as soon as you open the Bible, or your preteen rolls their eyes and checks their watch. You might feel discouraged and wonder if any of this is sticking. Let me encourage you: don’t stop. The more you stick with it, the more those seeds of truth are being planted in your children’s hearts. Over time, you’ll see fruit—maybe not right away, but God’s Word never returns void.

5. Make it your own.

Bible time doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Some days might be filled with deep discussion, and other days it might be as simple as singing a worship song or praying together. Let it reflect your family’s unique rhythm and needs.

Remember, the goal isn’t to create a picture-perfect moment but to consistently show your children the importance of spending time in God’s Word. Whether it’s five minutes or 30, the effort you’re making to lead your family spiritually will have a lasting impact. So, give yourself grace, keep pressing forward, and trust that God is working—even in the chaos.

How do you handle distractions or challenges during Bible time and still make it meaningful for your family?

We are far from perfect at this, but I think the key to handling distractions during Bible time is learning to stay calm and not let frustration take over—trust me, this was a lesson we learned the hard way! It takes training. Lots and lots of training.

When we first started, it felt like chaos. I would sit on one side of the room with the little ones while my husband sat on the other side, valiantly trying to read the Bible over the sound of toddlers negotiating snack demands or testing the acoustic properties of a toy car. My job was to quietly redirect the little ones, getting them to settle down with an activity from the quiet bin while gently reminding them that this was not playtime or a free-for-all.

Over time, and with much consistency, they began to understand that this was a special, set-apart time to focus on God and His Word. They learned that Bible time wasn’t for running around or being silly but for listening, learning, and growing together as a family. That said, we still have our crazy nights—like when the toddler decides to take off his pants and go streaking through the living room, someone can’t stop giggling, and the constant sound of nose blowing is enough to rival a marching band. On those nights, we sometimes glance at each other and wonder, “Is this even worth it?!” (Spoiler alert: It always is, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.)

The key is handling those distractions with love and grace and remembering your “why.” Why are we doing this? To plant seeds of truth in our children’s hearts. To teach them about the love of Christ. To help them build a foundation of faith that will carry them through their lives. Keeping that perspective helps me approach interruptions with patience (most of the time) and humor instead of frustration. It’s not about perfection—it’s about faithfulness, and that reminder keeps us coming back to God’s Word, even on the wildest of nights.

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Has Anna’s story resonated with you? Leave a comment to let her know!

Would you like to know more about everyday homeschool life in real families? Every so often on the blog, I love to give you a sneak peek into “our life” collectively as homeschoolers by sharing interviews with everyday homeschoolers just like you!

I am especially excited to share this interview I had with Michael and Camilla from @christsheritagehome, where they share homeschooling inspiration from their Christ-centered home in Denmark, home-educating their 7+ children! Join us as we talk about pursuing the heritage of Christ in your family.

Video Interview: Pursuing the Heritage of Christ In Your Family

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our family!

Introduce yourself. What attracted you to homeschooling?

Michael:

We are Michael (33, American) and Camilla (38, Danish), living in Randers, Denmark, with our children: Magnolia (11), Anemone (9), Jack (8), Eleanor (6), Charlie (4), Elliot (3), and Wesley (nearly 1), who has Down Syndrome. We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of our little Naomi, due in March.

I have a theological education, but work as a consultant in a Danish unemployment fund, while Camilla is our prized homemaker. Camilla speaks Danish with the kids, and I speak English with them. Since we’re both fluent in both, you can say our household has some serious global flair! (Yes we celebrate Christmas on the 24th in Denmark—though we save some gifts for the 25th, to keep the American tradition going).

We met through a youth ministry in the U.S., and remained friends long distance, thanks to blogging and long chats about some theological questions Camilla wrestled with at the time.

It all started for real though in 2011 when Camilla “just so happened” to have a 3-day layover in my hometown—Virginia Beach, Virginia. Turns out, she wasn’t just passing through. She booked the layover on purpose to see me! At the end of her stay, I walked her to the gate at Norfolk International Airport and sent her back to Denmark with a hand-written letter in her hand: “If ever we were in a place where neither time nor distance could keep us apart, I am convinced we belong together, you and I.” Fast-forward to 2024, and you’ll find that very letter framed in our living room above the couch.

Why did we choose home-education?

At the heart of our decision lies the biblical conviction that family is a God-ordained institution, one in which children flourish best when nurtured by the active presence of their mother and father. In other words, we believe the family is made to be a family, and home education was the best path to that lived family life, with Christ at the center. We have been home-educating from the beginning and enrolled our oldest daughter the year she turned six in 2019, using a family-centered, eclectic approach, inspired by the Charlotte Mason philosophy.

You’ve put some thought into your family’s purpose and plan. Can you share the 3 pillars that are the foundation of your family life?

Michael:

With a vibrant family life, it’s important to have a few touchstones to hold onto. A year ago, when we began considering what values we wanted to shape Christ’s Heritage Home, I found that three simple, enduring pillars make up our family life: first, we are committed to raising children biblically. Second, life in the local Body of Christ—our local church—is our great delight. And third, whole-family, Christ-centered home-education is the beating heart of our home. I’ll break these down.

First

As parents, we are first and foremost servants of Christ, striving to raise children who delight in the King of Kings. So though it may not sound academic (as we traditionally understand academics), our first priority as educators is to instill biblical convictions in our children and to lead them to know and love Jesus Christ. This is the firm foundation of our home education.

How do we do this? By centering our family life on Christ and His Word. Now, we recognize that sincere love for God and his Word cannot be crow-barred into our kids, so we (imperfectly) strive to cultivate a cheerful, natural life of family devotion.

A few ways we do this is through a father-led Sunday family devotional and catechism, our “Sabbath School.” Another way is through daily family worship, where every evening, I open the Bible with the family, and we sing hymns and pray together. Camilla and the children will also start mornings with Bible-reading and scripture memorization. And, of course, much of ordinary discipleship happens in those in-between moments, guiding through conflict resolution, helping sibling relationships, facilitating habit-training, and constructively disciplining. That’s our first pillar in a nutshell.

Two absolute must-reads on family worship are Terry Johnson’s “Understanding Family Worship: Its History, Theology and Practice” and Joel Beeke’s “Family Worship” in the Family Guidance Series from Reformation Heritage Books. Camilla and I are watching Ryan Bush’s excellent video series on Family Worship now from Media Gratiae (available for streaming at G3 plus).

Family Worship Bible Guide – Strengthen Your Daily Devotions with 1,200+ Practical Insights for Every Chapter | By Joel R. Beeke & Family Worship Experts

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• English (Publication Language)
• 768 Pages – 12/27/2016 (Publication Date) – Reformation Heritage Books (Publisher)

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Understanding Family Worship: Its History, Theology and Practice

• Johnson, Terry L. (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
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Second

The second pillar is about our family rhythms. Every family has its rhythms — think of it as the family’s regular, repeated events, like sports practice, outings, or homeschool co-ops. These come in many shapes and sizes, and each has its own place. But our most foundational rhythm is life within our spiritual family, the local church. It’s the backbone of our schedule and family life.

How can we raise whole children, children who not only can read and write, but who love Christ, if they don’t see us as parents modeling love for and commitment to His Body, the Church? Much could be said here, but in short, our hope for our children is that active membership in a biblical church family under qualified pastors, would feel as natural as breathing itself. I think if you asked them, they would say it is!

We love to call the Sabbath a delight (Isa. 58:13), gathering with the saints to worship on the Lord’s Day, in the Lord’s house, with the Lord’s people at our church, Kristuskirken in Viborg. In a culture where Sunday parties, sports matches, or family events are common excuses for missing church, we see Sunday worship as our excuse for missing everything else. We long to see faithful churchmanship revived in Denmark, a vital part of what has been called, “family piety.”

Third

Lastly, the third pillar is whole-family home-education. Our home-education takes place as much as possible together, as a family. Inevitably, education will occur at an individual level (my sister cannot attain knowledge for me!), but we believe the family was made to be a family, so we do as much learning as we can in the context of the whole family unit, in the home, or out together on an adventure (see our recent Instagram Reel about a recent micro-adventure to the wind turbine Test Center Østerild!).

Don’t get me wrong, family-based education can get rowdy at “Morning Basket” with so many little ones running around! Read-alouds or narrations are peppered with interruptions. But that’s the good life. We flex, we learn, we grow. Everyone wins, because everyone learns together.

Why is a generational, whole-family approach to education important?

The role of the family is to give a heritage to the next generations. The question isn’t “how do I give a heritage to my children?” but “what kind of heritage am I giving?”

This is primarily a spiritual legacy or treasure—the Gospel of Christ and the Word of Christ—embodied in a vibrantly biblical home, as described above. It’s a strenuous life. It demands everything, and you’ll go to bed exhausted every night.

It will require your all. But your granddaughters and grandsons will reap the abundant harvest. That’s where the name Christ’s Heritage Home comes from, because this very mundane labor of home-educating 7 (soon 8) children, is a long work. It requires grit and determination, and long days. But it’s so worth it! “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9) 

If I do daily family worship for my 8 children (first generation), and each of them carries on this sacred tradition, with each having an average of 5 children (second generation), and those children do the same with their own 5 children (third generation), then I would have 200 great grand-children opening up their bibles with their families every evening. That is lasting wealth, a legacy of simple faithfulness, furnishing the generations to come with sound doctrine, a sincere love for the Savior, and all done in the warmth of the family living room at bedtime.

I repeat: it is not easy. I have had more than a few times of family worship end with me having to ask the children’s forgiveness for sinful impatience. But by God’s grace, the task is more than doable, even for weak men like myself. Christ will reward principled, humble obedience over the long haul.  

I long to see a generation of men, taking responsibility for the spiritual legacy they bestow on their children, in the life of the home.

Together we long to see the Heritage of Christ—His Word, His Gospel—bestowed upon the generations in Denmark, our prayer being that our humble efforts can in some way be used as a modest contribution to this end. In Psalm 112, we read of the “generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.” (Psalm 112:2) That’s Christ’s Heritage Home in a nutshell.

What does a typical day look like in your home?

Camilla:

No two days are the same, but they do tend to follow a general rhythm. Michael and I usually get up early before the kids, that means 5-5.30 to sit down and do our individual bible reading. I might also spend some time getting ready for the homeschool day by printing something or ordering books from the library, tweaking plans etc.

Morning Habits and Breakfast

As the kids start to get up they are expected to get ready for the day by working on their morning habits (brush teeth, make bed, get dressed, read bible for oldest kids) and do their chores before sitting down for breakfast and bible reading at 8.30 am. If they finish early they can also have breakfast on their own before then. So for some kids, it’s their second breakfast at that point!

Family Learning

We all gather to read from Catharine Voss’ “The Child’s Story Bible”, which the whole family, even the youngest children, enjoy. We move on from the bible to our memory verse for the week and sometimes (not often, but it’s something I would like to do more!) sing a hymn. Then we get on with other family learning which could be picture study, poetry, world history, Danish history, Shakespeare, a book guide, composer study, mapwork/geography or nature study.

Read Aloud

We don’t do all those things every day, but we alternate. After those “loop”-subjects we have our Family Read Aloud. Some favorites have been “The Railway Children” by Edith Nesbit, “By the Great Horn Spoon!” by Sid Fleischman, and “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B. White, and we are currently reading and loving “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” by Elizabeth George Speare.

Independent Work

Really the only thing the children do individually is math, reading and narration/written narration and writing, all other subjects are covered as a family.We try to also squeeze in some time to work on individual skill-based work before lunch.

Afternoons

Afternoons will most of the time mean either free play and outdoor time, visiting with friends, appointments, errands, quiet time with audiobook, piano lessons on Facetime with their grandmother in Virginia, a library trip or a nature walk.

Afternoons might also be spent on more crafty projects like sewing, baking or watercoloring. Sometimes we do have some kind of shared learning activity in the afternoon, either relating to our family read-aloud or some other more elaborate project, that didn’t fit into our morning.

At some point in the afternoon we have a snack time, and ideally a pick up around the house, but we are not in a consistent routine with that, sometimes it just has to wait until Papa is home from work and can help direct children.

Most of the time we have a “chef of the day”, who is either in charge of or helping out with lunch and dinner for the day, so depending on their age and skill level, we get started on that in the late afternoon as well. 

Can you give practical ways that other families can educate as a family? 

Michael:

I mention this briefly in the podcast, but especially for dads, one way you can educate as a family, is simply by taking your kiddos under your arm, and going on a learning adventure to a forest, museum, activity park. Be cheerful. Be calm. Be godly. They will love it! Anything goes. We call them “micro-adventures,” oftentimes wild and wonderful, where the whole family learns and loves together, each at their own level.

If a father or mother takes action in a cheerful way, then a whole family can get swept up. Sarah Wallace (author of “Created to Care”) wrote, “when my kids see a peaceful mommy, chaos doesn’t feel like chaos. It feels like an adventure.” That’s it right there.

Created to Care: God’s Truth for Anxious Moms

• Wallace, Sara (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 160 Pages – 07/05/2019 (Publication Date) – P&R Publishing (Publisher)

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Camilla:

Create a culture of reading together. Whether your child is 3 or 9 or 15, they can all be part of a family reading time. The stories we share become treasured memories and shared adventures, that we remember long after we finish the book. It builds relationships like nothing else.

As Michael mentioned, adventuring together is such an important part of learning and living life together. It is also something everyone no matter their age can participate in on each their level. Whether it is going for a long drive to the seaside, or just the local forest—so much learning takes place as we are out, seeing things and talking about what we see. 

What is one important thing you do in your home? 

Camilla:

Books. Reading. Living ideas. Everyone chips in on chores. I’m not sure I can choose just one. Get the kids involved. 

The first time it really hit me—like, this matters—was about two and a half years ago. We had read before, of course, but this time felt different. We were reading The Railway Children, and that book holds a special place in my heart.

It was about six months after my dad passed away from lung cancer. I was in a really dark place—grieving, exhausted. Within the span of 4 months we lost him, welcomed a new baby, moved, and changed churches. It was just… a lot. 

But something happened when we read that book. I feel like I gave my children their mother back through it. That was the moment I realized—this matters more than almost anything else.

Since then, when life feels stressful, or doubts creep in and I start thinking, “we’re not doing enough, we need to do more math,” I remember The Railway Children. And I remember why we’re doing this. I remember that I am more interested in what kind of people we are sending out in the world on the other side, than how many facts they know about x y z.

I have personally really benefited from reading “Modern Miss Mason” by Leah Boden and “For the Children’s Sake” by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and  “The Read-Aloud Family” by Sarah Mackenzie. They have all helped me find more peace as a home educator and as a mother really.

Sale

Modern Miss Mason: Discover How Charlotte Mason’s Revolutionary Ideas on Home Education Can Change How You and Your Children Learn and Grow Together

• Boden, Leah (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 224 Pages – 01/10/2023 (Publication Date) – Tyndale Momentum (Publisher)

$12.47

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Sale

For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School

• Macaulay, Susan Schaeffer (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 208 Pages – 06/28/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

$10.28

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The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids

• Mackenzie, Sarah (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 288 Pages – 03/27/2018 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

$11.43

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Can you tell readers more about pioneering home education in Denmark. Are there other families in your church who homeschool? Are there any co-ops/support?

Michael:

Although homeschooling is a burgeoning movement in Denmark, especially since the Corona-lockdown when some families were forced to “take the leap” (some never went back), there are very few co-ops in the American sense of “homeschoolers homeschooling together.” Most groups we know of are primarily for building relationships with other homeschoolers, with a minor educational element.

There is a national association for home-educators, Fri Læring, with a host of resources and guidance for those seeking to get started.

Our family has a weekly nature group with another homeschool family and we love it! We also are a part of a language club with 3 other families about once a month. We love fellowship with other home educators, but it is important that we are not in any way dependent on others to give our children a wonderful education.

A friend of mine once asked me, “Michael, if you lived on an island with nobody else around, could you homeschool your children?” He was making a point about education in its purest form being a family affair and not dependent on the government or others.

Ultimately, God has given children to a mother and father, to raise, educate, and escort them into manhood and womanhood. That sacred task is not on the church, schools, or other families. I agree wholeheartedly!—with the caveat that a family’s home education is greatly enriched by a wealth of relationships, especially with other homeschooling families.

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Has Michael and Camilla’s story resonated with you? Leave a comment to let them know!

Want to know more about Michael and Camilla? Here’s where you can find them.

Website: Christ’s Heritage Home

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To read more encouraging interviews with homeschoolers just like you, check out the Gallery of Homeschool Interviews!

Every so often on the blog, I love to give you a sneak peek into “our life” collectively as homeschoolers by sharing interviews with everyday homeschool moms just like you!

I am especially excited to share this interview I had with Barbara from @livingfordusk, where she shares homeschooling inspiration and ideas for everyday moms just like you! Join us as we talk about dispelling the fears about homeschooling through high school.

Meet Barbara

Hi! I’m Barbara, a wife and mother to 3 kiddos. My husband and I have been married for 25 years and prior to homeschool, worked together in Interior Design. We are currently in our 5th year of homeschooling our elementary, middle school, and high schoolers.

What drew you to homeschooling?

When my oldest two were younger, I wanted to find fun activities to keep them occupied throughout the day. I searched Pinterest and other sites, but fell into homeschooling when I came across the blog ‘Confessions of a Homeschooler’. I loved her format and had bought her program.

We continued this for about two years, but when I had returned to working with my husband, I enrolled my kids into the sweetest Christian school. Fast forward to 2020, we realized that online school was not the best fit for our kids, and I had felt called towards homeschooling once more. We weren’t sure if it would be long-term at the time, but we found homeschooling to be a great opportunity for our family and are now homeschooling through high school!

What is it like homeschooling multiple grades?

I would say our first year was somewhat rocky, figuring out how to balance a new reader, an upper elementary student and a middle schooler was quite the challenge.

Fortunately, we found that keeping content-based subjects as group subjects (such as Bible, science, history, etc), and 1:1 learning when it came to skill-based subjects (starting from youngest to oldest) helped us stay organized.

What was the transition from middle to high school like?

The age old question –  “But you’re sending them back for high school, right?”

I feel as though the transition smoothed out once I had realized that homeschooling high schoolers is very similar to homeschooling younger grades (just with a little more record keeping).

Now, that’s not to say the transition didn’t come with a few lumps and bumps at first. I had originally thrown out everything I knew about homeschool once high school came into the picture, and I had found that we fell into the trap of “schooling at home” rather than “homeschooling”.

What does that mean exactly?

Well, we followed all the typical steps (checking our state graduation guidelines and looking into the “HSLDA” website), and once we had gained this information, our approach towards the first few months of freshman year became very systematic. Dotting I’s and Crossing T’s. I was so focused on transcripts and course descriptions that I had completely forgotten about all of the joy I could infuse into their high school days.

Thankfully, we realigned quickly and focused on what she thrives in and what career paths she may pursue. After that, we looked into college sites to find out what their requirements are for homeschool families looking to enroll. This was gold for us.

We changed everything we were doing and had gone back to our original format of keeping group subjects together and having 1:1 time with me for our core subjects. High school has been a wonderful opportunity for our teen to start finding more independence and her genuine passion for learning.

How to dispel the fear of homeschooling through high school?

The first thing that had helped us was realizing that I don’t have to teach everything for high school (Algebra, anyone?). Instead, we tailored our high schoolers course load towards her learning style and goal preferences, and had signed her up for multiple online classes. Therefore, she isn’t solely depending on me for her lessons and isn’t working completely independently.

We also have morning meetings to review assignments from the day before, alongside assessing that day’s goals. My high schooler has taken the reins on how her days are structured and in what order she completes her lessons. This life skill of time management is greatly benefiting her in all areas of life.

What resources are you using for high school?

I had found a free transcript online and used it to make a loose four-year plan. We are likely going to enroll into dual credit courses for 11th grade, so we are accounting for this. I was also able to find helpful blogs on how to write course descriptions, and in some cases, other moms have already done the work for specific curriculum and offer their course descriptions on their sites.

There are many resources if you want to have someone else take the helm for providing a graduation diploma. BJU Press’ “The Academy of Home Education” is a great way to start. We have decided to provide our daughter with her high school diploma from our homeschool. With some research and some record keeping, homeschooling through high school isn’t as scary as many may believe it is.

Barbara’s Favorite Resources

Free High School Transcript – https://www.flandersfamily.info/web/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/High-School-Transcript-Editable.pdf

High School Course Description examples – https://www.notthathardtohomeschool.com/course-descriptions-homeschool/

BJU Press “The Academy of Home Education” – https://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/the-academy-of-home-education

MasterBooks Academy High School Art I – https://www.masterbooksacademy.com/course/artforhighschool

Glory to Glory Fitness F.O.R.M. – https://www.formcurriculum.com/a/2147527565/FWFMtse3

High School Spanish Flip Flop Spanish – https://www.flipflopspanish.com/collections/high-school-adult/products/senora-goses-spanish-geniuses

I didn’t mention this one, but this is her English class and it is amazing from Redefining School (they are reading through a lot of C.S. Lewis’ work) and they attend live classes once a week, for the kids to talk with Mrs. Mindy the teacher. – https://redefiningschool.com/high-school-offerings

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Has Barbara’s story encouraged you? Leave a comment to let her know!

As a former public school teacher, I had kids in my class who were brilliant at some things, but they weren’t academically bent. (See Kelly’s video Open Apology to My Former Students.) But what we did is tell them over and over that they were not measuring up. We have kids growing up in that environment and we can do it ourselves in our homeschool.

If you’re not good at math, you’re not going to be as successful as the one who is. That’s not the measure of what it is to be educated. These kids grow up in that and I think it takes years for them to recalibrate their thinking, discover their worth, realize that they have their own geniuses, and that what they were told all their lives is not true.

How do we hurt kids when we don’t understand the difference between schooling and education?

I go back to the classroom a lot because that is our paradigm. For most of us, that was our experience and so we try to repeat it at home. In a school you have good students and bad students. If you do well in school, if you are academically bent, those are the things that make a good student. If you’re not, then you’re a bad student. Right out of the gate, we boil down what it means to be educated to whether someone is scholastically inclined.

You may have a few in between who are not necessarily academically inclined, but they’re good at adjusting, however, by and large kids are just vastly different.

What is a quality education?

I read an article in Forbes magazine about the six things that determine a person’s success and nothing in that article mentioned anything about academic prowess. Instead it was qualities like…emotional intelligence, relational giftedness, problem solving skills, financial literacy.

It’s not that academics has to be pushed aside, I think as homeschooling moms, when we can finally get it into our bones that how my child performs academically is not the sum total of an education, then it just takes a huge burden off.

I’ve told moms who have come to me in tears at conferences because they think their child is so far behind, “Listen, you could just fail miserably in the academic section and you’re still not going to ruin your kids.” We think we have a lot more power than we have over our kids. God has put in our children and in us the amazing ability to learn and explore and discover. It’s not all on us. We give ourselves way too much credit when we think we can fail our kids.

My passion is to help moms understand that and just relax. Then the textbooks and the academic part can take its proper place. We do academic work, but it’s a tool for us. It’s our servant not our master. If we could stop being enslaved by the book work, it would help a lot.

Kids also need a lot of time. They don’t need to be sitting at desks for 7-8 hours a day. It doesn’t have take that. That’s what grieves me too about the idea of schooling is all of this time that they’re being robbed of when they could be growing and learning their interests. I think about all those teenage boys. They don’t want to hear Shakespeare! They want to do what they are good at. We don’t give them the time.

What practical steps can homeschooling families take to create a more holistic learning environment?

My shift in thinking happened when I started reading other opinions. If we have this one paradigm of thinking, then there’s nothing to challenge us. When I first started reading John Taylor Gatto, my mind was blown.There was this school of thought that I didn’t know existed.

Gatto said some pretty radical things. He’s very critical of this idea of schooling altogether. He calls it “an insane experiment” because compulsory schooling is only about 172 years old. In the history of mankind, it’s a new experiment.

My number one suggestion is to Google John Taylor Gatto and start reading his material. You can find many of his quotes on generationcedar.com. Read and then let his thoughts marinate and then if you’re doing a really rigid school schedule, peel it back a little.

We like to read living books in our family. Read real experiences and historical biographies. Get to know people in history. There are so many ways to get out of textbook measuring.

Ask your children what’s interesting to them and if they don’t know, then make resources available to them. Some of my kids love going to the library (even though we have a library in our home) and having a new set of resources to look at is very inspiring to them.

Whenever your kids ask a question, jump on that and follow it through. The learning that sticks is when we ask questions and find answers to what matters to us in the moment. Just to put something in front of our child…”you need to learn this scientific law…,” if it doesn’t meet him. in real life, it’s not as likely to stick.

How can moms “deschool” their thinking?

After studying John Taylor Gatto’s ideas for many years, I created a course “How to Take the Stress Out of Homeschooling” which is a fast track to helping moms “deschool” their thinking.

This video course is short, about an hour long. I start by helping that deschooling process. I begin with the story of a doctor who lived before the time of microscopes. He discovered why so many moms in the delivery ward were dying. Doctors were doing autopsies on bodies and then going directly to deliver babies. Moms were dying. He suggested that if they would just wash their hands between patients, it would be a tremendous help.

After his recommendation, doctors began washing their hands. The death rates dropped, however, he was ostracized and banned from practicing medicine because people couldn’t wrap their minds around something being different from the way they had always done it.

My point in telling this story is that sometimes it’s that drastic. We have to get out of a way of thinking that we’ve been ingrained in for so long. Looking back at these stories, it gives us the courage to think that maybe there’s something missing, even though we’ve through this way for so long.

Next, I give moms some practical ideas to help make learning more of a lifestyle than a school.

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Has Kelly’s story resonated with you? Leave a comment to let her know! Also, be sure to check out her Ecourse, podcast, and YouTube channel below!

Ecourse: How to Take the Stress Out of Homeschooling

Generation Cedar Blog

Christian Homeschooling With Generation Cedar YouTube Channel

Kelly Crawford | Christian Homeschooling Mom Podcast

To read more encouraging interviews with homeschool moms just like you, check out the Gallery of Mom Interviews!