Who we are…

Christie

Hey! I’m Christie, and I homeschool my three children ages 11, 9, and 9 (Yes, twins!). I earned an M.A. in English and taught high school English grammar, literature, and writing for 6 years. I also have taught college grammar, literature, and writing for 18+ years either part- or full-time both online and in the traditional classroom. I continue to teach college online part-time, which proves to be a challenge at times–yet still is a blessing to our homeschooling family. 

I decided to homeschool for several reasons. The first one is that we were close friends with a homeschooling family while my husband was in seminary. Their life appealed to us, and we wanted to research homeschooling more when we had children. Secondly, I saw what was going on in high schools first hand as well as seeing how unprepared many students were for college while teaching those students. I wanted a better education for my own children. Thirdly, we lived in urban St. Louis when I began teaching my oldest kindergarten at home. The schools there were not so great at that time. Fourthly and most importantly, we wanted to teach our children from a Christian worldview. 

Cottage school gives my family the school community we need. These ladies encourage me as I homeschool and live life in general, appreciate what I do to help them and their children, and love my kids well. I like that other Christian mothers are speaking into my children’s lives through this as well. Homeschooling can be challenging because being with my children almost all of the time is hard. We do get tired of each other. My homeschool mom friends push me to keep going and point out to me good things that are happening in my family. 

Some of those good things that happen in our home are as follows: First, I am able to teach my children about the one true God and make them see that all subjects are connected and glorify our Creator. Second, l love all things English grammar, writing, and literature, so teaching that to my children makes me happy. And fourth, world history is also one of my favorite things to teach them, and my kids learn to see the big picture of the world and not just form a limited perspective of our world.

I asked my kids what they thought my supermom power is, and they all agreed my taking care of them well is it! I would love for laundry to do itself though somehow.

If I would tell my younger, less experienced self about homeschooling now that I have been at it for six years, I’d say–keep it simple. Don’t try to do too much too early. Let your kids play and learn at the same time. Also, find a good math curriculum and stick with it. (This goes for other subjects, too.) The grass is not always greener. And finally, you won’t know what you are doing the first couple of years, no matter how much education you have. There’s nothing in life worth having that doesn’t require work. 

Jenny

Hi! I’m Jenny, and I have five children ranging from ages 10 to 1. I have a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration – Economics from the University of Arizona and a Master of Divinity in Missions and Church Planting from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. As a young person, I never dreamed I would homeschool my kids, and while two of my kids have been in an online charter school, we now home educate with the assistance of an Arizona Empowerment Scholarship. We were drawn to homeschooling initially because we kept coming into contact with homeschool families with impressive children. After our two oldest were diagnosed with learning disabilities (dyslexia and dysgraphia) the doctor from Phoenix Children’s encouraged us to continue home educating, and we felt led to continue as well!  

I love cottage school because it’s so wonderful to grow close with other families who share my same values, interests, and views on education. I also love the small sizes and the flexibility we have to adjust our curriculum, schedules, and other aspects of cottage school to meet our children’s needs. 

Homeschool can be challenging because the days can get very long at times, and the house can get very messy! I also work from home, so that can mean some late nights! In spite of these things, I am excited to instill in them a love for our country and the liberties we enjoy here, to teach them about our incredible natural world that God has created, and to help them learn to think critically and learn what hard work looks like.

My supermom power would be the ability to clean my house in 10 seconds. I love to have a clean house!

If I could, I would tell my younger homeschool mom self not to worry as much about my kids being “excellent” at everything. They will excel and struggle in different areas, and the beauty of educating them at home is that I get to come alongside them and let them grow and learn at their pace, and no one else’s. 

Annie

Hello! I’m Annie, and I have four children ranging in ages 10 to 3. I have a Bachelor’s in Bible Teaching (in a school setting). I decided to homeschool because during student teaching, I saw how much time kids spend with their teacher and away from home. I thought if (at the time I really wasn’t sure) I was going to have kids, I wanted to be ALL in. Later, we were mentored by a couple who homeschooled their children, and I saw the ins and outs of their life. Being able to ask questions and observe them helped me think through much of the why and how of homeschool even before I had my kids.

As far as joining cottage school is concerned, I’m naturally a skeptic, so at first I wasn’t sure if this was going to fly or be helpful to our family. But a few months in, I was all in! It has brought encouragement, joy, and relief to me and each of my kids without being a burden of work, time, or money. Cottage school gives us deep friendships and hands-on learning in a way we can’t replicate in other activities. 

Homeschooling is challenging because it intensifies the family relationship (which ironically is one of my main reasons for doing it). This two-edged sword called homeschooling makes our parent-child, teacher-student, and sibling-sibling relationships stronger and harder. Because we are together most of the time and fill multiple roles in each other’s lives, we have more opportunities to grow deeper, but it’s a lot of work.

My three favorite things to teach my children are theology, literature, and history, which naturally translates into my teaching. I enjoy showing my children God’s world and humanity’s creativity as they see it for the first time.

If I had a supermom power it would be like Elastigirl. Doesn’t that sum up motherhood? Being pulled in a million directions and bouncing back.

I would tell my younger, less experienced self about homeschooling, now that I have been in it for a few years, to relax in the young elementary ages (K-2nd). Read tons of picture books, take field trips, play outside, and make crafts. Ask for advice, but still be true to your own gifts and what works for your family. Don’t find your worth in whether you are better or worse than someone else. Look for and enjoy fully the sweet moments with your kids. The days are long, but the years are short. These are the happy, golden days!

Amelia 

Hi! I’m Amelia. I am a second generation homeschooler and a registered nurse. I’m married to Joshua, and we have 4 kids who are 11, 8, 5, and 3. My husband was also homeschooled! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

We decided to homeschool because we were homeschooled. Just kidding! We started homeschooling our oldest when my husband was searching for a job, which would likely mean a move, and we didn’t want to uproot our son from a school in the middle of the year. So it started as a practical solution. We continue to homeschool because we enjoy the time we spend with our kids. We also like being the primary influences in their education while they are young. We love the flexibility we have throughout the year to travel when my husband has breaks from work (He’s a professor). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Our family has enjoyed cottage school immensely. I found that I couldn’t figure out how to do regular science and art instruction, despite those being a few of my favorite subjects to explore. Cottage school spreads the work out among us four moms and is a highlight of my family’s week. Despite my own mom’s best efforts to teach me correct English grammar, it never stuck, so I’m really thankful for Christie (our English grammar queen!) who answers all my grammar questions, and I look forward to learning alongside my kids. I love learning with our cottage school friends about the creation that points to the magnificent Creator! My main responsibilities at cottage school are teaching science and posting and sharing to IG. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I only have 6 years of homeschool experience, but from what I’ve learned I would tell my younger self to relax and start formal school slow and easy with young kiddos. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Lastly, if I had a supermom power I would choose the ability to snap my fingers and have all messes tidied up and in place!