Homeschool Better Together

You spent the summer planning your homeschool year. You chose the curriculum, mapped out the schedule, and pictured how everything would work. But now that you're living the plan, you're realizing that something isn't working quite the way you expected. So what do you do? Push through and hope things eventually click, or admit that it might be time to make a change? In this episode, Laney shares w...

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I just need to fix this homeschool,” this conversation might make you pause before you change another curriculum, schedule, chore chart, or routine. In this episode, Laney sits down with Emily Brown to talk about a question we’ve been hearing more and more around Homeschool Better Together: What exactly is mindset coaching, and what does it have to do with...

Have you ever found yourself reminding your kids about the same things over and over again? Finish your math. Stay focused. Check your schedule. Get back to work. Why aren’t you doing the thing we already talked about? Sometimes what looks like a behavior problem is actually a skill that hasn’t been developed yet . In today’s episode, I’m giving you a sneak peek inside one of Emily Brown’s recent...

What if the thing making you feel overwhelmed isn't that you're bad at managing your time? What if you just have too much on your plate? I know. Revolutionary. In this episode, I'm talking with Kayse Pratt of Anchored Women about something both of us have had to wrestle with: simplification . Kayse recently made a pretty dramatic change in her business. After 16 years of creating digital products,...

Are you doing everything “right” in your homeschool… and still wondering if you’re doing it right enough? In this episode, I’m talking with Jeanette Pascua, a longtime homeschool mom of five, former high school theology teacher, and the editor behind much of what we create at Homeschool Better Together. Jeanette has been homeschooling for about a decade, and her oldest is now in high school. That...

Homeschooling is never a straight line. Seasons change, families grow, circumstances shift, and the way we teach our children evolves along the way. In this episode of Homeschool Better Together , I talk with Betsy Cypress, one of the curriculum writers behind Homeschool Better Together, about what it means to truly learn alongside your children. Betsy shares her homeschool journey—from raising fi...

Ever found yourself eyeing someone’s “Pinterest pretty” homeschool and wondered if you’re missing something? Today, I’m sitting down with Katy Wallace—our very own graphic designer at Homeschool Better Together—to pull back the curtain on what “real” homeschooling actually looks like. Katy is not just a talented visual visionary—she’s an Alabama homeschool mom of teens, an accidental chicken-keepe...

Ever feel like your homeschool planner is just a guilt trip in a spiral binding? Been there, bought the (overly ambitious) boxed curriculum, cried all over it. In this episode, I’m peeling back the curtain on my own 23-year planning evolution—the good, the bad, and the “how did we get this far off track?” moments. If your school year starts hopeful, but quickly turns into a flip-and-flop scramble...

Are you tired of feeling like you have to have all the answers (and keep every colored-pencil-coded planner page perfect)? You’re not alone—in fact, that’s exactly why we created Elevate. In today’s episode, I’m talking with Emily Brown, certified life coach and the new owner of Homeschool Better Together, about what moms REALLY need to thrive in their homeschool (spoiler: it’s not just the “right...

Are you craving more connection and less chaos in your homeschool life? This week, I got to sit down with the brilliant Dawn Garrett, Homeschool Better Together’s community manager and an experienced homeschool mom whose kids have all graduated and flown the nest. (Yes, she survived—she’s living proof.) We got candid about what “togetherness” really looked like in her homeschool. Dawn shared the h...

Ready to finally break free from the relentless go-go-go of homeschool mom life and actually feel rested again? (Nope, that nagging to-do list doesn't count.) In this episode, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of my own summer shift—from noisy productivity to a slower, more soul-filling kind of rest. Here's the not-so-secret truth: most of us homeschool moms are absolutely terrible at resting. I...

Ever bribe your kids with snacks just so everyone gets through “group time” without a meltdown? Been there, done that. For a long time, I thought the best way to cut the chaos was to keep my kids separated—both in life and in homeschooling. Spoiler: All that did was up my stress and leave my relationships running on empty. In this episode, I’m getting super honest about how I finally embraced the...

Is anyone else feeling that mix of excitement and nerves when big changes come to your favorite corner of homeschool internet? Yep, us too. But today’s episode is about pulling back the curtain (no Pinterest-perfect backdrops here) and inviting you to meet the heart behind Homeschool Better Together’s next chapter. Today I (Laney) sit down with Emily Brown—homeschool mom, longtime superfan, certif...

Are your kids dragging their feet when it comes to writing? You’re far from alone. This week on Homeschool Better Together, Laney Homan sits down with Joshua Davidson—children’s author and co-founder of Night Zookeeper—to unpack why so many kids lose their early love for creativity, and, most importantly, how we can spark that joy (and confidence) again, even for the most reluctant writers. Joshua...

Are you stuck in a cycle of “start strong, fizzle fast” with your homeschool? Are the cries of “I’m behind!” and “Why can’t I stick with anything?!” becoming the theme music of your year? You’re not failing—consistency is just a muscle you haven’t built… yet. In this episode, I open up about my early homeschool years: the chaos, the comparison, and the myth that “the right curriculum” could fix ev...

In a season where everything feels important, how do you decide what actually matters? In this episode of Homeschool Better Together , host Laney Homan sits down with Kayse Pratt, creator of Anchored Women, to talk about the power of monthly planning . If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly reacting to life instead of living it with intention, this conversation will help you slow down, refocus...

Let’s be real—homeschooling doesn’t always look like those dreamy, sun-drenched Instagram feeds. Some days it’s more tears, sibling spats, and “Mommmm, I can’t do this!” than cozy read-alouds and family harmony. And spoiler alert: the attitude problem isn’t always just coming from the kids. In today’s episode, Laney Homan sits down with Emily Brown, veteran homeschool mom of seven and life coach f...

Ever wonder why your kids’ “school projects” either fizzle out or turn into frantic, last-minute glue-sticking marathons? Or maybe you secretly dread “interest-led learning” because you picture glitter explosions and science fair-level chaos? I get it. But what if project-based learning—done right—could actually bring joyful curiosity, deeper learning, and family connection…without sending you to...

Welcome to a brand new season of Homeschool Better Together—and a new voice behind the mic! I’m your new host, Laney Homan, and today I’m joined by our HBT community manager (and Charlotte Mason wisdom guru), Dawn Garrett, for a conversation that's near and dear to both our hearts: Community-Based Learning. Truth be told, I’ve never been much for formal, lockstep co-ops (raise your hand if you’re...

Ever feel like you’re drowning in homeschool advice, but your confidence is getting lost in the flood? You’re not alone—and in this episode, I’m joined by our amazing Member Success Manager, Laney Homan, for a real talk chat about filtering all those voices and finally trusting your own judgment. We’ll dish on how the “information overload” of today’s homeschool world is light-years away from the...

Are you overwhelmed by the pressure to create Pinterest-perfect holiday memories in your homeschool? (Spoiler: so was I, and I’ve got some epic fails to share as proof!) If you’re feeling weighed down by Christmas school plans, elaborate crafts, and a to-do list longer than Santa’s, this episode is your permission slip to do less and experience more peace. This week, I’m sharing why “Christmas Sch...

Ready to trade overwhelm for joy this homeschool year? If you’ve ever wished for a homeschooling break that actually refills your cup without the speaker overload of a massive conference or the pressure to “do it all,” this episode is your permission slip. I’m sitting down with Barbara Cozens to talk about what really happens at a We Gather Together Beach Retreat. Barbara traveled to the 2023 retr...

What’s the  real  story behind “bad” handwriting? Is it just a phase, or a red flag? And what should you actually do when your kid melts down every time you pull out a pencil? In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Collins, a homeschool mom, licensed occupational therapist, and founder of Homeschool OT, to debunk some common OT myths and offer practical, encouraging advice for homeschool p...

How many times have you set out to have a “consistent” homeschool, only to get derailed by spilled cereal, a surprise dentist appointment, or, let’s be real, your own epic meltdown? (Just me? Didn’t think so.) Let’s bust this myth right up front: Consistency in homeschool is NOT about never missing a day, nailing every lesson, and marching through the schedule like a robot from a Tesla demo reel....

Are you drowning in interruptions, curveballs, or the chaos of real-life homeschooling—and wondering if you’ll ever get back to consistent days? You’re not alone, friend! This week on the Homeschool Better Together Podcast, I’m joined by DaLynn DeWitt—a South Texas homeschool mom of three, rodeo wife, and self-confessed “all or nothing” personality—who opens up about what it really looks like to h...