Hosted by Rachel Sanford
The system that transforms that Can-I-do-this knot in your stomach into confidently steering your child through their education (even when you're starting from scratch or drowning in curriculum chaos)
The system that transforms that
Can-I-do-this knot in your stomach into confidently steering your child through their education (even when you're starting from scratch or drowning in curriculum chaos)
You know that feeling when you're lying awake at 2 AM, wondering if you're completely ruining your kids' education? Frantically Googling a new way to teach adverbs because today's lesson flopped? When every homeschool Facebook group makes you feel like you should be wearing a dunce cap?
I've been there. Four kids. Countless sleepless nights. More curriculum changes than I care to admit.
But here's what I discovered along the way: The overwhelm isn't because you're not cut out for this. It's because no one taught you the foundation that makes everything else fall into place.
The behind-the-scenes look at how families who seem to have it all together actually structure their days, handle the hard subjects, and deal with the voice that whispers "traditional school would be easier."
Why Pinterest-perfect homeschools are actually sabotaging your success and how to build something that works with your real life, your real kids, and your real Tuesday afternoon meltdowns. (Don't worry—they happen in every classroom.)
The 6 mistakes that keep families choosing (and then re-choosing) new curriculum at every hiccup. (I made most of them myself, and I'll show you the exact moment each one clicked into place.)
The 4-step foundation stops you from constantly second-guessing yourself and creates the kind of homeschool where Monday mornings feel manageable, not chaotic
This is the same framework I've used to guide families just like yours through everything from kindergarten finger painting disasters to high school transcript panic (with a few erupting volcanoes in between).
"Even though we have been [homeschooling] for a while already, I really like the suggestions in here. Amazing hints and tips, Rachel. Thanks so much!"
Not just for beginners
"Love the reminder that homeschools are fluid and that there is no such thing as a final draft...Great stuff!"
Showed me a path to flexibility
"...Clean, gentle, and inspiring, and the tone is encouraging and congratulatory...It helped me to start to see what our school would look like in practice and not just theory."
Turned a possibility into a reality
"If you're new to homeschool (like we were), don't waste your time and money fumbling around in uncharted territory. [This] isn't a part of the solution; it is the comprehensive program that helped us discover what to do and how to succeed. Worth every penny and then some."
Learned everything we needed to succeed
Fabulous! Mastering Homeschool made it so easy—it broke it all down and made what is overwhelming seem manageable with so many great hints and tips I'd never thought of. It's brilliant and organized.
"Made what is overwhelming seem manageable..."
Even in my five years of homeschooling, I haven't done some of these things. I found value all around. Exactly the type of mentorship I needed to set my course a little more firmly as we continue on our homeschooling adventure.
Learned a lot even with previous experience
LOVE LOVE LOVED it! It's clear and concise, and you made me feel like you're a good friend who really wants to see me succeed. It empowered me and filled me with hope. I'm excited to have this as a resource to go back through... again and again.
"It empowered me and filled me with hope."
I jumped in...thinking I would for sure just teach kindergarten, and now my husband and I are thinking about the many possibilities beyond!
Not just for elementary school
I feel more confident than I imagined possible. I was really nervous going into homeschool, but now I'm feeling excited and prepared!
"Now I'm feeling excited and prepared"
I'm the mom who started homeschooling one child ("I'll just teach him to read!") and ended up homeschooling multiple kids, each needing their own approach. I had no idea what to do or how to do it. I just wanted to help our son.
After trial and error, curriculum swaps, a few tears, and figuring out what actually works (versus what looks good on Instagram), I created Mastering Homeschool to give other families the foundation I wish I'd had from the start.
With 15 years of homeschooling in my back pocket, I've now walked along many families just like yours as they build homeschools that fit their real lives. Not the perfect version they thought they needed to create, not a copy of their best friend's homeschool, but the one that actually works for rainy afternoons when everyone's cranky and math isn't happening.
With 15 years of homeschooling in my back pocket, I've now walked along many families just like yours as they build homeschools that fit their real lives. Not the perfect version they thought they needed to create, not a copy of their best friend's homeschool, but the one that actually works for rainy afternoons when everyone's cranky and math isn't happening.
I'm the mom who started homeschooling one child ("I'll just teach him to read!") and ended up homeschooling multiple kids, each needing their own approach. I had no idea what to do or how to do it. I just wanted to help our son.
After trial and error, curriculum swaps, a few tears, and figuring out what actually works (versus what looks good on Instagram), I created Mastering Homeschool to give other families the foundation I wish I'd had from the start.