Hey Reader,
Feature Story: The thing nobody shows you on social media
Last week I got my first bar muscle up.
You might have seen the video. It looks almost effortless — a smooth pull, a quick transition, arms locking out at the top. Thirteen seconds of video.
What this video doesn't show you: I failed 30 other attempts that same week to get that one.
Thirty. That SAME week.
I bruised my sternum.
I ripped a callous off my hand.
My arms ached in places they've never hurt before.
And I kept going back to that bar.
A year ago, I couldn't do a single pull up. In the last few weeks, some of my CrossFit workouts have had me doing 25 to 35 pull ups. That bar muscle up didn't happen IN SPITE OF THE STRUGGLE — it happened BECAUSE of it.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. I've been wanting this for a YEAR. And I finally had the strength and the skills to make it happen. Those two things don't show up overnight. They stack up, slowly, rep by rep, over months.
I'm telling you this because I know what you're looking at on your phone right now.
Some homeschool mom's perfectly curated feed.
The sunlit reading nook.
The kids doing nature journaling without being asked.
The hand-lettered schedule on a chalkboard wall.
The curriculum spread that looks like a magazine shoot.
And then you look at YOUR DAY — the math meltdown before 9am, the lesson that went sideways, the stack of books you haven't opened yet — and you wonder if you're doing it wrong.
You're not seeing their 30 failed attempts. You're only seeing the one rep that worked.
Homeschooling well is a skill.
Confidence as a homeschool mom is a skill. And just like my bar muscle up, it doesn't come from watching someone else do it beautifully on a screen. It comes from building the capacity over time — with the right support around you.
Here's what I know about homeschool moms: you are carrying an enormous amount on your own.
You're the teacher, the scheduler, the emotional regulator, the one who second-guesses every decision at 11pm. You're surrounded by people who don't quite get what your days actually look like — and the moms online who SEEM to have it all figured out make it harder, not easier, to trust yourself.
The homeschool moms who find their footing fastest aren't the ones who consume the most content. They're the ones who stopped trying to figure it all out alone.
That's exactly what the Confident Homeschool Moms Club is built for.
It's a place to ask the real questions — not the ones that look good in a Facebook group, but the ones you're actually lying awake thinking about. It's a place where the messy middle of your homeschool day is normal, not a sign that something's wrong. Where you can share the failed attempts, get honest feedback, and have someone in your corner when you finally hit your version of a bar muscle up.
Community IS NOT a bonus. For homeschool moms doing this for the long haul, it's the foundation.
Coming soon
Doors open April 21st.
If you want to be first in — reply to this email with the word IN before doors open and I'll send you early access details ahead of the official launch.
And here's something just for the moms who reply today:
Free bonus — the Traffic Light Brain Script Pack
Simple, calm scripts for the exact moment your child starts to spiral — and for when you feel yourself hitting your limit too. The exact words to say so you can stop reacting and start responding.
$12 value → Free for the first 10 moms who reply IN.
Only 10 spots — first come, first served
No pressure to join yet. Just reply IN, get the scripts, and decide about the club when doors open on the 21st.
I'm giving you a full week to decide — because I know how homeschool life goes. Things come up. Emails get buried under curriculum research and dentist appointments. I'm not going to make you rush a decision that matters.
But the moms who reply today get the scripts free and hear from me first.
Keep showing up for the reps — even the ones that bruise.
With you in it,
THIS WEEK’S FEATURE TOOL
The “Count the Reps” Shift
This week, instead of asking:
👉 “Is this working?”
Try asking:
👉 “What rep am I on?”
Because most of the time…
You’re not failing.
You’re just:
- early in the reps
- still building the skill
- still figuring out what works
That hard lesson?
That rough morning?
That day that didn’t go how you planned?
That’s a rep.
And reps are what build:
👉 confidence
👉 clarity
👉 capacity
So this week, don’t start over.
Just keep going.
FROM MY DESK
There’s a difference between staying stuck…
and staying long enough to see clearly.
I used to think that when something felt off, it meant I needed to change EVERYTHING.
A new plan.
A different curriculum.
A fresh start.
Because that feeling?
It’s uncomfortable.
And uncomfortable makes you want to MOVE.
But what I’ve been learning—both in the gym and at home—is that most of the time…
nothing is actually broken.
You just don’t have enough information yet.
You’re still in the reps where things feel clunky.
Where you’re noticing what’s not working.
Where you’re adjusting in real time.
And if you leave too quickly…
you leave before you understand what needed to change.
So instead of asking:
👉 “Do I need to start over?”
Try asking:
👉 “What am I seeing now that I couldn’t see before?”
Because every hard day…
every moment that feels off…
is giving you a piece of the puzzle.
Not the whole picture.
But enough to take your next step with more clarity.
That’s how this gets easier.
Not by finding the perfect plan…
but by learning how to see what’s actually happening while you’re in it.
COMMUNITY BOARD
Come Meet with Me In-Person
✨ Oregon Park Meetup Days - WE START THIS WEEK!
FREE
STARTING APRIL 14TH & 15TH, I’ll be hosting Oregon Park Meetup Days — simple, come-as-you-are gatherings for homeschool moms and kids to connect, breathe, and let the kids play.
These meetups are intentionally low-key. No curriculum talk required. No pressure to have it all figured out. Just real-life connection with other families walking a similar path.
They’ll be especially great if you’re:
- New to homeschooling
- Considering homeschooling and feeling curious
- Or simply wanting more community for you and your kids
If you live in Oregon and would like details as plans come together, click below and I’ll make sure you’re the first to know as we head into spring.
👉 I live in Oregon — send me the meetup info
I’d love to see you there. 💛
Washington Homeschool Organization In-Person Workshop Conference
July 18, 2026
Federal Way, WA
This one-day conference brings homeschool families together for practical workshops, encouragement, and connection with other parents walking the same path.
I’ll be leading a session called:
Let’s Calm the Chaos and Create a Calm, Doable Homeschool Routine
If your homeschool days feel reactive or overwhelming, this workshop will help you reset your approach and build a routine that actually works for your family.
Learn more or register here
Brave Heart Free Mind Conference
📍 Wilsonville, OR
📅 September 19, 2026
This is one of those spaces that feels different.
Not about doing more or fixing yourself—but about coming back to who you already are underneath the weight of everything you’ve been carrying.
I’ll be speaking at this event, and if you’ve been feeling even the smallest pull toward something deeper… I want to invite you into this room.
Because sometimes what we need isn’t another plan—
It’s space to reconnect with ourselves.
👉 Learn more or save your seat here
Early bird pricing ends June 30th.
BOOK CORNER
💡 What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada
AGES 6–10
This is a simple one — but it sticks.
It walks through what it looks like to have an idea… to feel unsure about it… to wonder if it matters… and then slowly choose to lean in instead of push it away.
It’s not long. It’s not complicated.
But it opens the door to really meaningful conversations.
Especially for kids who are starting to create, build, or think differently — this gives language to something they’re already experiencing.
It’s a good reminder for our kids (and honestly, for us too) that ideas don’t show up fully formed or confident… they grow when we give them attention.
A great one to read together and then just pause and see what comes up. 💛
🐸 Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
AGES 5–7
This is a staple for a reason.
If your child is starting to gain confidence in reading, Frog and Toad is such a good next step. The stories are simple, but not empty. They’re warm, a little funny, and easy to follow without overwhelming early readers.
What I love is that they still feel like real stories — not just practice sentences strung together.
If your child is in that “I can read, but I’m still building confidence” stage, this is a great series to have on repeat.
🧠 The Giver by Lois Lowry
AGES 11–14 (with parent awareness)
This is one of those books that sticks with you.
The Giver introduces a seemingly perfect world where everything is controlled — emotions, choices, even memories. And as the story unfolds, kids start to see what’s really being sacrificed to maintain that “perfect” system.
It opens the door to big questions:
What is freedom?
What makes life meaningful?
What happens when we remove pain… and everything else with it?
That said — this one is more mature than it first appears. There are themes that can feel heavy or confusing without context.
I wouldn’t hand this off without being ready to talk about it.
But for the right kid, at the right time, it’s a powerful, perspective-shifting read.
|
P.S. Did a friend send this to you? This weekly newsletter is your dose of encouragement, practical strategies, and real talk to help you create a homeschool that actually works for your family. Shared with ~6,000 readers every week. Subscribe here so you don't miss the next one.
Enjoy our emails? Forward to a friend and let them know where they can subscribe. Hint: It's here.
This email may contain affiliate links. If you click through my referral link, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my small business. Read my privacy policy.
You can unsubscribe or change your email below. Please note that if you unsubscribe, you will not receive communication or updates about any products or courses you have purchased from us in the past.
600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
No hard feelings, just a gentle ‘you got this, mama’ before you go. Unsubscribe
Change Your Email Preferences Here