Episode 19 – Homeschooling Inspiration and Support with Katie J. Trent
Do you wonder if homeschooling is right for your family? Are you already homeschooling and you’re tired of defending that decision? Maybe you just need a reminder that homeschooling is worth the time and effort. If you’re considering classical homeschooling, you’ll find helpful information as well. Whatever your situation, Katie J. Trent has words of wisdom for you! Katie is a homeschooling mom of two, author, speaker, and church planter (as well as an “expert mover”!). Her heart is to help families grow their faith and simplify their homeschooling lives. She has an eclectic, classical homeschooling style and a contagious love for families. Additionally, her background in social work and the public school system blend together to give her unique perspective and insights that you need to hear!
She didn’t plan to homeschool, but working in the public school system “broke her heart.” She shares about her journey in the public school system and how it led her toward homeschooling. She relates her thoughts from her unique perspective that comes from this background in social work and discusses thoughts ranging from today’s mental health issues to information on her exciting new book, Dishing up Devotions. You will enjoy every minute of this conversation with Katie.
Meet The Guess
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Katie is the author of the book, Dishing Up Devotions: 36 Faith-Building Activities for Homeschooling Families (Whitaker House). She is also a popular blogger, speaker, homeschool mama, and a Pinterest drop-out with a messy house and happy kids—most of the time. Katie lives in Arizona with her husband James and their two children. For more resources to equip you to grow your faith, strengthen your family, and simplify your homeschool, visit KatieJTrent.com. Connect with Katie on Instagram @KatieJTrent
Show notes are below.
This episode is sponsored by Apologia. We are HUGE fans of Apologia and we both have used this curriculum throughout our homeschool journeys. This series is literally our favorite science series offered in the homeschool arena. We encourage you to spend a few minutes visiting their site to see why. Or visit our website to see the many articles we have written about it.
Quotes from Katie J. Trent
At the end of the day, nobody is going to look back and say “How many worksheets did you complete during their third-grade year?”
Our kids are going to remember all of the memories that we made with them and how they got to enjoy the beauty of the Earth that God created in so many unique and interesting ways that most kids don’t get the opportunity to have.
I was in all the classes from kindergarten through sixth grade, everyday running around from crisis to crisis teaching preventative things but yeah, you just saw that there’s so much potential each student had so much potential and it was really hard for the teachers or assistants or staff to be able to really tap into that and nurture them in a unique way.
When you homeschool and [your kids] are exploring their interests from day one, they have a much firmer grasp on what they want to do and whether they want to go to college, and what career path they want. I feel like they just don’t feel the same pressure that [other] young adults experience.
Probably one of my favorite things with homeschooling is the opportunity to get together in the kitchen, not in a hurried way, and teach them such important life skills.
The kitchen is probably one of the best places to grow your relationship and build beautiful memories and teach them so much for life.
What the world considers normal…we don’t want to be normal. And what the world considers weird, Jesus was weird! He loved his enemies. He prayed for the sick. He did things that people didn’t understand.
We want [our kids] to stand out. We want them to change the broken systems. We want them to be leaders.
I’m a Pinterest dropout! You don’t have to be an expert baker or a crafty person to do these [recipes in the book].
One of the things I like about Classical Conversations and the classical model, in general, is the idea that it is tapping into the way God created us.
I was reading Leigh Bortins’ book Echoes in Celebration when I really got convicted that we need to homeschool and this is why.
We are responsible for our children. We have been entrusted with them Nobody knows or loves their kids better than us. Nobody is better equipped to prepare them for the world and who they were created to be than we are.
When you are looking at the world’s systems for your hope and those systems are constantly failing you have a shaky foundation.
We’re living in a day and are I thought we would never see. I never thought the truth would be so hard to figure out.
[The public school system] is set up for failure.
I am amazed at the things that I learn from the children around me!
I love that I’m able to take all the knowledge and resources that I’ve gained through counseling and really apply that in my writing and our ministry and in my own family.
Mentions:
Dishing up Devotions by Katie J. Trent
Classical Conversations
Echoes in Celebration by Leigh Bortins (free in classical conversations bookstore)
