1KHO 578: The Freedom to Change Plans Is a Superpower | Amber O'Neal Johnston, Homegrown

Summary

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast: “The Freedom to Change Plans Is a Superpower”

Episode: 1KHO 578
Host: Ginny Yurich
Guest: Amber O’Neal Johnston, author/editor of Homegrown
Date: September 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on embracing flexibility, self-discovery, and resilience as essential ingredients in a meaningful homeschooling journey. Host Ginny Yurich sits down with Amber O’Neal Johnston to discuss her new anthology Homegrown, which gathers 30 diverse homeschooling voices, each offering a unique perspective on the evolving, deeply personal adventure of home education. The conversation touches on parental confidence, the courage to pivot, the importance of a supportive community, and how giving yourself grace sustains both parents and children through the inevitable ups and downs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin and Purpose of Homegrown

• Amber describes how Homegrown came from a desire to offer “coffee conversation” to parents frequently seeking advice. She wanted to showcase varied family experiences and educational philosophies to encourage others that “it could be the right thing for you too.” (02:29)
• Homegrown is unique as an anthology of 30 contributors, with Amber editing and writing a chapter herself. She candidly shares the “herding cats” nature of collecting essays from dynamic (and often quirky and busy) parents — an unexpectedly challenging process, but ultimately a result she cherishes. (03:46)

“It's just like, you know, collecting. It's like herding cats. And you have all these, like, dynamic people that you know… we're all kind of quirky… But then, hello. It's all these dynamic people!”
— Amber, 03:46

2. Challenging Traditional Notions of Homeschooling

• Amber shares that homeschooling was her husband Scott’s idea, and she was originally “dead set against it,” picturing only “old school memory drills, dull textbooks, and hours of worksheets.” (06:24)
• Her initial resistance was rooted not in career aspirations, but in a concern about inflicting the boredom she associated with traditional education on her children.
• The realization: her family was already living a lifestyle aligned with their educational values (adventure, travel, play), and homeschooling offered even more freedom to pursue these interests.

“I envisioned old school memory drills washed down with dull textbooks and hours of worksheets… I wanted them to have an excellent education. But your view of education was so different from what it actually turned out to be with homeschooling.”
— Ginny, 06:55

3. The Superpower of Changing Plans

• The biggest gift of homeschooling, Amber says, is “freedom”—the ability to change plans instantly, in response to the changing needs of the family or child.
• This planning flexibility reduces fear of “lost time” and encourages trying new things (“If I felt like I didn’t have the freedom to pivot, it would be harder to try new things.”) (11:55)
• Both Ginny and Amber point out this freedom builds adaptability in children—a skill valuable for future success.

“Changing plans is a superpower… Knowing that we don’t have to live forever with every decision we make helps prevent analysis paralysis. The freedom to change my mind is a gift, and I treasure it.”
— Amber, 16:15

4. Embracing Slow Childhood and Atypical Trajectories

• Through exposure to educators like Charlotte Mason, Maria Montessori, and Richard Louv, Amber realized “all these people… agree on a few core concepts—that is, leave the little kids alone and let them grow, let them be, let them play.” (13:39)
• She recounts letting her daughter repeat kindergarten (“Kindergarten B”) as they slowed down, reframing it as a reward rather than a failure. (15:47)

“We celebrated slowing down without traumatizing her… Speed wasn’t important to us anymore.”
— Amber, 13:39

5. Together Schooling: Power of Community and Outsourcing

• Discussed a chapter by contributor Erin Loechner, which introduces “together schooling”—the idea that learning is sourced from a broad community, not just the parent as teacher. (21:46)
• Amber shares how seeking out others’ expertise (e.g., finding a local woman with a kiln) enriches experience and is an act of humility and courage for parents.
• Emphasizes the reciprocal nature of community—both giving and receiving educational enrichment.

“People are enthusiastic about sharing their passions, but we have to be just as enthusiastic about asking.”
— Amber, 24:24

6. Homeschooling Through Hard Seasons

• The anthology includes essays from parents who have faced divorce, financial crisis, illness, or bereavement.
• Erica Alicea writes: “Seasons take time to change,” and that having grace is key—“they are not missing out… they are gaining a profound education in persevering through affliction, finding joy in sorrow…” (32:31; 41:52)
• Homeschooling allows children to be present for and learn from life’s real crises and healing journeys, rather than being separated from hardship.

“Homeschooling gives the kids a front row seat to some of life’s hardest moments. And that’s an education in and of itself.”
— Amber, 37:15

7. Addressing Self-Doubt and Growing with Your Kids

• Brenea Fairchild’s chapter speaks to the feeling of “I don’t have what it takes”—a near-universal sentiment among homeschooling parents. (42:43)
• Encouragement: You are “uniquely equipped to homeschool your children,” and “your brain is designed to work with you…you're going to grow and rise to the occasion.” (44:08)

“We routinely put our children in new situations and encourage them to take risks… but as adults, we tend to stick with what we know… But you don’t have to have something special… you are enough.”
— Ginny, 45:23

8. Redefining Success and the Conveyor Belt Mentality

• Amber, a product of academic “success,” reflects on feeling “empty” after conventional school/grad school and corporate success.
• Counters the myth that there is a single, definitive list of “facts children must know”—true flourishing relies more on autonomy, character, and discovery.
• John Taylor Gatto’s quote: “What’s gotten in the way of education is a theory of social engineering that says there is one right way to proceed with growing up.” (53:03)

9. Wisdom and Comfort from Lifelong Learners

• The book’s contributors are avid readers, and the anthology is a convergence of rich, field-tested ideas. Community and reading underlie almost all thriving homeschool families featured.

“You pulled a group of readers together and you wrote a book written by a bunch of readers.”
— Ginny, 56:46

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Editing an Anthology:
  “I've never these. I was like, no one's ever heard of a deadline, and no one cares… it was humbling for me.” — Amber (03:46)
• On Fear and Confidence:
  “Once I actually believed I could do this and do it well… I've been unstoppable, never looked back.” — Amber (09:57)
• On Embracing Change:
  “If I didn’t have the freedom to pivot or change plans, it would be harder for me to try new things.” — Amber (11:55)
• On Slow Childhood:
  “All these people… agree on a few core concepts… leave the little kids alone and let them grow, let them be, let them play.” — Amber (13:39)
• On Holistic Education:
  “She’s talking about a whole life… trying to help them launch with all of them intact, you know, with the whole part of them intact.” — Amber (28:21)
• On Surviving Crisis:
  “Give yourself grace without feeling guilty about what you're unable to provide for your children during this season… they are gaining a profound education.” — Erica Alicea (41:52)
• On Redefining Success:
  “I got straight A’s… and I was miserable. I was never going to just be nothing… but I never got a choice to see what I wanted to learn.” — Amber (49:12)
• On Unlearning the 'One Right Way':
  “There is a theory of social engineering that says there is one right way to proceed with growing up.” — John Taylor Gatto via Greta (53:04)
• On Shared Experience:
  “Look how different everyone is… but in that difference, look how similar they all are… the level of intention, the importance of home.” — Amber (54:09)
• Encapsulating Thrive:
  “Our homeschooling journey is equal parts sitting around the dining room table, eating snacks, reading good books together, and hiking miles of trails…It’s exhausting and exhilarating and mundane and magnificent and painful and precious, often all in the same day.” — Read by Amber, from Greta’s chapter (60:09)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro and Anthology Backstory: 02:07–05:52
• Amber’s Unique Homeschool Beginning: 06:24–09:57
• Freedom to Change and Its Impact: 10:41–16:15
• Together Schooling / Outsourcing & Community: 21:46–24:57
• Resilience Through Hardship: 31:35–37:15
• Parent Confidence, Capability, and Growth: 42:43–46:22
• Unlearning the “One Right Way”: 47:17–54:09
• Reading and Collective Wisdom: 56:02–58:39
• Capstone Farewell Quote (Greta): 59:59–61:22

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Final Reflections

This episode overflows with encouragement, practical insights, and honest reflections on modern homeschooling’s many faces. Amber and Ginny remind us: homeschooling is not about flawless execution, but about courage, grace, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of connection and meaning. With Homegrown, Amber offers a collective “you’re not alone”—a resource to be returned to in any season for comfort and inspiration.

Recommended For:

• Homeschooling families in any season (beginner to veteran)
• Parents facing doubts or major life shifts
• Educators interested in child-led and holistic alternatives
• Anyone curious about how freedom and community fuel flourishing childhoods

Resource Mentioned:

• Homegrown: Guidance and Inspiration for Navigating Your Homeschooling Journey (Anthology, edited by Amber O’Neal Johnston)

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(Episode summary compiled by an expert podcast summarizer. Skip ads and non-content as requested. All quotes remain in the speakers’ original voice and context.)

Transcript

[A]

Hey friends, it's Ginny Urich all September long. We are dropping a special Sunday Homeschool Episode four Conversations this month to help you ease into the week with calm, clarity and courage. These episodes are geared for homeschoolers, but there are takeaways for any family, freedom to pivot learning and community confidence for when you don't feel like you're enough, and grace for hard seasons. We are hearing real stories and practical tools from wise voices like Amber o' Neal Johnston and her new anthology Homegrown. If you're starting, restarting or just homeschool curious, you will find encouragement here. Listen in every Sunday this month on the 1000 Hours Outside podcast and share it with a friend who might enjoy it as well. We're kicking off another week together. Fall is about to be in full swing and because it's already starting to get a little chilly in the mornings and evenings, I've been slowly but surely refreshing my wardrobe with pieces that actually work. Things I'll wear on repeat, not just once. That's where Quince comes in. They make it easy to stay warm, look polished and save money, all without sacrificing quality. Speaking of chillier temps, I'm absolutely loving the Mongolian cashmere gloves I recently got because my hands seem to always be cold and I can easily toss them in my purse or backpack just in case the weather changes quickly. I've also been eyeing their wool coats. They look totally designer but cost a fraction of the price and they're 100% Mongolian cashmere sweaters. They start at just $50 and are incredibly soft. What makes Quint's different is how smart their model is. They partner directly with ethical top tier factories and cut out the middlemen so you get luxury quality clothing at half the price of similar brands. It's a wardrobe upgrade that feels smart, stylish and effortless. Honestly, I've even been browsing their bedding and travel bags lately. Quint's is turning into a one stop shop around here. Keep it classy and cozy this fall with long lasting staples from quint's. Go to quince.com outside for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com outside Welcome to 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Jenny Ert and founder of 1000 Hours Outside and back today for the third time, Amber O' Neal Johnston. Welcome. Hello.

[B]

I'm so excited to be here.

[A]

I'm so excited to have you. You wrote this incredible book. It is well, and I don't even know what you're telling people. You edited it, but you also wrote a chapter and you brought together all of these voices, and it is so touching. And it's called Homegrown guidance and inspiration for navigating your homeschooling Journey. When did the idea pop into your head?

[B]

Oh, man. The idea came when people were always asking me so much about, like, homeschooling advice. And, you know, what about this or what about that or how are you feeling in this season now you have teens and so on and so forth. And I was like, I wish I could sit down and, like, have coffee with each person and tell them more and talk about it in depth. Because I know that was critical for me to be able to hear different people's perspectives. Perspectives. Not just one person, but somebody telling me, like. Because I would be like, well, my family's different, or this is not like that, or, you know, but when you hear a wide array of voices telling you that, hey, I know this was the right thing for our family, it could be the right thing for you too. It's very compelling. So it's been floating around in my head for a couple years.

[A]

It is phenomenal. It's a one of a kind anthology. And you talk about how this collection of essays is more than just a resource. It is a testament to the multifaceted and deeply personal journey of home homeschooling. So you have 30 voices in this book. And I know you said it was a labor of love, because I think most people would assume, like, that's probably the easiest book to write. And you were like, no, I'd rather write the other books because you have soul school and you have a place to belong. You're like, I'd rather write those other books any day of the week, as opposed to this.

[B]

Yes. I learned my lesson so much. It's just like, you know, collecting. It's like herding cats. And you have all these, like, dynamic people that you know, and you're like, oh, my gosh. But then, hello. It's all these dynamic people, and we're all, let's face it, we're all kind of quirky. And that's probably what attracts me to each one of the people that I ask. And they're quirky, they're busy, they're all parents. They're all homeschooling parents. And I was like, what was I thinking? I have never these. I was like, no one's ever heard of a deadline, and no one cares. People were just like, sitting. You know, I had a couple of people were like, I don't really know what to write. Here's some, like, highlights, like, outline form. I'm like, sister, I don't know what we're gonna do here. So anyway, it was a. It was humbling for me because one, I did think this was gonna be an easier project, and that's why I agreed to do it. The same year that I launched another book I wrote. I said, I can do these two books in the same year. Oh, my gosh. So humbling. And what I learned is nothing is easy and don't sign up for stuff unless you're in control of, you know, the. Of. Of the content and all that. But I'm still so glad that I was naive because I love how it came. How it came, how it turned out.

[A]

Yes. I'm so glad you did it, because it turned out tremendous. But I even remember, you know, it, because it is. Everyone is, like, busy. So everyone's getting, like, you know, all these emails every day, like, want to be a part of this? Do you want to do this? Can you come to this? You're like, sure. And then I. I remember having conversations with Josh. Like, do you remember what I said I was gonna do? And when is it due? And what did I say I was gonna write? And like, yeah. And then you're like, wait, it's due tomorrow. Or, you know, you're like, hey, you' thing is late. 30 people. 30. 30 people.

[B]

It was so wild. I was, like, asking people. I'm like, do you have an assistant I could work with? Or.

[A]

No. And no one has one. No.

[B]

That's why I said we're all super quirky and, you know, behind the scenes. I don't know. It was just. It was. It would have been a fun ride if I didn't have a contrast where I could just like, hey, we get this done in 2029. That works.

[A]

It turned out phenomenal. I want to talk about a couple of the specific topics. Okay, but before we hop into that, I was like, oh, how are we going to do this? Can we talk about all 30 people? I was like, we would have two minutes per person. That's not going to work. Your story. Just your story. If people pick up the book Homegrown just for your story. There is so much to learn in your chapter alone. And really, everyone's chapters like that. You get a lot of things out of it. But yours in particular, it has this topic that I don't feel like anybody talks about. Amber where homeschooling was Scott's idea.

[B]

Yes. That's unique. It is. And. And he was a. He was dead serious and a huge proponent, and I was dead set against it. It was the wildest, craziest idea I'd ever heard. I wasn't interested. No, thank you. And it's also unique because it's not like it was like, oh, I don't want to give up my career. I was a stay at home mom, mind you, and just did not want to be a homeschooling mom. That wasn't part of what I envisioned for myself or for my kids. And so it was. It was him the whole time.

[A]

Yeah. It's interesting. I think that's a little more uncommon. But what was so interesting, Amber, to me was what you said about it. You said, I envisioned old school memory drills washed down with dull textbooks and hours of worksheets, quizzes, and multiple choice exams. You talked about that you would be the purveyor of boredom for your spunky, vivacious daughter. You said you wanted them to have. It's so. It's so ironic, isn't it? You're like, I want them to have an excellent education. But your view of education was so different from what it actually turned out to be with homeschooling.

[B]

But I didn't know. I only knew what I had been given. And I was like, I know my kids have to suffer and that board, you know, kind of pointless dribble, but I don't want to be the person in charge of it because I don't think it's good. I don't think it's good. What? What? The way that I was educated, I don't think it's good the way my kids will be educated. This is what I was thinking. And therefore, because I don't think it's good for them, I don't want to be the person to do that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

To my kids.

[A]

You don't want to be associated with it.

[B]

No.

[A]

So what an interesting thing. It's based off of a view of. And that is a type of education. It's just a different educational philosophy. And I think when it's a new world to you, you have no idea that there's these other educational philosophies. But what was so remarkable, Amber, is that truly, you are already homeschooling in the way that you wanted to. You just didn't know it was homeschooling. So you talk about. You're like, we're already going to the park. We're already Going on trips. We're already taking these road trips. We're already living life in this vivacious way. And you think you're going to have to set that aside for worksheets and boring drills. And it turned out that there's other ways to homeschool.

[B]

Yeah. We could keep going, like, who knew? Right. And so that. But in order for me to get there, that again, there were people speaking into me that were telling me, hey, let me give you a view of what we do. And I haven't done it exactly like any of those people, but so I think that's important. I'm not suggesting that anyone try to replicate any of the essay that people who are talking in this book, these different essays. What I hope it will inspire you. You can take bits and pieces that work for your family and create your own mosaic. And that's what I did. But I did need to hear people tell me consistently that there was another way. It didn't have to be like that.

[A]

Yeah. You say our lives were full of adventure already. So you got, you know, a little preschooler at Homer, like, this is great. You know, we're having all these wonderful days. And you said homeschooling felt like it was going to end it, and it didn't. It didn't. So you may be on the fence about homeschooling and not know that there are a thousand different ways that it could. A thousand different ways that it could look like in your home, and it could look like what you really love. And you had already wanted to travel. You as a family, you travel. I mean, you do cool travel. I mean, incredible travel. And so homeschooling gives you the option to do that.

[B]

Yeah. And that was something that was. Well, that was one of the things that really intrigued Scott. It was one of many things, but that was one of the things. And so, yeah, I knew we were going to be giving that up and everything. So I think, honestly, Jenny, what it came down to for me was confidence and fear. So that's part of why I wanted to create Homegrown is the fact that people need to hear that you can do it. This is how I've done it. It's not just possible for your family to survive in this. You can thrive. That's. Once I actually believed that I've been unstoppable, never looked back. But it was a transition for me to get to the point where I could. That I actually could do this and do it well.

[A]

And that's the thing. I think that everybody has that transition. But you, in order to have the transition, you actually have to do it. Yeah, you can't have the transition until you actually do it. And so you talked about how like you, you were like, look, I'm going to give Scott one year and he is going to see how bored out of their mind these kids are and how they think I'm a boring mother and it's such a drag, you know, and then it wasn't that. And so you have to kind of take that leap to see what it is for your family. So then you said what kind of came out to you, or like the main word is freedom. All of a sudden you just, you have freedom. You've got freedom to travel and be gone for a month. You have freedom to take these road little or road trips. You have freedom. And you said, I thought, this is so good, Amber, because so much of life involves change, and yet a lot of the ways that we parent are very static. I mean, every day you get on the bus at 8:05, you know, it's the same, the same, the same. But you said homeschooling gave you the freedom to change plans. Changing plans is a superpower. I actually think most people don't want to change plans. Right. I just want things to be the same. But can you talk about how that's a gift for your family and then also really, I think a gift for their future selves.

[B]

So I think for me, I'm holding on to that. When you know better, you do better. And I. One of the things I love about homeschooling is once I've determined in my mind and in my heart that there's something better, a different way that I think would serve my family better, I can change it like on Monday. I don't have to ask anybody's permission. I don't have to put in an order. I don't have to go stand before a group of people and try to get them to see things my way or whatever. And that not only obviously allows us to maximize beautiful things, but it also, and it prevents, I feel like the lost of loss of time, you know, doing things down the wrong path. But it also helps me to try new things without being afraid. Because, I mean, we tried it. It didn't work. You know, our last out of out of the country trip was a disaster. I mean, I did the thing though. I tried. It didn't work. It was messed up. And I'm gonna go again. I'm gonna do something else. I'm gonna still keep trying. So I Love that. If I felt like I didn't have the freedom to pivot or change plans, it would be harder for me to try new things.

[A]

That's a big deal, because there's no board. You have to ask, like, you don't have to go to the school board for approval. You just get to change. And I thought. And that is kind of what homeschooling is, especially in your case that you highlighted in the book. But a lot of people would say, look, my. My year six or ten is like, so different from year one. But you talked about how really at the beginning, you were like, we are going to push this child. She is going to be ahead, going to push, push, push. And then, you know, people start talking about a slow childhood, and you're like, well, what's that? Why would anybody do that? And even that entire sort of shift of perspective, you changed.

[B]

Yeah. And because, okay, I love to read and hear ideas. And I was reading all this early childhood philosophy. You know, I'm reading Charlotte Mason, but I'm also listening and reading about Maria Montessori and Waldorf and others. And I'm reading Richard Lou and Last Child in the Woods. And I'm looking at all these different things. And I said, all these people, when the kids. Kids get older, these kind of experts, if you want to say, all start to disagree about certain things, but they all seemingly very much agree on a few core concepts, and that is, leave the little kids alone and let them grow, let them be, let them play. They need to run, they need to jump, they need to go, they need to explore. And I said, okay, there's something here. All these people who disagree about a lot of other things, if they all agree on this area, and I'm ignorant in this area because I'm just like, okay, here, here we come, Harvard. She should be there in a couple years, you know, because I, you know, I. I have to say, too, I was raised by two principles. So education is like the highlight of life. It's like the pinnacle of all things traditional academia. And so for me to be able to look and say, okay, I know that's what I experienced, but I'm reading all these things, and I don't think these people could all be arriving at the same thing without there being some truth. So I started, I changed my mind, and that's kind of part of what my essay is. I changed my mind and Scott changed his. So we changed our minds and decided. It was funny because Nina finished kindergarten really early. It was like she was 4 and then at the end of the year, we were totally different parents. By then, we had a different mindset. So I. I gave her a bag of thrift store, consignment shop, my little ponies and a Ziploc bag. And I was like, here's your cratch of kindergarten graduation gift. I said, you graduated from kindergarten A, and now you get to do kindergarten B. And she was like, y. So she just, like, walking around telling everybody, I'm in kindergarten B. But that's how we celebrated slowing down without, like, traumatizing her with, like, you flunked. You got to do it again. But we wanted to just slow down. Speed wasn't important to us anymore.

[A]

I love everything about that story. First of all, my midwife says parenting is all sales. Like, you are a salesman. Like, that is your job as a parent. So for you to be like, you finishing kindergarten B. And then how funny, Amber, that she.

[B]

Told people she was so excited. I mean, I can't tell you. People were looking at me, and I was like, yeah, what is kindergarten B?

[A]

Oh, great. I just love it. There's the freedom.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The freedom to change plans. And here's what you say. Knowing that we don't have to live forever with every decision we make helps prevent analysis, paralysis. The freedom to change my mind is a gift, and I treasure it. I couldn't understand why we wouldn't take every opportunity to move our girl along as quickly as possible. But what a brave thing, Amber, and what a remarkable thing in this day and age. It's like reading is on the downhill slope. And you got a whole book about incredible books, Soul school. And, I mean, you're always talking about books, but the fact that you were able to take some of these incredible authors, some who are long since passed away, and take their philosophies and weave it into your life and make some changes. And here you are, we way down the road, traveled all over the place. Kids do all this entrepreneurial things. I mean, it's. It's remarkable. And what a gift. What a gift to be able to read something and say, I want to be able to try that. And you don't have to go to the school board. You don't have to ask anyone for permission. You get to do it. So, I mean, just your essay alone, I was like, gosh, there is so much here to talk about. You talk about travel saved you. Like, you talk about your calendar. It's so busy. There's so many amazing opportunities. How do you deal with that? Well, when you travel, you got to cancel all of it. And you kind of learn what do we really want to do and what do we not want to do? So just phenomenal. The book is called Homegrown. There's 30 essays in there. Hey friends, it's Ginny Erst from 1000 Hours Outside it's 2025. Are you still feeding your kids like it's 2005? That's where nurture Life comes in. They're a game changing meal delivery service made just for babies and kids ages 10 months to 10 years and they are saving my sanity. Nurture Life meals are fresh, fully cooked and ready in just one minute. 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Nothing is weird, nothing synthetic. And I thought, wait a second. Here we are living this beautiful natural life while taking totally unnatural stuff just to survive it. Well, not anymore. Now my cabinet is stocked with tinctures that actually support our outdoor life. Even my husband is on board. He loves that these products work and are affordable. My personal favorite is Sinus Saver, a total game changer. And listen, from September 10th through September 15th, Earthly is running their huge six dollar tincture sale. It is the perfect time to stock up, try something new, or finally toss those guilt causing bottles in your medicine cabinet. Don't love what you get. They will refund you. Honestly, the only thing you'll lose are your pharmacy reward points. So head over to Earthly.com that's Earthly with an L E Y and use code 1000 hours for 10% off your next purchase. Get 10 at Earthly E A R T H L E Y.com with code 1000 hours. I wanted to talk about Aaron Lachner's. Oh, first of all, I love Aaron. And secondly, she talks about something I've never heard of before and I don't know how tricky it is for you to talk about the other people's chapters.

[B]

I've read them all so many times.

[A]

But she talks about this thing called together schooling and I, I have never heard that phraseology before, but I just thought it was so beautiful. And she talks about how there's teachers all around us. And I think to your point, there's so many threads that go through all of these essays. It's like probably any of the people you talk to would agree with any of the topics in the book. Like, my goodness, like, your next door neighbor could be a good teacher. Can you talk about the people who step in? It's not just you as a. A mom that has to do every lesson, every subject, every topic, every interest. There's other people that step in.

[B]

I think that Aaron demonstrates this with so much excellence because she's bold in it. It's like, you know, she sees people and she's like, hey, let's do this thing. But, you know, part of what doesn't fully come through because you only have essays that I know Aaron, and she also gets lives in that same direction. So she talked about what she receives from the people around her. But she's also that same type of person who I'm sure she's giving to someone else's child or some other way in the community. I know they have an open door policy in their home. People are in and out and different things that they're hosting and all of that. I think it comes together. For me in particular, it's been when kids wanting to pursue something that I can't provide either. I don't have the knowledge, the time, and sometimes times the money. So I remember when my. One of my daughters was like, I want to fire up my pottery in a kiln. Because I'm like, the pottery pottery dries in the air. And that's the best I got for you. And she's like, I want to fire in a kiln. Can we get one? And I was like, I looked at the price. I was like, no, actually, we can't get one. I cannot provide that for you, but I can find one that you can use. And that led down a whole path or whatever. And we ended up way out in the country. Way, way out in the country. I was like, okay, I'm texting my husband if I don't make it home. Here's where I was headed. And this woman has all this land and animals, and she has a she shed with a kiln. And she's like, come and bring the stuff. I bring the stuff. She decides to show my kids so much more. She's like, what about photography? I can show you how to take pictures. They're out there on her land taking pictures. Then she's like, you want to see my rv? This is what we do when we're out on the road. I mean, the. The whole thing. And this lady was like a stranger to me. I'm the weirdo mom calling her. Like, I heard through the grapevine, you have a kiln. And so I think that people are enthusiastic about sharing their passions, but we have to be just as enthusiastic about being willing to ask, what a story.

[A]

First of all, now you know how much a kiln cost.

[B]

Too much.

[A]

Like. Like, it's something you would have never known. You talk about in your essay about how your identity. What did you say? My identity didn't change as much as I'd expected. I think that's such a big statement. And I would imagine that you would say that the things that have changed, like knowing how much a kiln costs and like, knowing how to find a lady with a kiln and taking her kids there and then learning about her RV and, like, the random things in life that you could never, ever, ever have expected that you would be doing. Enhance your identity.

[B]

Yeah, it does. I think that what it does is it kind of allows me to be me. Like, that feels like a very me type of a thing. But what I had to believe is that is that part of me valuable to my children in terms of their education? And that's where the disconnect was. So I'm just like, yeah, let's go do this, let's go do that. But. But. But now you have to study and learn real things, you know, in a certain way. And I think that's where I realized, you know, I've talked often about, like, I realized one day that I was the special sauce for my homeschool. And I didn't realize that for so long. And so I think that it has enhanced my identity. It's.

[A]

And.

[B]

And it has allowed me to be more authentically me and to believe that that's invaluable for my kids.

[A]

Then I think someone could take a step back and think, okay, you know, what adult is going to drive their child into the country to find a kiln? It's probably going to be the mother, you know, and. And so the mother is uniquely. Someone said that in the book. Someone said, like, the mother is uniquely designed. And you did interview fathers, too, which I thought was great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But you talk about how the mother. I don't know if I'm able to find it, but someone said, I'll find it later, probably. Someone said something so beautiful about the mother. I don't know, like, I'm watching. I'm botching this right now. Okay. I want to read though. Aaron's. I want to read this.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

She says the very practice of together schooling is how our family has created a motley education where our kids speak Mandarin to each other, spinning nunchucks and toe side on skateboards as they rehearse an upcoming scene for their local theater troupe, which is phenomenal. Her kids are phenomenal at the plays. We've gotten to go see them. This is how they've learned to bake lemon bars, master Fur Elise, recite Robert Frost and nail the Charleston. Together schooling is why our kids can catch a bass or a wave and pull a quarter from behind your ear. That's such good writing. I've got chills. All those wonderful things about life. And she says, everyone has wisdom that they can give and receive. And daily we pass people learning new ways to live, work, and be. And many are persevering against insurmountable odds. So she says, make sure you ask the delphiniums next door didn't grow themselves. Knock, ask and learn. And homeschooling gives you opportunity to do those things.

[B]

It does. And you know, one another perspective of what she's saying that touches really close to home for me. One part of my story is that, you know, I did the whole thing, school, grad school, getting straight A's and scholarships and do all that. I'm working and I'm in corporate America and moving up the ladder, and I was so empty and I felt so disconnected. And I remember I joined like, this book club. And they were like, it's your turn to pick the book. What do you want to read? And I was like, I don't know. And they were like, well, what do you like to read? I don't know. And they're like, what do you like to do? I don't know. School. That's what I've been doing. That's what I do. I do school. And now I graduated and I don't have a me Me. There is no me. And so when I hear her talking about all these different things, I think some people may say, yes, but what about. Why isn't she talking about STEM and all this? She's talking about a whole life and, like, her whole children, you know, their. Their whole personhood and trying to help them to launch with all of them intact, you know, with the whole part of them intact. And I think there's a lot of beauty and bravery in.

[A]

Yeah, you're right. She Touches a little bit on English because there's a Robert Frost. She touches a little bit on language because there's Mandarin. But none of the other subjects are represented. But when you read. I mean, I got chills reading it because I'm like, yeah, I want my kids to be able to catch a bass and a wave. You know, like, you want that for your kids so that they have a me that they can describe to somebody else or that they feel deep down inside. And that that is what was so interesting about with weaving it in with your essay, where you're like, well, this is what they're supposed to do. Like, they're supposed to go and have this boring experience, even though life has so many incredible things to offer. So together schooling and just that question of, have you asked, do you have a kiln? Whatever the question is, you know, you ask around and people do they want to share what they know? Okay, so you interviewed a couple dads. Talk to me about that.

[B]

So, yeah, I was looking for, I think in my, my, you know, you know, my story that Scott is the one that drove this for our family. And he's highly involved. He works from home full time and he's. He's in the mix even when I don't want him to be. When I ask him to leave the mix, he's still here. And so I, I wanted to respect that. This idea that many of us, most of us are not just out here on an island doing all of these things we have of support from our husbands in. In multiple ways, but two big ones in some ways. What he's doing, whether it's coming alongside us or going to work ahead of us, is part of what allows us to do what we do. And then the second part is that the kids. I'm not the only sole purveyor of everything in this house. Scott has a lot to do with it. He has opinions, he has thoughts. He pours into the kids and teaches them things. Whether he considers it homeschooling at that given moment or he's a major influence. And I wanted their voices. I couldn't. I couldn't write a book based on, you know, kind of talking about my experience in homeschooling and not include a man's voice because I think that they're often. We don't talk about them enough in homeschool world.

[A]

I love it. So it's in Homegrown, one of them is Dr. Richard Smith, and he talks about how it's kid had severe eczema and that was One, their decision, you know, that they had no idea they were going to homeschool either. And so sometimes you come into these situations where you didn't know it was going to happen, and that's going to lead to your homeschool journey. And I love that you had those voices in there as well. And then you talk through some people who. And I'm sure this is really common. They have really hard situations, and, you know, they just got divorced or someone passes away. And you talked to several moms in that. In those types of situations. Moms that I adore, like Alicia Roth and Tori Oglesby. I love. I got to do. What's it called? Emceeing with Tori one year. Oh, gosh, was it a delight. I mean, I just adore her. She says in 2012, homeschooling was less common and often seen as something for weird families with weird kids, which is so wild. Amber. Like, 2012 is. Is a while ago at this point, but, like, it's not that long ago, you know, like, that was like, when it was for the weird families with the weird kids. It's changed a little bit. But there's a woman, and I haven't met her. Eric, Erica. Alicia.

[B]

Yeah, Alice.

[A]

Okay. I thought I was gonna probably pronounce it wrong. Erica. Alicea and her husband passed. And I've heard just a few stories like this over the years, passes suddenly. And so obviously, this is a tremendous time of grief. I mean, forever, right? Your life has changed forever. And she said a couple things, though, that I thought were so deep and really important. She talked about when homeschooling didn't meet her ideal standards and having grace. And I just feel like that's probably a lot of people's stories, like, it maybe almost 100% doesn't meet our ideal standards. But she also talked about how seasons take time to change. I think I'm gonna take that with me forever. Amber. Just those four words. Seasons take time to change. Like, in your homeschooling, there's gonna be a lot of different seasons, and I think sometimes we just expect to be able to jump from one to the next next. And really, it's. I mean, it's a long time. It might be the whole time.

[B]

You know, I mean, it could be.

[A]

It could be the whole time. Like, you didn't quite adjust, you know, to all of the parts of it. But can you talk about the changes over the years? Like, obviously, it's like you've added on more kids, and it's not the same year. Over year.

[B]

Yeah. No, we've had some. Several different seasons. And it's funny because I now tell myself in the moment, enjoy this, this. Because you've always missed every season. I always miss every season. It doesn't matter what is. Even when the hard ones. And then when it's over, I look back and I'm like, oh, man, that was. There was some good stuff there. That was hard. I was focused on what was hard while I was in it. But because it was hard, we did this, you know, thing over here, which was really kind of fun. So I, I said, listen, instead of always looking back and being like that, that was actually pretty good. Just enjoy it while you're in it. Or least see the value of being in this moment, I think is important. And for. For my family, we've done experience seasons in different ways. Yes. Adding kids, of course, but it's been a while since then. But also we've had financial up and downs. So my husband was an entrepreneur when we first met and he was in real estate. And we had that recession, you know, the Great Recession, and it like, basically knocked us off our feet and we had to start all the way back over. And we started back over, and years later, he had a, you know, good job and he lost the job. And, you know, we ended up having to sell property that we planned to live in in retirement. And that was devastating. You know, so there's so many different things where, you know, I always laugh at their times where I'm like, girl, I'll pay for your kids piano lessons. And then there are times where I'm like, I cannot meet you at Chick Fil A because I ain't got no Chick Fil A money. And both of those are true at the time that they're happening. And I just think you can't predict all of that. You can't. And homeschooling doesn't prevent you from experiencing life's valleys. Like, that's not going to save you from these things happening. But I do think that being. Having the children home with me has been a blessing during our hardest times.

[A]

Yeah. And that's what Erica is talking about, is that. And I've thought this quite a bit. When a child is removed from all of that, you know, the crisis, obviously a child is never going to be removed from when their father passes away. But I had a friend growing up, up and in elementary school, her father passed away, like over Christmas vacation when they were out of town. And then she just came right back to school. And I remember Thinking I kind of thought that was kind of horrific. Like your whole life has changed and you just have to show up on Tuesday with everybody else whose life is the same and nothing's happened to them. And you just have to come into your schoolwork. And so there seems that there would be a lot of value for long term life to walk alongside your parents, walk alongside a trusted adult during a moment of crisis or a long period of crisis, of grief, because then you're going to learn some of those skills kind of how to do it. You had a big crisis, like with your health.

[B]

Yeah. And I think those are the things. The reason why it's so important is because we wouldn't ever choose for these things, for our children to experience these things, because if we could, we would, you know, naturally we want to protect them from everything, but the fact that they're there for them allows them to grow in ways that we can't manufacture, because we wouldn't choose to manufacture that. But they get a chance to see. They get a chance to serve for my case, you know, my kids got a chance to see. I can't. Mommy can't. I literally can't. And you can't touch me. That was another part of mine. I'm so fragile and in so much pain. You can't hug me, you can't kiss me, don't touch me. And that was terrible. And they had to experience that and all different things we've had. We've about cared for family members who are, you know, fighting, fighting cancer, living with us. And we're going to chemo and radiation instead of doing math. And you know what, that's what life is like. Sometimes you're not doing the thing that you thought you were going to be doing because this comes first. And I think that that's, you know, critically important. And, you know, you talk about this, this girl you went to school with. I remember a classmate of mine whose mom passed during summer break and right before school started and we came, not only did she just back to school, we were told old, don't talk about your mom in front of her. So it was just so hard all the way around. Even as a little kid, I'm like, like, don't say anything. My mom took me some, you know, it was just. Yeah. And I think of like, how we handled problems back then, which is, don't talk about it. Make it seem like it went away, just like it never happened. And we now know, right, that's the very opposite. When someone's had a traumatic situation is to, you know, brush it under the rug. So I think that homeschooling gives the kids to a front row, gives them a front row seat to some of life's hardest moments. And that's an education in and of itself.

[A]

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[B]

I was wondering if you were going to mention that.

[A]

I was like, oh, I kind of forgot because I was like, there's my name. But. But I like, I liked what everybody else wrote. So my notes are all about everybody else's things and I probably sent it in late. So I'm over here feeling guilty. But, you know, like relying on nature, that's one of them. So the elements we rely on a roadmap for foraging our way, for forging our way, not foraging. But then I think a lot of parents are probably forging the relationships that carry us through, the belonging, the encouragement that spurs us ahead. And so this is in that, that section on encouragement that spurs us ahead. And I just wanted to read a couple of the sentences from the different contributors. So Alicia says. Alicia Roth says homeschooling gives us connection amid the chaos. It gave us time together to learn, to grieve, and mostly to connect. She said this. So many mothers have taken the difficult moments in their lives, including overwhelming change, and turn them into masterpieces. Academics is only one part of homeschooling. So I mean, these are really beautiful reminders. And I think that's probably a big question that people have, right, Amber? Which is like, I couldn't homeschool. We're in this devastating situation. Or maybe they are homeschooling and something happens and they're like, oh, I'm gonna have to quit. And all of these authors that have contributed are basically saying, no, like, you know, you can make it through. And Erica said, give yourself grace without feeling guilty about what you're unable to provide for your children during this season. Reason they are not missing out. Instead, they are gaining a profound education and persevering through affliction, finding joy and sorrow, loving in brokenness, experiencing peace and pain, showing compassion toward others, and being allowed to grieve without being consumed by that very same grief. These are priceless lessons in a season of crisis. Allow yourself to experience them freely. It's deep. What a beautiful book, Amber. I mean, it really did turn out to be, like, have such a breadth to it because of all of these different people's contributions. And, you know, then she says, I mean, like, use audiobooks. Like, there's practical things, too. Okay, how about this? I love this one. Brenea.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. I don't know Brene either, but I loved her chapter. Brenea Fairchild. And she is dealing with this concept of I don't have what it takes, which is, I think, probably. I mean, almost 100 of people are going to feel like that. Yeah. And she says, you're going to grow.

[B]

You are. You're going to grow. I mean, I think about, like, what about the first time you bring your first newborn? You read the books, but, like, do you really know what you're doing? You don't. You have no idea what's coming. You don't know what little personality. Oh, you thought you were going to put kid on sleep schedule. This kid doesn't do it. And, you know, or whatever it is, and you grow. And then you look back and you're like, ah, you know what I mean? I got this. This. And I think the same thing happens with homeschooling. It's a journey. It's a process. You're not going to be. But, you know, I look at. I was talking to someone the other day, and she was like, the first week of kindergarten was terrible. She told me this was just recently. And she was like, it didn't go like I planned, blah, blah. And I was. I reminded her the first week of kindergarten class at the school down the street also isn't rocking. The teachers getting to know the kids. The kids are getting. They got to realize they gotta organize themselves when they gotta go potty and they gotta try to figure out what the person's Name is they next to them and remember it and you know, keep their shoes on. And so like they're, they're. We're all going through an adjustment period, right? We're all growing and, and your school, you know, the school teachers are growing too. Like no one has arrived. And so I think that looking at it in that way gives you a little bit cut, cut yourself some slack.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I think we forget, like, we forget that, hey, like, your brain grows. And she talked about this study Brene did about these taxi drivers and like, like, you know, if they had to memorize the streets where they were at or if they don't, is there any difference in their brain? And it was like, yeah, their brain had grown like a tremendous amount if they were made to memorize all these street things. So she says you are uniquely equipped to homeschool your children. And then she talks about how the relationship piece is so important in education. And that's an interesting one too, because I do think that teachers, for the most part love their students. They form really strong relationships and. But it is short. It's short lived. You know, it's like, well, how long do they really know them? Because to your point, like the first week of kindergarten don't know them yet. You know, maybe week three, four, you're starting to get to know this child and you only really have nine months.

[B]

It's true. Relationship is, is a huge component of it. You know, that's. I think I put a whole section of the book in there and. But, you know, relationship shines through in all almost everybody's essay, regardless of what part of the book they're in. Because to talk about homeschooling without talking about relationship is, is. It's impossible. Then you're just talking about curriculum, basically.

[A]

Yeah. So the whole thing is relationship. And she's, she said 75 of students said they worked harder for the teachers who care most for them. So it's like, well, that's your mom, you know, I mean, that's who that's going to be. So she says you can do hard things. Your brain is. Will grow. We routinely put our children in new situations and encourage them to take risks as adults, though we don't do that. However, she says we tend to stick with what we know and navigate life in our comfort zone. But you don't have to have something special in order to homeschool. Well, too many of us are going through our homeschool lives thinking we aren't enough. But you are enough. She says, I encourage you to remember that your body and brain are designed to work with you. They're going to grow, and you're going to rise to the occasion. I mean, I don't think that at all anymore. Dee, you.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Probably the opposite. Like, I'm probably too arrogant.

[B]

All right. I'm just like, it's fine. Actually have to be careful now when I'm talking to people who are just getting started, because I'm like, you're gonna be fine.

[A]

Don't worry about it.

[B]

I'm like, okay. That's condescending. Like, they're asking you a specific question. Like, stay focused and talk to them about the topic or whatever. Because I. It's a process, and I got to go through that process. I didn't just arrive because somebody told me, and. And I want to come alongside someone while they're processing. They have to have their journey to get to that, you know, so sometimes I'm just like, okay, right, so we're going to talk about the curriculum's not working for your 3 year old. All right, let's talk about it. You know, or inside, I'm just like, girl, please, come on, let's go play or whatever. But trying to allow everybody that growth to own for themselves. Yeah, yeah, I love that.

[A]

And I. The journey really for me is. Has less to do with me. And I mean, almost really, it has nothing to do with me. More so, like, can I let go? It really has everything to do with you. Learn that the child is very capable of directing their life.

[B]

And I think people are scared. I think this was my fear, one of my fears. And it's something I hear over. If I don't run my homeschool like a school, my kids won't know the list of important things to know that lead to success in life. And I think that. That when that is addressed and you overcome that particular fear, I think that's when the door really opens and you're like, okay, this is a whole new world here. When you're no longer afraid that there is a list somewhere locked away, that is, these are the 1 million facts a child must know to be successful in life. And if my kid memorizes those 1 million facts, the more of them they get, the more successful they'll be. And that's kind of, you know, when you really think about it, what a lot of us are afraid of.

[A]

And that's the journey. Because the only way for you to pull away from that is to see I. Maybe there is another way. So tell me what Your thoughts are. But I can't think of another way to you unlearn that. Because even still, I mean, I think that's always kind of in the back of your mind, like, who you know, did they take pre calc? You know, that kid took pre calc. I mean, it's kind of in the back of your mind, but when you start to have these experiences of, okay, my daughter can, like, throw a pot on a pottery wheel and it knows these different things, or my daughter can sew these dolls and make the clothes and sell them and be an entrepreneur. I don't know why I don't know anything about your boy.

[B]

Boys.

[A]

Your boys. Sorry.

[B]

Like, I'm not. I can't talk about that stuff publicly.

[A]

I kept just thinking about the gorgeous dolls. Then you start to realize, well, like, not every other kid is sewing dolls. Like, not every other kid is doing pottery. So then you start to realize, well, gosh, there's a lot of things in the world that someone could learn about what makes this one more important than that one. And even still, you're like, well, probably somebody figured that out. I don't know. But for me, that's kind of been my path.

[B]

And I think for me, it's also been a matter of. I got straight A's, I did all the AP classes in the honor roll. I got a full scholarship to whatever school I wanted to go to, and I went to grad school, and I got a good job, and I was making that big money, and I was miserable. So to me, until I can answer that question and make a correlation between those two, the things that we. That we fear our kids missing out on, I had all of that, and I was as empty as ever. And so I am just solidly believing in the fact that I was never gonna just be nothing or. Nope, you know, have nothing inside of me. I would have. I. I knew how to learn, but I never got a choice to see what I wanted to learn or what direction I wanted to go. And in fact, I remember in high school telling my counselor that I wanted to take a cooking class and sewing class. And she was like, oh, kids like you don't take classes in that wing. So that was like, where the architect and the mechanic, car mechanics and kitchen and. And so. So she's saying, because I'm college bound and because I was a really good student then, I wouldn't lower myself to go to that part of the school. And now here I am, cooking and sewing and also writing books and speaking, using all the parts of Me to be a whole person. So I think that that message, message that, you know, you receive sometimes is that you have to. The success looks like this. And that's what I'm rejecting through my homeschooling. And once I like, moved past that, that's why I can't ever go back. I can't unknow what I'm seeing with my kids.

[A]

Isn't that fascinating, even that language of in that wing? Because that is like the wing of humanity, right? Like the cooking and the sewing and the hands on, like, these are the parts of you that make you come alive. Or like the auto shop, my goodness, I wish I would have learned how to change oil. Like, I drive a car every day. This is a part of my life all the time. And so to have that siphoned off like that, and really for you to come through that system that you aced, right, you, like, nailed it. You did it right. You did all the things. And to come through and have an idea of if you were to run the education that you would be a purveyor of boredom, it's pretty deep.

[B]

It's deep. Oh, my gosh, you know how much I've spent. How much time I've spent thinking about that, you know, so also I think the difference between me spouting off at the mouth and then putting my children where my mouth is, if you had talked to me, I've been like, oh, this, that, blah, blah, blah. But then when it came time for my kid, I'm like, oh, she has to know all the things. She has to be on the conveyor belt because I'm going to produce, like, great products, right Until I could say, was I a great product? And what have I had to do since then to remediate what was done to me? And so, you know, once I start getting into all that, that's where you really start thinking, like, what is it that you really want for your children? And what are you willing to let go of? Even if it's your own beliefs, what are you willing to let go of in order to move toward what you know is true?

[A]

I mean, because you are the quintessential product of that system, and you came out of it with a very jaded view of education, of what education is. You didn't want to have any part of it.

[B]

It left me naked. It didn't bring me where's. Where's my pot of gold? I was promised a pot of gold and I didn't get it.

[A]

So, yeah, I love Greta's I literally. I took no notes on my own chapter, Amber. I like scrolling through my notes. I was like, what did I say?

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

Well, people hear from me all the time so they could just pick up the book and read my chapter. It is about going outside. That's what it's about. Well, I wanted to read a quote from Greta's.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

As I'm just a big fan of John Taylor Gatto. And this goes right along with what we're talking about. He says now he was a public school educator, and I think that gives him a lot of credibility. He did it for decades, and he won awards. Lord's doing it. And so it's not just some, like, fringe guy. He says, what's gotten in the way of education in the United States? And I think this is maybe a crux. Crux of the problem is a theory of social engineering that says there is one right way to proceed with growing up. And that's it. That's, I think, where the fear comes in. Because you're like, well, I'm doing it different than the one right way that everyone says we're supposed to do, which is this conveyor belt. And it's really scary to step off of that and do something different. And yet I think what comes through from the book so. Well, Amber is like, everyone is thriving. Wow. Despite crisis.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Despite crisis. Despite different family makeups, despite. This person has one kid, this person has five kids. This person lives in this area of the country. This person has this philosophy. This person lives in another country. Like, they're all thriving, and they. They all love their lives.

[B]

Yeah. I think that that, to me, that's where, you know, when I look at the book, I'm like, oh, look how different everyone is. And I'm not going to lie in that. That was attractive to me when I was pulling the people. But what was even more attractive is. And in that difference, look how similar they all are. The level of intention, the importance of home as a unit and as a place and all of these things. And I think to. To me, that's kind of the story. Part of the story that I wanted to tell from homegrown. Like, in terms of, like, what does Amber get out of this? What I get out of it is to say that we're all thriving in our own ways with our own special sauce, and it's all different flavors of sauce. But at the end, we still have this string or strain that goes through all of our stories that connects us. And I think it's really Beautiful. I don't think we talk about it at all.

[A]

And you hit the different stages, which I think was wonderful. You've got Susan say, see, I've messed up all of everybody.

[B]

That's okay. Only reason I know is because she, because she has seven kids and she calls them the seven C's.

[A]

Oh, that's wonderful. Okay, so, so Susan sees, she talks about high school, which, and you and I are both in there with the teenagers. And you know, there's always this pressure, like, what are your plans after high school? So she, she talks about that and trying to have these little check in life check ins and doing internships if you can. So you're hitting the different ages and stages, like you're hitting middle school in the book, which is wonderful. But I wanted to end with a paragraph from Greta because I just thought it so encapsulates the thriving portion of it. But before I read it, I just want to say, well done. Thank you. I mean, it is a tremendous book. Like, it's like a warm blanket.

[B]

I love that. I'm glad. I hope that, that it keeps a lot of people warm. I hope it gives them confidence and something that they can come to and something that they can give to other moms. Moms. It's like, I could answer your question, but here, I want you to read this first.

[A]

Yeah. And isn't that the whole thing? Like, I would say that probably every, even though I don't know every single mom in the book, I know some. I would say that probably a common thread between all of the moms is that all of the moms have read a lot. Like in Charlotte Mason gets brought up a lot. Like, I love Julie Ross has got a chapter in here and Leah Bowden. They talk, they both talk about Charlotte Mason. Obviously you talk about Charlotte Mason a lot. And you know, the, the Living Believing books and these quotes from Charlotte Mason about, like, you know, passing on your anxiety and worry and really trying to work on the state of your being. But you can tell that all these moms have read so much and that is what has contributed to their philosophy of education. And then what you did is you pulled a group of readers together and you wrote a book written by a bunch of readers.

[B]

Yeah. Which is really interesting. Right. Like, I, I, yeah, I love it. And you know, I, I actually Scott is the one who reminds me of this. Sometimes I am surrounded by dynamic people who love to read and are critical thinkers. And it's great because it keeps me on my toes. But sometimes, you know, it can Be a little bit intimidating because I'm like, oh, man, I've only written three books. You know, like, you start having these crazy thoughts. And Scott's like, ma', am, you need to step outside.

[A]

You know what I mean?

[B]

Get some fresh perspective. But no, I. I love hearing how they take the things. And a lot of us have read a lot of the same books, but you know what? We walk away with different things. I mean, I. When I read Gato, I walk away with different quotes in my mind than what Greta picked out. But yet here we are both quoting the same type of people. Like, these are, you know, these are the things that life is, you know, is made of.

[A]

Yeah. And then what you have is you have this group of people that have read a lot of the same things, but maybe tried different parts of that. Like, I mean, I've. I walked out some John Holt things. Like, I sit here because I read a quote and John Holt's book that said kids should have the opportunity to see adult work. And I was like, shoot, I'm not doing that at all. Like, I'm just telling them what to do all the time. And so then, I mean, that's really the sole reason I have a business, is because I was like, well, I want to be able to give them opportunity to join in. And I've got this little thing on the side. And so if I do a little bit more with it, you know, I mean, obviously I think it's important, but I'm like, I can use this also as a vehicle for my kids. And so, like. But someone else might read that just John Holt book and try out, you know, a different part of it. And then you all come together and there's just a glut of ideas.

[B]

That's so good. I thrive off that, actually. That sharing of ideas and exchange of ideas and thoughts. It's. It's definitely something that fuels me just as a woman, not even as a homeschool mom. Just.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Me as a person.

[A]

Yeah. And that's what you've done. And I think we're in a day and age where there's just a. I mean, there's a lot of culture, cultural forces. Like, even. There's this one. Like, especially with the teenagers, like, are you supposed to kick them out of the nest? I don't know. And, you know, I started reading some books about, you know, like, there used to be family economies, and kids didn't used to always start over at zero once they hit 18, they kind of extended out into what the family was doing. And I don't know what that would look like in our home, but I'm willing to walk it out or to try it or at least to find someone else who's already tried it and can give some wisdom. And so when there's these things, like that's a strong cultural force, like Childhood's over at 18. Go be independent and make your own life. And it's like, well, wait a minute. Other people have some different ideas about that. What are they? And so to have an anthology like this, all about homeschooling, where you're pulling in ideas from this person and this person, this print, all of these people have read all of these books. It is so valuable.

[B]

Valuable.

[A]

It's so valuable. Even though it was like herding cats. You did it.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

You made a one of a kind anthology. Do you care if I read this part from Greta?

[B]

No, go for it.

[A]

Okay. I'm actually not the best reader. A louder, but. Oh, do you have it right there?

[B]

I don't know what you're gonna read.

[A]

What? Can I tell you where it is and have you read it?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right.

[A]

It's on page 35.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I just think it shows the thriving. It's on page 35. Where? At the very top, where it starts with all these. It's a long paragraph.

[B]

Paragraph.

[A]

Are you going to be annoyed with me?

[B]

Yes. No, I got it.

[A]

Okay. All these years.

[B]

All these years later, our homeschooling journey is equal parts sitting around the dining room table, eating snacks, reading good books together, and hiking miles of trails with our adventure club. It's meeting the challenge of teaching my dyslexic kids to navigate reading in a way that makes sense to their differently abled brains and celebrating when they win hard fought battles. It's taking the day off to be outside because there is a wildflower super bloom and we can't miss it. It's seeing my kids are often behind their public school counterparts but believing it will all work out in the end. It stays at the tide pools squealing with delight because we found starfish and an octopus. It's changing our math curriculum over and over again because math is hard for all of us. It's watching lifelong friendships flourish because homeschooled kids are socialized. It's watching kids dress up in costume for book club and no one is embarrassed because books are cool and our community is even cooler. It's worrying if I've done enough to prepare them for life and then seeing them flourishing and trusting that I have. It's exhausting and exhilarating and mundane and magnificent and painful and precious, often all in the same day.

[A]

That made me emotional. I'm so glad you read it. That was, like, tremendous reading, Amber. It was true. I would have botched the whole thing. It was tremendous. Doesn't that give such a picture of it? Just that one paragraph? Yeah, just, like, how wonderfully personal it is and how wonderfully unique and how each of these families is thriving. And like, Mandy talks about. I love how Mandy, she was a principal. She talks about how, like, she thought she could change the parts of it that the. The parts of an educational system that don't honor the individual. And so she was like, gosh, you know, this doesn't work. That doesn't work. Well, I'm going to become a principal. I'll fix it. And she's like, you just can't. Like, not. Not being mean to teachers, not being mean to administrators. She's like, it's just a system, and you can't. You're not able to change the parts of the system. So it's just so powerful to have all of these perspectives. And I. I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. It also, I do have a chapter. It's chapter four.

[B]

A very good chapter, mind you. It's funny because on all other podcasts, when I talk about your chapter and then I come on your podcast and you're like, let's talk about everybody's.

[A]

Except mine. Well, because everyone's know mine's going to be like, you should go outside. But yeah, I just. It's. It's such a wonderful resource and especially kicking off in September. But I think at any time that people listen to this, know that people pull themselves out of the system at all times of the year. And so if you read a book or you listen to the episode, you know, you read Homegrown, and you're like, I really want to try it, but it's November again.

[B]

When you know better, you do better. And that's part of the power you have, that authority. Yep, November sounds great to me.

[A]

And you have the freedom. You have the freedom to change. Amber, what an honor. It's an honor to know you. Such a gift to be able to talk to you about your books and your philosophies and your ideas. Thank you so much for being here.

[B]

Thanks, Jenny, for having me.

[A]

And Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual, but now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music.

[B]

Limu Save yourself money today.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Excludes Massachusetts.