Until recently, I hadn’t been asked many questions about The Homeschool Daily. Here, you’ll find a little more about me—the creator—my family, and how we began our homeschooling journey.
There are many reasons why we homeschool, but if I had to sum it up in one simple statement, it would be this: God changed our hearts about education, learning, and family.
My name is Marie. I am a Christian, a wife, and a mother. I enjoy a hot cup of coffee with cream, and finding a good deal at a thrift store or flea market always makes me smile. Working in my yard doesn’t feel like work to me—it’s therapy.
I love relaxing with classic films like Pride & Prejudice or Jane Eyre, and Anne of Green Gables and Little Women are two of my favorite all-time reads. During the holiday season, you’ll likely hear Bing Crosby or Kenny Rogers playing in my car, and I never miss watching It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas night.
I get excited about whipped cream piled high on pumpkin pie and always appreciate mashed potato leftovers. My husband is a wonderful dad and my best friend. I have a good life. It isn’t perfect, but it is mine.
Now that you know a little about me, let me share how we came to homeschool.
There are eight people in our family. My husband and I have been blessed with six children. Our three oldest are boys, followed by our girls, and our youngest is a boy.
We choose to homeschool—it truly is a family affair. I say choose because we made a conscious decision to take on the responsibility of our children’s education, knowing our lives would change as a result. While I am the primary day-to-day teacher, this is a lifestyle my husband and I intentionally foster together—a lifestyle of learning.
Some days run smoothly with very few bumps. Other days are a little more… well, let’s just say patience is a virtue. Do we regret it? Not at all. Homeschooling has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
My husband and I were both educated through the public school system. Early in our marriage, if you had asked us whether we planned to homeschool our children, our response likely would have been something like, “I’m sorry—homeschool? What is that?”
It’s remarkable how the Lord led us to this decision. The journey was slow and deliberate. I can’t point to a single moment when we consciously decided to homeschool, but once we did, we never looked back.
I previously worked as a public school teacher—specifically, a middle school science teacher. Our path toward homeschooling began while I was pursuing my master’s degree in Educational Leadership. At the time, we didn’t even have children yet; I was pregnant with our first.
I’ve always loved school and learning, but I’ll be honest—I initially pursued a higher degree for the pay raise. Much of my graduate research, however, focused on comparing public school, private school, and homeschooling models. That research became one of the first turning points that led us toward homeschooling.
Not long after the birth of our oldest child, we made the decision to forego the pay raise and submit a letter of resignation. It was a defining step in choosing a different path for our family.
That decision was only the beginning. Remember the pay raise? It was meant to cover the truck we had just purchased and the house we had recently remodeled. Instead, we chose a different path—we sold our home and moved into something more modest.
The way we lived changed. It happened slowly… sometimes too slowly… and over time. It was an adjustment. Over the course of eleven years, we welcomed five more children into our family and moved four additional times to meet our growing family’s needs. To say we have all learned a lot along the way would be an understatement.
Some people assume that because I was trained as a teacher, I automatically knew how to homeschool. I find that a little funny. Teaching your own children and teaching someone else’s children are very different experiences—easier and harder all at the same time.
My background has certainly helped in some areas of our homeschooling journey, but in many ways, I’ve also had to unlearn what I once knew. Homeschooling offers a freedom I never experienced in public school. There is no box. We’re still in the elementary years, and along the way I’ve learned far more about reading instruction, phonics, and math vocabulary than I ever expected.
Of course, some days are challenging, but the rewards have far exceeded anything I imagined. More recently, we entered the middle school years, and I now have a preteen who seems to change by the hour. I’ve found myself refreshing my algebra skills—and discovering that grammar is what really keeps me on my toes.
Still, we are learning. Yes, we. And somehow, in the middle of it all, we still like each other.
Over the years, I’ve met many homeschooling families. I’ve learned from so many of them, taken their advice, and been encouraged by their stories. I’ve also met families who are searching—for guidance, encouragement, or simply a reminder of why they chose to homeschool in the first place.
As human beings, we often doubt ourselves, especially when it seems like someone else is doing a better job. It’s easy to lose focus or feel discouraged along the way. The Homeschool Daily was created with those moments in mind.
Here, I share what I’ve learned through experience. You’ll find printables, slideshows, tips, and teaching tools designed to support you in one of your greatest callings—teaching your children. My hope is that this space encourages you, equips you, and reminds you that you are not alone on this journey. Happy homeschooling!
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