I must be doing it all wrong because my house is the opposite of this video. My kids are whining, tantrums and procrastinating all morning. One lesson takes an hour and usually ends up in me yelling at one or all of my kids because of their lack of motivation and poor attitude. Need me some Jesus everyday

Regarding keeping your space clean, we add it into our evening rhythms. Cleaning up is step 1 of our evening routine. Each child gets assigned a developmentally appropriate cleaning task and their day doesn’t “end” until it’s done. If they run out of time, the items left out get put in the basement for the rest of the week. It’s served us well and helps teach them personal responsibility :)

I love your top/dress! Where is it from?

My favorite of the Anne of Green Gables series is Rilla of Ingleside about WWI. I also love The Blue Castle also by Lucy Maude Montgomery.

I have 5 children in the home- 9,4,3,2 and 6 months We do multiple resets throughout the day, I’m always asking for a one minute pass to pick up what we’re not playing with animate. It’s basically when I see it and they are close or in the way somewhere I give them one quick task. If I’m doing a stationary task and children come ask to help me, I make them runners and I make a visual pass at the room and have them run items to the room they belong in. I can have my oldest homeschooled child complete work in one space and love with me if she needs help or just be in the center of the action so I’m there to listen We do not have a distraction free zone 100% of our ikmeschool day but it helps to have the option to bounce to a household task while I’m teaching and cleaning as we go

Your videos are so encouraging and you are one if my favorite channels! I would love to hear any thoughts on anger in homeschool. I struggle and loose my temper sometimes and I just don't want to be like this but it keeps happening and I am just praying and asking dor help. Woyld live to know if you have any suggestions on how to be free from anger.

The crafting! Yes!!! It is a mess! The tiny pieces of paper everywhere constantly. And they treasure their creations so they don't want to throw anything away! I HEAR YOU!

I love the idea of evaluating how things went at the end of the week. I want to do that more this year. I’m excited for you to read the rest of the Anne books. There’s a lot I admired about Anne as an adult. I need to re-read them soon now that I’m a mom and see what I can glean from her. I also recommend LM Montgomery’s The Blue Castle. It was such a fun read.

Love this so much. You Are What You Love is suuuuch a good read, definitely worth reading and practical while being complex. I am almost crying thinking about reading the last Little House book we have only made it to the beginning of Plum Creek and this is my first time ever reading these. Thank you for sharing. God bless and Happy Epiphany!

Blessed New Year! The Lord is putting it on my heart to work on self control over my speech and emotional reactions. I also need to work on something creative done with my hands including knitting and writing more. We as humans have the gift of creating that The Creator endowed us with and I know I need to enter into that more this year. Thank you for sharing this and I look forward to part two :) -Kat

You have no idea what a blessing your videos are to me! I have been searching for years to find helpful content that aligns on homeschool, Christian, and personal values. I so look forward to your videos!

Would love a review of the good and the beautiful! Have heard it has subtle LDS theology in some of the little stories etc throughout their curriculum, but I’m considering it for our first year of homeschooling, particularly preschool math.

I look forward to your videos so much-they always leave me feeling so inspired! After watching how beautifully and thoughtfully you organized your mother binder, I was motivated to start my own, and this video is just as impactful. I've been reflecting on my intentions for the next year, and this has really helped me organize and clarify my thoughts. Thank you, America, for stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing the challenge of embarking on this YT journey, as you mentioned-it’s truly inspiring. I especially love hearing about the books you're reading. I'm brand new to both the classical world and motherhood (my son is 3 years old), so the knowledge I’m gaining from your channel is invaluable. Thank you for everything you share!

Love this!

The school room is where my kids feel the most comfortable crafting and drawing. I don’t want to blowout the flame of creativity but sometimes it is overwhelming. I made a couple drawers and put the kids names on the bins so they have a place for their things and can independently place their “things” in their drawer bins. I also put their names where they can put their supplies in other little places in the room. It sort of has helped 😅

Hi America. I've been very much enjoying and looking forward to watching your videos! And thank you for sharing your story of how you got started. I've been tossing around the idea of making videos about herbalism and holistic health + mother culture and you're inspiring me to at least start playing around with content-making. Part of me feels like, who wants to hear what I'm learning about??? But I love hearing what you are learning about and inspired by! I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one who can't keep their homeschool room from devolving into chaos. Re watercoloring painting: for the last couple of years, my kiddos and I have each been doing a thumbnail watercolor painting every day, for the month of January, and it definitely helps get us out of the January homeschool doldrums! : )

If you haven't read Evidence Not Seen, I highly recommend. Its a beautiful and humbling missionary story from WW2.

I've been researching classical education too recently, have you read Consider This by Karen Glass? It does a wonderful job of showing how much CM and Classical have in common

The Paprika app was such a game changer for me for recipe organization. Highly recommend!

I have my kids clean while I make lunch, and I put away subject by subject as we go

I started writing down every book I read in a moleskin notebook about 13 years ago and it’s the most fun record of my reading life. What I read in my early 20’s is SO different than in my mid thirties 😂 In 2012 I read the entire Pretty Little Liars series, at the beginning of 2025 I’m almost through Don Quixote. Oh how times have changed but I love to see it. I really recommend a notebook just for logging what you have read.

I loved hearing the story behind your name!!

Because homeschooling offers so much freedom, I get paralyzed by the options. I would love to know what things you teach that are "beyond" or "outside" the usual school fare.

I spent the day cleaning our school room and listened to this video on and off- I was nodding my head along with you as I picked up random bits of paper all over my floor and organized our pencils yet again. My kids also struggle with putting books away properly and I can't seem to keep a system going. they end up stacking them horizontally on top of the books- though at least its usually the correct shelf! I really fell off the wagon with reading this past summer and had a horrendous start back to school that really shook me and made me re-think homeschooling altogether. I am restarting this upcoming week and treating it like a fresh blank slate. I also got a non smart phone (from Tech Less) for Christmas so I am excited to see how that helps with stewarding my time.

We homeschool at our dining room table and we also eat all of our meals there. We have to pick up a little to have lunch and then we clean up all the way right before our Quiet Time at 2pm. All of our art supplies and educational toys are stored near our table. I TRY to have the kids put things away to be able to get another toy or thing out to cut down on how much is out at once. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I love the story of how you were named. 😊My name is Jerilyn and people always think its a weird name and can’t remember it very well. 😂

I loved this video! Do you find it hard to have a personal planner & a homeschool planner? Usually I have a notebook that I have through out the year that I write all my goals and plans in but I wonder if it would be nice to have a planner to check in regularly. Thank you for sharing sacred seasons! We are newly orthodox so I think a book like this would be so helpful in tying in the liturgical calendar!

Hi America, I found you through your CMEC video, but then I watched your video about your homeschool plans for the upcoming year I was so happy I found you! I have put together my own curriculum inspired by Charlotte Mason, classical education, literature based curriculums like Sonlight, and just my own goals for my family. My curriculum turned out very similarly to yours and, although I was already excited about my plans, it gave me a boost of confidence to know that someone out there came to similar conclusions. I plan to do devotional reading throughout the year, starting with Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Eliot. I also plan to read Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton-Hill. This book has a daily piece of classical music and a short exerpt about it. I think I am going to love it!

Love the story of how you got your name. I’ve wondered about it. Love it! Self control is what I’ve been working on the past couple of months so I’m keeping that, I need to keep focusing on it! I like the ideas of picking a virtue also. Enjoyed seeing how you plan all of these things out. Going to check out some of the books you mentioned. I’d love a video on what y’all have done and like for history and science. Those are two subjects I research and research over and over. Thanks for another great video. Blessings over your 2025!🎉

What a lovely video, thank you

Love this, America! Love seeing all that you’re doing. You are so thoughtful in your approach-I wish I had your videos years ago!😂. Cohen loves history and read through the Story of the World books and Holling C Holling series in maybe 6th grade, and really enjoyed them. I’d love to hear more about notebooking and how you put narration into practice as well. I’d love to take that approach with Eden, but I just always feel so incompetent and end up using planned curriculum😩. He is a pretty hesitant writer right now because it was so forced when he was in school last year. I’m looking forward to more of your videos! I really appreciate your perspective!

What book list are you doing now?

A book list or video of all the books would be great!

Thank you so much for sharing!! You were so respectful and grace-filled in the way you shared the good and the bad. I keep hearing about the CMEC like it’s the greatest thing but it’s kind of secretive so, while I am not looking to change our homeschool, your video made me curious. I started our CM journey over 20 years ago now and I’ve never been able to follow any of the curriculum providers, because I think you can ultimately live the entire philosophy using the living books that you are truly on board with and which work for your family and culture. It isn’t stressful or complicated because while our lessons are rigorous, we are never “behind.” I hope you find peace in whatever you do next, and thank you again! :)

Thank you for sharing this inspiring video. We have fallen out of some of these habits and I am ready to get back to this beautiful life giving rhythm.❤

The Nee-doh Nice cube only comes in blue - it is supposed to look like an ice cube... I actually want one for myself... I love nee-doh, butter fluffy slime and slow rise foam... I love everything like that. I wish we had that stuff when i was a kid in the 1970's... Lol.. i loved the books where they chimes to turn a page ... I think i had records that read to me ..(I'm not sure tho and chimed).. wow, i hadnt thought of that since i was a kid .lol . Thanks for reminding me...

Hello! Just curious if you have separate notebooks for each book and/or subject topic area?

I am getting such good ideas from you! Thank you for sharing :)We are on a super tight budget this year so, masking tape is such a great low cost gift that I will definitely include that in my son's stocking. What age did your son start knitting/crocheting? I want to spend more time doing that myself and my six year old son has expressed interest in it as well. We either do stockings Christmas day along with our book exchange or we wait until Epiphany when we open gifts. Merry Christmas to you and your family! -Kat

America, I just found your channel a few days ago, and a few things: 1. You are so beautiful! 2. You have such a peace about you and are so intentional, I think you are such a good mom. 3. I would love a future video on notebooking, if this is a large part of your homeschool for your kids. 4. Would love future gift giving videos as it is also my love language.😊

What a beautiful, encouraging video! ❤

Very similar to what we do! A roll of tape always goes down a treat!

Some of my favorite toys growing up were the American girl dolls. Its so sweet that she chose Samantha! I love the stories they come with too. ❤❤ LOVE the bows and arrows. I've seen a lot of families doing bow and arrows for their kids this year. But none of them found rubber tips lol And the dragon is amazing.

My mom always believed in overflowing stockings and they made Xmas morning so fun. We've always been on a very small budget, and I was on the fence about doing Santa. My partner wanted to do Santa so he wasn't the kid ruining the Santa concept for other kids. We've compromised. He's our only kid atm and the only grandkid. We're saying stockings are from Santa, everything else is from friends or family. And we've always managed to do pretty full stockings because my mom helps with that. This year it's going to be full of little transformer toys because he is going through that phase hard core right now. He has some food allergies so candy is tricky but he'll have a little bit. And some hot wheel cars and some crafty stuff because he loves arts and craft time. Also a set of Pikachu pajamas because that is his new love. And this year we aren't doing adult stockings. But it's important to us that he know Xmas gifts aren't just for him so we're doing a thank you note from Santa for donating the adult stockings to people in need. We really wanted to do an angel tree kid this year so he could see us helping another family and help us do the shopping. But circumstances changed and we are the family in need now. Overall I feel like we're navigating parenting and money struggles pretty well, and one day when he's a bit older and we can tell him in more detail how we made things work when times were harder. I loved all your stocking ideas, especially the masking tape. So unique and yet I can see perfectly why a kid would love getting that. 😊

I loved both of your Christmas gift videos so much, and they gave me so many good ideas! I am also carrying on the tradition of a stocking stuffed to the brim 😂

Wonderful video.

Thank you for these ideas! I love the bow and arrow set and am looking for one for my six year old. Do you happen to know the country of origin for the ones you got? We exchange gifts on the Feast of the Epiphany so luckily I have some time to shop still :) On Christmas day we just gives books in our home and exchange gifts with extended family that day. -Kat

We love that version of the Little Pilgrim's Progress. My daughter is 6.5 and enjoy it very much.

I'd ❤ to see your Kinderleben books guide! 😊

Im not a Charlotte mason homeschool mom, and im not particularly interested in the religious aspects in many curriculum choices. But i am a big believer in exposure to a wide array of things. I really appreciate how well spoken you are. It shows that you read a lot in how you speak, how clearly you transfer your thoughts through the screen. I wish more people spoke this way. It fills my soul to hear people speak clearly and articulately about things they are passionate about. I read so much as a kid. I didnt know how to make friends so books were my friends for years and years. And I'd read and wish people in my real life spoke like the people in my books. My best friend does, and i love that about her. But we didnt meet until high school. I fully believe any child raised by parents who think and speak deeply are blessed. Im newer to homeschooling. This is our 3rd year. I havent really settled into a particular style yet. I like aspects from a lot of different things. But i think its so wonderful when people find what speaks to them and then live that. And i believe your kids are blessed to have you as their mother. The stages of life you mentioned are no joke. We're really just moving in to the stage where hes more independent and i can do things/hobbies for myself again. And he's starting to express interests of his own. Im really looking forward to seeing what this era will look like. 😊

I loooove all your gifts !! They’re so beautiful and thoughtful ! My favorite is the American Girl Doll package!!! My favorite growing up was also Samantha !! I looooved the books !!! Where did you get the Samantha doll ???? I’d love to start introducing the classic American Girl series to my 5 year old 🤍 God bless 🕊️✨