The Homeschool Connections Podcast

In this episode of the Homeschool Connections Podcast, host Kaitlin Zara and her husband Joe discuss the dynamics of maintaining a thriving marriage while navigating the challenges of homeschooling. They share their personal experiences, the importance of support, and the joy found in everyday moments with their children. The conversation emphasizes the significance of communication, connection, and the unexpected blessings that come from their homeschooling journey. They also offer advice for overwhelmed homeschooling parents, highlighting the importance of grace and teamwork in family life.

Grab your coffee, press play, and let’s homeschool together!

Sponsored by Party Like a Saint — bringing faith and fun into your homeschool with saint-themed school supplies and rewards your kids will love. Check out their website at https://www.partylikeasaint.com/.

You'll also find Homeschool Connections Podcast on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hsc_online/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints/ 

Visit our Podcast page at Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

 

Today, we pass the torch, as Kaitlin Zara—our new host for next season—interviews Lisa, as she retires from the show!

Contact Lisa Mladinich:
lisa@wonderfullymade139.com 

Lisa’s website:
https://wonderfullymade139.com

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

You’ve finally got just one or two children left at home, after years of schooling your family. What’s it like to be in this season of—more time and fewer people in the house? Veteran homeschooler, Mary Ellen Barrett, is here to talk about Schooling the Last Few in the Nest.

Find Mary Ellen Barrett on Substack: https://maryellenbarrett.substack.com/  

The Stay-at-Homeschooling Mom Podcast:
https://www.facebook.com/stayathomeschoolingmom 

Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime by Ray Guarendi https://amzn.to/44LpmK7 

Mary Ellen Barrett’s educational books for children:

Passport to the World for Young Catholics
https://setonbooks.com/home/2365-passport-to-the-world-for-young-catholics.html 

Art and Poetry for Young Catholics
https://setonbooks.com/home/2364-art-and-poetry-for-young-catholics.html 

Our very first episode ever—with Mary Ellen!

Busting Myths About Homeschooling:
https://youtu.be/MHWv05vdY4I

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

 

Masculinity is a precious gift from God to the Church, and this special combination of talents, charisms, and characteristics has been much-maligned in the modern world. So, what’s a father to do? Stay tuned for our Dads’ Panel: Cultivating a Healthy Masculinity in Our Sons.

For more on this topic, see our blog articles on homeschooling dads, https://homeschoolconnections.com/category/homeschool-dads/

And our podcast episodes on homeschooling boys, https://homeschoolconnections.com/podcasts_category/homeschooling-boys/ 

Find Walter Crawford:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltercrawford 

Find Tom Weishaar:
https://catholiccounselors.com/tele-counseling-services 

Find Dr. Sam Nicholson:
https://homeschoolconnections.com/instructors/sam-nicholson

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

 

There’s nothing like a best friend, and it’s my joy today to welcome the person who really made our homeschooling experience in many ways. Stay tuned to meet My Best Friend in Homeschooling, Annette Scarpa.

Contact Annette at: annette.scarpa@yahoo.com

Also check out: Episode 43: Annette Scarpa: Creating Group Activities That Benefit Your Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqFEV7-f-Cg 

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

 

Catholic homeschooling can bear so many fruits—both earthly and eternal. Veteran homeschooler Jennifer Smarsh is here to teach us how to Grow in Virtue Through Homeschooling.

You can reach Jennifer Smarsh here:  byhisgracejs@gmail.com 
 
Jen’s website: https://www.teachingtowardeternity.com 

More Resources Jen Recommends:
The Catechism on Virtue from the Vatican:
THE VIRTUES: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_one/chapter_one/article_7/the_virtues.html 

I. The Human Virtues: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_one/chapter_one/article_7/i_the_human_virtues.html 

II. The Theological Virtues: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_one/chapter_one/article_7/ii_the_theological_virtues.html 

The Compendium of the Catechism: https://amzn.to/4iwMXRP 
or online: https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html (Virtues begin at #377)

Some helpful websites:
Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC): https://catholiceducation.org (many articles here on virtue)

The 15 Promises of the Rosary: https://dominicanfriars.org/the-15-promises-of-the-rosary 

All the Mysteries of the Rosary: https://ascensionpress.com/blogs/articles/all-the-mysteries-of-the-rosary 

List of moral and theological virtues: https://sensustraditionis.org/Virtues.pdf 

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

Homes with children can get out of order easily, but a house full of homeschoolers takes that to a whole new level! Today, Kaitlin and Lisa are talking with Dena K. White, the author of Jesus Doesn’t Care About Your Messy House!

Find Dana K. White: https://www.aslobcomesclean.com

Buy her new book: Jesus Doesn’t Care About Your Messy House: He Cares About Your Heart, by Dana K. White, https://amzn.to/4jfvEWG

For more on this topic, see our episode Messy Hospitality with Maureen Wittmann at https://homeschoolconnections.com/podcasts/messy-hospitality/

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

Calming the Homeschool Chaos!

It’s springtime and we’re getting organized again. Today, to help us calm the chaos, we welcome back catechist, author, and homeschooling mom, Olivia Spears, to offer some Encouragement for New Routines!

Contact Olivia Spears: https://intothedeep.co/contact

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intothedeepco/

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

From Mom to Mentor: Maureen Wittmann Reflects on 25 Years of Homeschooling Wisdom.

In this heartfelt episode, veteran homeschool mom and Homeschool Connections co-founder Maureen Wittmann shares what she learned through more than 25 years of homeschooling—academically, spiritually, and personally.

From discovering a love for math and history to growing in her Catholic faith and becoming a better mom, Maureen reflects on the beautiful, transformative journey of homeschooling. This episode is full of wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration for homeschoolers at every stage.

👉 Whether you're a brand-new homeschooler or nearing the finish line, you’ll walk away uplifted and reminded of the deeper purpose behind the homeschool life.

You can find Maureen at https://homeschoolconnections.com/about-homeschool-connections/

NHERI - National Home Education Research Institute at https://nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints 

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!

Homeschooling Saints Podcast Episode 238: New Picture Book on Venerable Jerome Lejeune with Ana Braga Henebry!

Today’s guest has written a charming New Picture Book on Venerable Jerome Lejeune, the Catholic doctor who devoted his career to God’s children with Down’s Syndrome.

Ordering link: Jerome Lejeune: Saintly Geneticist by Ana Braga-Henebry https://bookstore.wordonfire.org/products/jerome-lejeune

Recommended Resource for Teens and Adults: Jerome Lejeune: A Man of Science and Conscience: https://ignatius.com/jerome-lejeune-jlp/

Well Read Mom (Catholic women's book club): https://wellreadmom.com/

Another lovely conversation with Ana Braga-Henebry: Episode 54: How to Foster Religious Vocations in Your Homeschool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTCNEwLxmKk

Thank you to the following contributors who made this podcast possible:

Our Sponsor is Homeschool Connections: Catholic Homeschool Classes Online

Homeschooling Saints theme music was composed by Taylor Kirkwood

Intro voice is Dave Palmer, Catholic radio personality and author of St. Thomas Aquinas for Everyone

Our host is Lisa Mladinich

Visit our Podcast page at Homeschooling Saints: Catholic Homeschool Podcast.

You can follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingsaints 

Also, make sure to check out our Catholic Homeschool Blog for more homeschooling tips, support, and practical help!