In a season where everything feels important, how do you decide what actually matters?

In this episode of Homeschool Better Together, host Laney Homan sits down with Kayse Pratt, creator of Anchored Women, to talk about the power of monthly planning.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly reacting to life instead of living it with intention, this conversation will help you slow down, refocus, and create a rhythm that actually serves your family—and your faith.

Together, Laney and Kayse explore how stepping back once a month can reduce overwhelm, clarify priorities, and help you embrace your God-given limits instead of fighting them.

1. Why monthly planning is more effective than just daily or weekly planning
2. How to reduce your mental load by seeing the bigger picture
3. Simple reflection questions to help you evaluate your current season
4. Why you can’t do it all—and why that’s actually a good thing
5. How to choose a focused priority without neglecting everything else
6. The connection between planning, stewardship, and faith
7. A healthier mindset that prevents planning from becoming another source of guilt

1. Anchored Women (planning resources + community)
2. The Steadfast Over Scattered Planner
3. Free resource: Name Your Season Guide

Feeling inspired? Here are a few simple ways to take action:

1. Set aside 15–60 minutes this week for a monthly planning session
2. Ask yourself:
3. What was last month like?
4. What do I (and my family) need right now?
5. Choose:
6. 1 habit goal
7. 1 project goal
8. Pray over your month and ask for clarity in your focus
9. Give yourself permission to let go of what doesn’t fit this season

Let’s be real—homeschooling doesn’t always look like those dreamy, sun-drenched Instagram feeds. Some days it’s more tears, sibling spats, and “Mommmm, I can’t do this!” than cozy read-alouds and family harmony. And spoiler alert: the attitude problem isn’t always just coming from the kids.

In today’s episode, Laney Homan sits down with Emily Brown, veteran homeschool mom of seven and life coach for homeschoolers, to talk about the hard (but totally normal) realities of kids’ behavior—and the negative thought spirals parents can get stuck in when things are less than perfect at home. Emily has been through it all, from pulling five kids out of school at once to juggling newborns, teens, and everything in between.

1. Why you’re not alone in feeling totally overwhelmed by challenging behavior,
2. How easy it is to take your kids’ struggles as a personal failure,
3. And why it matters to check your own thought loops, not just your kids’ attitudes.

Are you ready for practical help, mindset shifts, and actual hope? Emily brings both wisdom and gentle challenge—plus a concrete script you can use right away to turn around tense moments. This is an episode for anyone who’s questioned whether they’re “enough,” who’s worried they’re failing their kids, or who’s just desperate to stop the meltdown cycle.

You are not alone in this (and your emotions are not out of your control!). Let’s break out of the negativity spiral, re-center on what matters, and find more joy in the homeschool journey—even on the messy days.

1. Why kids' “bad” behavior isn’t usually personal—or even intentional
2. How our negative thought patterns (“the litany of not enough”) fuel family friction
3. Why owning your emotional state changes the whole home atmosphere
4. The ONE script you can use when your child is being disrespectful (and how to model a graceful do-over)
5. Why regular pauses, built-in breaks, and gratitude can short-circuit tension
6. How to reframe your role—your worth isn’t on the line, and you aren’t your kids’ savior (thank goodness for that!)
7. How shifting your language from “have to” to “get to” opens space for gratitude, even in the chaos

1. Find Emily Brown at Fiat Life Coaching for homeschool moms or listen to her podcast Happy, Holy Mama Podcast
2. The Grumble-Free Year by Tricia Goyer
3. Sibling Relationship Lab by Lynna Sutherland
4. Simply Convivial by Mystie Winckler

1. Choose one phrase of truth or gratitude to repeat when you’re in a tough moment.
2. Try Emily’s script: “In case you’re unaware, the way you’re talking to me sounds disrespectful. If that’s not what you meant, please try again and say it how you want me to hear it.”
3. Find a few practical ways to insert a pause (for you AND your kids) during the school day.
4. Schedule a “homeschool audit” to troubleshoot problem spots, then brainstorm one small tweak.
5. Surround yourself with homeschool friends who encourage growth, not just commiseration.

Ever wonder why your kids’ “school projects” either fizzle out or turn into frantic, last-minute glue-sticking marathons? Or maybe you secretly dread “interest-led learning” because you picture glitter explosions and science fair-level chaos? I get it. But what if project-based learning—done right—could actually bring joyful curiosity, deeper learning, and family connection…without sending you to the craft store (or losing your mind)?

In this episode, I sit down with my real-life friend and local homeschool teacher, Karla Schlatter. Karla’s a mama of four boys, a champion of lifelong learning, and a pro at weaving meaningful projects into home education. Together, we peel back the curtain on what project-based learning really looks like in our actual, messy homeschool lives.

We share what sparked our love for this hands-on approach, how it’s played out with both our self-motivated and less-eager kids, and some hilarious mishaps along the way (never underestimate a determined kid with a cardboard stash or the allure of rabbit poop “science experiments”).

1. Why “interest-led” projects are more than just crafts or busywork—and how they differ from those assembly-line curriculum assignments
2. How Karla designed a high school project course that has our teens actually caring about deadlines, peer feedback, and creativity (hello, executive function skills!)
3. The magic (and mild panic) of letting go of control as a homeschool mom—and why that’s where the real learning happens
4. Pitfalls we’ve both hit, including perfectionism, decision-paralysis, and that ever-present urge to “just do it my way”
5. How to scaffold and support reluctant or overwhelmed kids so they can actually succeed (and learn from mistakes)

1. The two types of project-based learning—and which one sparks more meaningful growth
2. How to create accountability, positive peer pressure, and genuine motivation (even if your kid is a world-class procrastinator)
3. Strategies for building projects around your child’s true interests—even if those interests seem a bit out-there (rabbit fertilizer, anyone?)
4. Why it’s worth teaching kids to “break big goals into small steps”—and how project learning does just that
5. Ways to start small and make project-based learning a natural part of your family culture, whether you have a group or you’re flying solo

1. Land That I Love from Homeschool Better Together
2. Navigating High School Course
3. 4-H and county fairs for kid-friendly project experiences
4. Colleen Kessler at Raising Lifelong Learners