The Stay-at-Homeschooling Mom Podcast
Education
Homeschooling’s Flexibility - Providing Stability in Changing Times - Interview with Arlena Brown
Meet Arlena Brown, a Seton Mom with four kids who found stability in times of change and chaos through homeschooling. Lena is a Traditional Roman Catholic wife of 14 years to her husband, Robert, and mother of four children ranging from 2 to 13 years old.
The Browns had three children in elementary school when the pandemic occurred. They discovered homeschooling amid layoffs, relocations, and other changes and chaos. Lena shares with Ginny and Mary Ellen how their decision to homeschool provided a stable base and a saving grace in chaotic times and fills us in on their future plans.
Homeschooling’s Flexibility - Providing Stability in Changing Times
Arlena (Lena) Brown has a B.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Infant and Toddler Development. She has worked with parents and children from infancy through 8th grade and has been a mentor and teacher for a teen mom program.
Lena and her family have shared their homeschooling experiences in media outlets including Associated Press, Fox News Live, and the podcast From the Kitchen Table with Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy.
The Road Ahead
The Browns plan to continue homeschooling for the coming year, grateful that they can tailor the curriculum to fit their children’s distinctive needs. Jacoby, 11, has been diagnosed with narcolepsy and sometimes needs naps during the day; Riley, 10, has been tested as academically gifted; Felicity, 9, has a learning disability. The Browns also have a baby, Lucy.
Reaching Their Full Potential
“I didn’t want my kids to become a statistic and not meet their full potential,” said Robert Brown, a former teacher who now does consulting. “And we wanted them to have a solid understanding of their faith.”
Lena explains how homeschooling flexibility was critical to their kid’s growth and success.
· Why did they continue homeschooling after the pandemic?
· How did having a baby enter into their homeschooling dynamic?
· What specific advantages does homeschooling bring to their home?
· Some of their kids have special learning needs. How does home education address that?
· Do they plan to keep homeschooling?
The Benefits of Homeschooling
When families’ lives are interrupted by flux or chaos, job loss and transition, and relocation:
· You know what your children are learning.
· Your children are progressing at their own pace.
· You are keeping your kids from falling through the cracks.
· It provides stability when relocating, particularly helpful for military families.
Reality Check - Taking on the Responsibility of Homeschooling
Homeschooling can be a sacrifice for Mom and Dad to ensure the kids have a solid grounding through turbulent times. It can be a sacrifice, a kind of cross, picked up for the kids.
The Benefit of Siblings Bonding
· The enrichment of siblings spending their days together is a remarkable opportunity.
· This relationship-building time is so different than spending a few hours together.
· These enriched times together can bear fruit for the children’s lifetimes.
· If a baby is in the household, you are raising baby-friendly kids!
· Raising children at ease nurturing younger siblings is a rare gift indeed.
Dad’s Influence
· In the Brown’s home, Robert discovered the homeschooling option.
· Dad can offer prayerful support and influence.
· Supporting his wife’s efforts is critical for homeschool success.
Other Practical Insights from Lena
· Homeschooling can keep pace with changes in your season of life.
· The flexibility can adjust to changing sleep patterns.
· Your home and parenting style is unique to your family. It does not need to be a copy of someone else’s homeschool.
· A good homeschooling program provides the structure to be the best definition of the family you can become.
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