Homeschooling For Catholic Parents
You’re wondering if homeschooling is for you. But your inner critic is telling you you’re not enough. How can I teach my kid when we can’t get through homework without tears and yelling? How would the daily routine look? What curriculum will you use? Your house is already a wreck. You don’t want to feel isolated, like you’re on an island where everyone wears long dresses and raises goats. Plus, aren’t homeschoolers weird?
I am so excited you're here! This podcast will give you peace of mind as you raise successful adults who understand their Catholic faith and how to defend it. I’ll help you find the routine that works for you, you’ll still have community, if that’s what you want, and even a clean, organized home is possible (sometimes).
I’m Maeve Jemison, and I host this pod with my handsome husband, Mat. We’re Catholics who prioritize worship and apologetics through our homeschool journey with our five kids.
I’ve made many mistakes along the way. As a young adult, I left the Catholic church because I didn't understand what was going on. I was a government school graduate and high school teacher so I thought homeschooling meant replicating government school at home. (I was wayyyy off!)
When I finally learned the depths and truths of Catholicism, I was adamant that I would teach my little cradle Catholics about the history and beauty of the religion that Jesus started. No way would my kids be as oblivious as I was. Our homeschooling became a delightful adventure, with the Lord guiding us in tailoring our children’s education. I knew I had found my calling!
If you’re ready to thrive as the domestic church through worship, apologetics and homeschooling, then this podcast is for you!
Thanks for stopping by because home is where the truth is!
Episodes
118 episodes
116 - Homeschooling Teens Is Hard (If You Hit the Flask Before Co-op… We Need to Talk)
Ever feel like you’re doing things right… and still feel like the worst homeschool mom in the world?In this honest episode, Maeve and Mat share a very real parenting moment—from three basketball practices and a questionable haircut… to t...
115 - From Resurrection Joy to Closet Tears: A Homeschool Mom’s Reality
After one of the most powerful Easters of her life—including a beach Mass, ocean baptisms, and joy unexplainable—Maeve finds herself just days later overwhelmed, discouraged, and hiding in her closet.In this deeply honest episode, she sh...
114- God, Multiply Me: Faith, Bioethics, and the Hidden Power of Motherhood
You don’t have to do it all—but you do have to know what matters.In this episode, I sit down with Catholic author, bioethicist, and homeschool mom Samantha Stevenson to talk about the questions shaping our homes—and our future.<...
114 - Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet With Us (Powerful Promises Inside)
Press play and pray with us—this simple chaplet carries promises you don’t want to miss.In this episode, we slow down and step into something deeply simple… and deeply powerful.This week, my family gathered together to pr...
113 - Make Holy Week Holy in Your Catholic Homeschool (Without Doing More)
Holy Week is the most important week in human history…And yet, it can pass like any other week in our homes.In today’s episode, Maeve shares how to slow down, step away from unnecessary pressure, and intentionally enter into the r...
112 - Anxiety, Peace, and the Sacred Heart: Help for Homeschool Parents and Children.
What do you do when anxiety shows up in your homeschool day—whether it’s in you, your child, or the whole emotional atmosphere of the home?In this encouraging conversation, Maeve sits down with Catholic speaker, counselor, and author Cat...
111 - When Phonics Aren't Working: Hope for the Bright but Struggling Reader
If you have a child who is obviously bright but still struggling to read, this episode will feel like a deep breath. Maeve welcomes veteran educator Kathleen Alford to discuss children who do not fit the standard instructional mold, why phonics...
110 - Homeschoolers Aren’t Socialized?! Let’s Talk About It.
In this episode, Maeve and Matt tackle one of the most common questions homeschool families hear: But how will they be socialized?With humor, real-life stories, and a deeper look at what socialization actually means, they challeng...
109 - Homeschooling as a Team: Practical Ways to Engage the Working Parent
In this edition of Homeschooling for Catholics, Maeve and Matt tackle a challenge every homeschooling family knows too well: how to bring your spouse into the homeschool rhythm without resentment or burnout. We laugh about A...
108 - When Your Child Walks Away: St. Monica, Cycles of History & Catholic Hope
Life is cyclical. History repeats. And sometimes… so do our parenting fears.In this vulnerable episode, Maeve shares her own “Confessions” — from SAT calculator panic and Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship pressure… to a much deeper co...
107 - Simple Phonics Help for Homeschool Moms with Melanie Jeffrey-Teach Your Child to Read Without Tears
Teaching your child to read can feel overwhelming—even for experienced homeschool moms. In this encouraging conversation, Maeve sits down with former literacy teacher and phonics expert Melanie Jeffrey, host of Phonics Rules for Ki...
106 - Gentle as Doves, Shrewd as Vipers: Parenting with Widsom
What does wise parenting look like in a modern world?In this episode, we talk about staying attentive without hovering, protecting your child’s sense of control, and why waiting for problems to appear is often too late. We share real-lif...
105 Critical Thinking, Catholic Truth, and the One Rule for AI in Your Homeschool
What does “critical thinking” actually look like in a Catholic homeschool? In this episode, Maeve and Matt unpack why critical thinking breaks down when we stop slowing down, questioning ourselves, and seeking truth with humility—and why Cathol...
104 - Do Not Despise the Day of Small Things: Finding God in Ordinary Homeschool Moments
What if the most important parts of homeschooling aren’t the lessons you finish—but the moments you almost miss?In this episode, Maeve reflects on a simple prayer—“Lord, show me what’s important today”—and how God answered it th...
103 - 20 Ways to Reset the Moment on Hard Homeschool Days
Even the most beautiful homeschool days have a behind-the-scenes mess. In this episode, Maeve shares 20 practical, doable ways to reset the moment and turn around hard homeschool days—with faith, humor, and a healthy dose of realism ...
102 Raising Lifelong Learners in the Faith — 10 Catholic Homeschool Tools We Love
In this episode, Maeve and Mat share ten practical tools that have strengthened their Catholic homeschooling over the years — from faith-filled apps and saint resources to apologetics cards, family-friendly podcasts, and tech choices that suppo...
**Replay** 62 - Struggling with CONSISTENCY? Add THIS to Your Homeschool Routine.
As we ring in 2026, this homeschool family is learning in nature while camping in Georgia. Please enjoy a replay of Homeschooling for Catholic Parents' most popular episode of all time. Thank you so much for tuning in...
100 - 40 Habits of Successful Families—and the 7 That Keep Kids Catholic
What does it actually mean to raise “successful” kids—and does success have anything to do with money?In this milestone 100th episode, Maeve and Matt walk through a popular Rich Habits Test for Parents, answering 40 questio...
97 - How to Get Kids to Listen: A Catholic Homeschool Guide to Habits, Character & Cooperation
Many new or discerning homeschool parents share the same fear: “What if we butt heads all day?” In this episode, Maeve and Matt unpack real listener concerns and offer practical, Catholic-rooted solutions for cooperation, motivation, a...
96 - 1000 Hours Outside: Ginny Yurich on Nature, Technology, and Trusting the Long Game (Part 2)
In Part 2 of Maeve’s rich and energizing conversation with 1000 Hours Outside founder Ginny Yurich, the wisdom keeps flowing. Ginny unpacks what it truly means to honor a child’s individual timeline, including her story o...
**BONUS** Episode - The One Advent Habit We Wish We’d Started Sooner
In this bonus Advent episode of Homeschooling for Catholic Parents, Maeve and Matt pop in with a ten-minute “Advent present” for you: one simple, golden piece of parenting advice that can make Christmas calmer and saner for years to co...
95- Why Nature Matters in Homeschooling: A Conversation with 1000 Hours Outside’s Ginny Yurich, (Part 1 of 2)
In this episode, Maeve sits down with Ginny Yurich—beloved author, speaker, and founder of the 1000 Hours Outside movement—to talk about why time in nature is nothing short of transformational for families. Jenny shares the honest truth about h...
94 Raising Kids in the Liturgical Year: Catholic Homeschooling Through Advent & Epiphany, a conversation with Rebecca Grabill
In this beautiful pre-Advent conversation, Maeve welcomes Catholic convert and homeschooling mom-of-six Rebecca Grabill to explore how liturgical living can anchor families during the most chaotic time of the year. Rebecca shares her con...
93 - When the Gospel Hits You Between Shipping Deadlines and Basketball Practice
Feeling like you're in a whirlwind season? Join us as we talk about deadlines, dental visits, sports schedules, field trips, and creative pressure—and find God speaking right into the chaos. With humor and honesty, Maeve shares how a simple Gos...
92 - Faith, Family, and Phones: A Catholic Digital Detox with Andrew Laubacher from Humanality
Maeve sits down with Andrew “Alob” Laubacher—worship leader and Executive Director of Human Reality—to talk about digital addiction and how Catholic families can reclaim time, attention, and joy. Alob shares his conversion story from “party, dr...