Why this site? And why now?

“I believe that every parent, armed with a plan and using the right tools with consistency and self-discipline, can build strong parent-child relationships, raise wonderful children who bring you joy, and create a holy, happy home that is the most desirable place to be.”

Are you a seasoned parent who thinks your family life still needs tweaking?  A parent of young children and don’t really know how to handle them?  Expecting your first and want to learn as much as you can about child raising because you want to be a super-parent?

I have been in all three places.  When I was expecting my first, I wanted to learn all I could about raising children.  I wanted to be the best mom I could be.  I read so many books and articles, knowing that somehow, someone has unlocked that perfect way to raise children.

About the time our oldest was two years old, I knew things weren’t going well.  She was becoming more withdrawn and unhappy, and I couldn’t figure out why.  That is when I discovered Maria Montessori, known for her famous method of pedagogy, derived from her scientific observations of children, as seen through the eyes of a physician.  I still remember being amazed when I found a dog-eared copy of The Child in the Family at my local public library.  It was like I had found a treasure.  That was the beginning of my eye-opening journey into the world of Montessori.

I became even more intrigued with Maria Montessori when I learned that she was Catholic.  Our parish offered an Atrium, in which my husband and I enrolled our three-year-old.  The summer before she began, I started my formal learning as an Atrium Catechist.  Our daughter thrived in her Atrium, and a desire for the full Catholic Montessori pedagogy deepened in our hearts.  We are grateful to have served in founding roles for the Catholic Montessori school which grew out of that Atrium.

After moving away from the area, I transitioned to a homeschooling mom.  I still did my best to provide a Montessori-esque education to my children, but as time went on, I realized that the true genius of Maria Montessori was not in the materials and lessons which she developed for children.  Rather, it was her brilliance in observing and understanding the God-given nature of the child, based in Catholic theology.  With this in mind, I structured our homeschooling and family life according to Catholic Montessori principles.  This framework enabled me to use different curricula to meet the specific needs of our children, even helping some of them overcome learning difficulties.

So why this site?  Because I believe that every parent, armed with a plan and using the right tools with consistency and self-discipline, can build strong parent-child relationships, raise wonderful children who bring you joy, and create a holy, happy home that is the most desirable place to be.

How did my husband and I create this home?  We learned from wonderful Catholic Montessori mentors, and we were part of a community of like-minded parents, who were learning the same principles and techniques and working hard to raise their children similarly.  You can do the same, even if the community is online.

Here are what I see as the top reasons why child raising efforts go wrong:

• Parents have no clear plan of action.
• If parents have a plan, they fail to act on it or act inconsistently, with no self-discipline.
• Parents fail to anticipate the changing needs of their growing child.

So what will your child raising road look like?

• It will be long.  We do have to keep our children around for at least 17 or 18 years.
• It will be hard and require a lot of stamina. This is a day-in and day-out marathon, not a sprint.
• It will be doable.  Because God gives us graces through the Sacrament of Matrimony to get this done.

The journey, which I invite you to take with me, is not for the fainthearted.  You will have to learn, and then do.  Learn, and then do some more.  Tweak what you do.  Fail.  And get up again.  But in the end, all your child raising efforts will be worth it.  You really can find peace, happiness, and joy in your home.

With current events causing children to spend more time at home with their parents, severe child abuse cases are on the rise.  Divorces are up.  Suicides are up.  Depression is widespread.  These things led me to think it was time for me to share more widely what has worked for us in raising our children.  I hope my simple website will bring more peace and joy to your family.  Thanks for visiting!