Shows
make joy normal: cozy homeschoolingdefiance, disobedience and acting outsend us a text via Fan Mail!In today's episode I answer questions on discipline from two moms who share similar challenges. What can we actually do when our kids are being defiant and disobedient? What if we are concerned that a gentle approach may be perceived as permissiveness? What if we feel that we have failed as a mom? Ohhhh how we all can relate! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Baby and Beyond by Allison Auth Holistic Gentle Baby Sleep Co...2025-07-1828 min
The Unplanned Joyful Life - Catholic Church, Ignite your Faith, Navigate Adversity, Live Purposefully, Support Life#89 Looking to Teach Your Kids From Home? Meet Experienced Homeschooling Mother of 7 and Podcast Host, Bonnie Landry Part 2Inside today's episode of The Unplanned Joyful Life Podcast, Cathy Jo continues her conversation with Bonnie Landry. Bonnie is an experienced and newly retired Homeschooler of 7. She is a Writer, Speaker and Podcast Host of the, "Make Joy Normal."
Inside this episode, Bonnie shares her homeschooling and parenting journey; starting as a new mom. Then, she discusses the benefits, challenges and insights learned from homeschooling all of her 7 children. And, Bonnie has 12 grandchildren who are also homeschooled.
She recommends two books to use as resources for raising your children.
They are: "Rest Play Grow" b...2025-06-2429 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingart and beauty: an interview with artist Chris Lewissend us a text via Fan Mail!Chris Lewis is the creator and artist behind Baritus Catholic and joins me today for a discussion on art and the transmission of beauty in modern day living. We discuss his beginnings as an artist, teaching art appreciation and commentary on his very own works of the saints. Please view his various items on his Etsy shop here.00:52 - Welcome, family and work 6:15 - What led to you becoming an artist? 7:54 - Homeschooling and art appreciation 13:52 - Art process and products 19:26 - S...2025-06-0738 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingboredom and burnoutsend us a text via Fan Mail!Elizabeth and I talk about what we can do when kids are bored. And also when moms are burned out. 2:39 - My child doesn't cope well with boredom 8:04 - Providing structure and giving purpose11:30 - Creating a space or boredom cupboard 14:35 - Fun ideas and tools21:59 - Accepting our limits and saying no 26:40 - Stacking and making things special 30:03 - Simple ways to make them feel lovedAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.2025-05-3035 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingboys and boundariessend us a text via Fan Mail!Christina and I discuss a few things, focusing on the particular discipleship of our beautiful boys. 5:41 - Healthy boundaries and transactional discipline 9:55 - Approach for young boys 12:45 - Discipline as they get older 17:04 - Swift action not reactive 22:53 - Practicing humour and playfulness 26:02 - How to handle mouthy boys34:12 - We model behaviourAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Revolution of Mercy: how kindness changes everything by Bonnie Landry if not...2025-04-1839 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolinggetting through difficulties and overwhelm in motherhoodsend us a text via Fan Mail!Elizabeth and I discuss strategies when things are difficult in our motherhood and homeschooling.1:35 - We all have bad days 6:30 - Getting through a crisis 9:52 - Lighthearted discipline 11:20 - Getting things done with a baby20:34 - Pregnancy and coping with difficulties 23:02 - How it gets easier 26:17 - Attachment to adult vs. peers 34:04 - Screen time for educationAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Th...2025-04-0539 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolinghow to organize eventssend us a text via Fan Mail!A chat with my accomplice Brian D and myself on the how, why, who, where, when and what of getting things done. Big emphasis on the why. 2:30 - Our intrinsic need for community10:27 - Cultivating ideas and gathering in person 23:53 - Create a running list of ideas26:47 - Planning the logistics 32:44 - Promoting your event 36:30 - Having a supportive team 39:04 - Incorporating special aspects42:29 - Relying on providence 45:18 - Bonnie's planning process 1:06:50 - The fruits of our labourYou c...2025-03-081h 09
make joy normal: cozy homeschoolingmy take on it: order, where to start when you're feeling overwhelmedsend us a text via Fan Mail!I received this fan mail a few days ago, and wanted to respond with my take on it. This mom is doing so many good things already, please know I pray for you all and hope this helps!Hi Bonnie -- I am really struggling. I deeply desire a joyful home and yet every day , without fail I am yelling, the kids are fighting, the baby is overtired and the house is a mess. I'm at a loss at where to even begin. I know my di...2024-09-0310 min
make joy normal: cozy homeschoolingmy take on it: struggling with spelling and kids who are behindsend us a text via Fan Mail!I received great question(s) yesterday, what do we do when our kids can't spell...what do we do when they're behind....what do we do when our head's not in the game."Hi Bonnie! I have a question! My 10 year old son is very very very much a struggling speller. I mean, I’m sure he is dyslexic. He can’t spell at all and I’ve tried everything. What would you do? Just dictation?""I admit I hit very much a rough patch with genera...2024-07-2217 min
make joy normal: cozy homeschoolingmy take on it: children and choressend us a text via Fan Mail!Short answer to an important question...our experience and how it changed over the years: "Hi Bonnie! I’m thinking about our daily/weekly routines for this school year and wondering if you have thoughts on chores for kids. I’m looking at how many hours we have in the day and plugging in reading aloud, a little sit down work, more reading aloud, practicing piano, and then chores on top of that I just wonder am I asking too much of my kids (ages 6 and 8). On the one h...2024-07-2114 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingJust do it: building community with Rebecca Genuissend us a text via Fan Mail!Such a lovely conversation with my dear listener Rebecca! She shares some great ideas for gathering people and growing community. 00:33 - Prayer request 1:11 - Welcome Rebecca, family and vocation 3:13 - Preconception, pregnancy and fertility health 8:04 - Professional development for homeschoolers16:11 - Format for homeschool gathering 18:45 - Growing a community 23:31 - How to reach out to other families and keep communication open 27:51 - Parenting issues are the most significant 32:37 - Supporting and loving our children 37:20 - Holiness and learning from our...2023-11-2541 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingcloseness and learning: getting school work done without strifesend us a text via Fan Mail!Christina brings a great topic of discussion - can kids be trusted or will they take advantage of our goodness towards them? We discuss productivity, discipline, authority and how to handle kids with controlling or manipulative behaviours. 4:50 - Learning to trust our children 6:46 - Education as a place of building relationship 10:09 - What should we do when we get pushback? 17:18 - Learning to empathize with our children 21:39 - What if a child is manipulating you?26:58 - Leadership and authority in parenting 30:29 - Resp...2023-11-0241 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingNourished: an interview with Deborah MacNamara on her new booksend us a text via Fan Mail!Wow, what a profound episode with Dr. Deborah MacNamara who joins me to discuss her new book Nourished: Connection, Food and Caring for Our Kids. We discuss relationship as the foundation to our health, how food and attachment are interconnected and how to create a family culture where food draws us together, is joyful and life-giving. 1:14 - Valuing the family meal, Bonnie's experience 6:40 - Food will either serve attachment or soothe emotional distress 11:50 - Receptivity and operating from the perspective of a role13:48 What if we are...2023-10-071h 05make joy normal: cozy homeschoolingwhich curriculum to use for a preschooler - a longer answer than you probably wantsend us a text via Fan Mail!A listener submits a question, and well...I just launch. Catholic Heritage Curricula - Ever Ancient, Ever New 2:32 - What curriculum do you recommend for a preschooler? 5:10 - How natural learning began in our home 11:41 - What I noticed over time 14:44 - Curricula stressors and math example 19:13 - Be the master of the curriculum 19:53 - Creating a loving learning environmentBonnie Landry Youtube page The Three R's by Ruth Beechick Homeschooling Simplified book series2023-08-0424 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingsome truths in family life ~ part twosend us a text via Fan Mail!00:50 - owning less stuff 2:29 - investing in the relationship 8:56 - practicing kindness and tenderness#makejoynormal #homeschooling #familylife #parenting #connection #guidance #kindness Try Riversidefm, Our recording platform. I use it because it’s easy. I use it because good tech support matters.https://riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_1&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=bonnieBuzzsprout makes podcasting simple. I value support in this ministry; the folks at buzzsprout respond quickly and cheerfully.https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=10...2023-02-2115 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingsome truths in family life ~ part onesend us a text via Fan Mail!I share some thoughts on family life : helping our relationships flourish, understanding our family's history and tradition, how kindness changes everything and how to reduce unnecessary busyness. 1:07 - Truth in family life: what does that mean? 9:20 - Finding joy and dignity in relationships 22:21 - Chaos undermines kindness 25:14 - Tools for discerning commitments The Adventures of the REAL Winnie-the-Pooh - The New York Public Library Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark (video series) be invested in the relationship, not the...2023-02-1828 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingteeeeeeeeeenagers....what to do...what to dosend us a text via Fan Mail!Elizabeth and I chat about kids in the transition years . Wait, they're all transition years...but some, of course, are more dramatic than others, and emerging teens and adults leave parents treading new waters. 1:39 - Navigating bedtime as kids get older 8:20 - Including them in the decision making 14:21 - Our role as parents 20:15 - When your child becomes an adult Dr. Russell Barkley on parenting babies, toddlers, teens and beyond#makejoynormal #homeschooling #teenagers #parenting #attachment #formationTry...2023-02-1130 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingbaby and beyond: a love storysend us a text via Fan Mail!Allison shares so beautifully about the struggles faced in motherhood and in the postpartum period. Her journey in healing physically, emotionally, spiritually and the transformation that comes one day at a time by God's grace. 2:48 - Welcome Allison! 5:23 - Realizing that something needs to change 10:15 - A beginning for getting help 15:41 - Did people around you notice that you weren't well? 20:03 - The need for community and support 25:11 - Where is a good place to start for physical/spiritual health?34:35 - Wh...2023-02-0447 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingCanadian Online Homeschool Conference, you don't have to be Canadian!Yours truly doing a live talk on developing a high school transcript! Feb. 9th, 10 am pacific, 1 pm eastern - join me!! I will be so excited to see you there, and will have some time for Q and A or AMA, or whatever works for y'all. Check it out in the link below...blessings, Bonnie https://canadianhomeschoolconference.com/aff/10/Contact On Instagram at @make.joy.normal On Facebook at Homeschoolers: make JOY normal By email at questionsmakejoynormal@gmail.com or by voicemail Thanks for listening to Make Joy Norm...2023-01-3002 minmake joy normal: cozy homeschoolingdifferences in disciplinesend us a text via Fan Mail!It's a great question - How do we approach the topic of differences in discipline with a young child who notices these things and is asking? We also discuss how small families can approach their homeschooling communities despite large families being the norm.2:00 - How do you explain parenting differences to a child? 8:45 - When others are disapproving of your methods of discipline 13:32 - Choosing our words carefully and with great empathy 16:13 - Small families, homeschooling communities and infertilityNeufeld Institute | Gordon Neufeld PhD...2023-01-2830 min