Can Shakespeare come alive in your backyard?

In this heartwarming and inspiring episode, Kaitlin Zara talks with Mary Ellen Barrett, founder of the Front Lawn Players—a homeschool theater troupe that performed Shakespeare plays on backyards for 14 years.

From handmade costumes and thrifted sets to children memorizing complex scripts and growing in confidence, Mary Ellen shares how homemade theater became a transformative educational and spiritual experience for her family and community. She offers practical advice for homeschool moms who want to incorporate drama into their learning, without needing Broadway budgets or perfect homes.

You’ll be inspired to embrace creativity, community, and even a little chaos for the sake of something beautiful.

Thank you to our sponsor: Franciscan University of Steubenville At Franciscan University, students live the truth of the Gospel in a vibrant Catholic community that unites faith and reason in every major. Twenty percent of Franciscan students come from a homeschool background! High school juniors and seniors can also earn college credit online through Franciscan’s dual enrollment program.

Mary Ellen Barrett is a homeschooling mother from Long Island and a founder of the Front Lawn Players, a backyard Shakespeare troupe that performed 14 plays over 14 years.

Mary Ellen also serves as the Chairman of the Board at Seton Home Study School, editor at Seton Magazine, and podcaster at Stay at Homeschooling Moms

Follow Mary Ellen on Substack: https://maryellenbarrett.substack.com/

Explore Homeschool Connections’ online Shakespeare courses.

• How six homeschool moms started performing Shakespeare on their front lawns.

• Why seeing and hearing Shakespeare first makes it accessible to kids.

• The difference between reading Shakespeare and performing it.

• How performance builds confidence and lifelong public speaking skills.

• The interdisciplinary power of theater (literature, history, math, art, music).

• Creating elaborate productions on a homeschool schedule.

• Why May became “Shakespeare season” in their homes.

• Hosting public backyard performances (and even performing at Westbury Gardens!).

• The deep community formed among the moms and families.

• The powerful story of Mary Ellen’s son Ryan and the gift of acceptance through theater.

• Making space for neurodivergent and differently-abled children in creative work.

• Letting go of perfection (yes—even the sticky kitchen floor).

• Practical advice for starting your own homeschool theater group.

1. Start Small

Begin with simple costumes, a backyard, and a short play. Grow gradually each year.

2. Performance Makes Shakespeare Click

Watch it. Hear it. Experience it. Once children see it performed, the language becomes accessible.

3. Theater Builds More Than Academic Skills

Drama fosters poise, moral imagination, confidence, friendship, and belonging.

4. Play to Your Strengths

Sew, cook, build, direct, organize—every mom can contribute in her own way.

5. Community Changes Everything

The Front Lawn Players wasn’t just about Shakespeare—it created lifelong friendships for moms and children alike

You don’t need a stage. You don’t need perfection. You don’t need a spotless house.

You do need creativity, courage, and community.

As Mary Ellen beautifully reminds us, no one will remember the messy kitchen floor—but your children will remember the magic you created together.

To discover more support for your Catholic homeschool adventure, here are some valuable resources for you:

• Catholic Homeschool Blog
• Catholic Homeschool Podcast

Grab your coffee, and let’s homeschool together!

With so many homeschool philosophies to choose from—Charlotte Mason, classical, unschooling, eclectic—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. How do you choose the right approach, especially when you’re raising multiple children with very different personalities?

In this encouraging and practical episode, Kaitlin Zara sits down with veteran homeschooling mom of seven, Bonnie Landry. Bonnie homeschooled for 32 years and shares how she built a peaceful, relationship-first home without rigid rewards, pressure-heavy academics, or fear-based decision-making.

From teaching bookish learners and high-energy boys under one roof to prioritizing connection over conflict, Bonnie offers wisdom for homeschooling moms who want confidence, clarity, and joy—especially in large families.

If you’ve ever worried about falling behind, choosing the “wrong” philosophy, or losing your identity as a nurturing mom while becoming the “teacher,” this conversation will renew your courage.

Sponsor: Franciscan University of Steubenville At Franciscan University, students live the truth of the Gospel in a vibrant Catholic community that unites faith and reason in every major. Twenty percent of Franciscan students come from a homeschool background! High school juniors and seniors can also earn college credit online through Franciscan’s dual enrollment program.

Bonnie Landry is a Catholic wife and mother of seven, living on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Five of her children are now married, and she is a grandmother to twelve. Bonnie homeschooled for 32 years and now hosts the podcast Make Joy Normal: Cozy Homeschooling, where she shares encouragement on homeschooling, community, babies, and cultivating joy in family life.

Her mission is simple: Make joy normal.

Podcast: https://makejoynormal.buzzsprout.com/ Recommended Book: The Three R’s by Ruth Beechick

• Bonnie’s 32-year homeschooling journey, raising seven children

• Teaching multiple personalities under one roof

• Multi-sensory learning in a large family

• Why relationship comes before academics

• A peaceful alternative to rewards and consequences

• How removing pressure can increase academic success

• Creating independent learners without a rigid curriculum

• Balancing bookish children with high-energy kids

• Managing one-on-one time when toddlers are underfoot

• Why “falling behind” may not be what you think

• Being fearless in your homeschool decisions

• The importance of real-life community for homeschooling moms

• Connection fuels cooperation. Prioritizing relationship over control creates long-term trust and willingness.

• You don’t need pressure to produce strong academics. Bonnie’s children thrived in college and university without a heavy academic hand.

• Homeschool philosophy should serve relationships, not the other way around. The real question isn’t “Which curriculum?” but “How can I foster strong relationships in my home?”

• Large family homeschooling can be peaceful. Short lessons, shared family studies, and intentional breaks make it sustainable.

• Be fearless. God gave you your children and the grace to educate them.

"Different” doesn’t mean broken. It means beautifully designed.

In this heartfelt and deeply affirming episode, Kaitlin is joined by Ginny Kochis, neurodivergent parent coach, author, and founder of Quirky Catholic Kids, for an honest conversation about raising neurodivergent children with confidence, compassion, and faith. Drawing on her experience as a former teacher, homeschool mom, and mother of three twice-exceptional children, Ginny guides listeners through the journey from fear and shame to understanding, acceptance, and peace.

Together, they explore evaluations, homeschooling myths, accessing services, social challenges, and the profound blessings that come with raising “quirky” kids. This episode is a must-listen for any parent navigating neurodiversity—especially Catholic homeschooling families seeking encouragement, clarity, and hope.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What it really means to be a “quirky” or neurodivergent child
• Why being different does not mean being broken
• Ginny’s personal journey raising three twice-exceptional children
• The emotional reality parents face after a diagnosis—and why diagnosis is a tool, not a label
• When (and why) parents should consider evaluations, even if they plan to homeschool
• How homeschooling, public school, and private school can each support neurodivergent kids
• What services (IEPs, 504s, therapies) are available—and how homeschoolers can still access them
• How to navigate homeschool meetups, co-ops, and social situations with confidence
• Practical tips for preventing and managing sensory overload and meltdowns
• Common myths about homeschooling neurodivergent children—and why they’re wrong
• The unexpected blessings, growth, and joy that come with raising neurodivergent kids

Sponsor Fiat Life Coaching Emily Brown from Fiat Life Coaching offers premium support for Catholic homeschooling moms to learn essential skills to manage their time, other people’s behavior, and their own mental and emotional well-being. Learn more about her signature program, the Happy, Holy Mama Membership, at https://fiatlifecoaching.ontralink.com/tl/6

You can also find Emily and Fiat Life Coaching on social media at:

• Happy Holy Moma Podcast, https://www.youtube.com/@happyholymama
• Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/fiatlifecoaching/
• Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072621575204
• YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/@happyholymama

Featured Guest Ginny Kochis is a Catholic wife and mom to three twice-exceptional children. A former high school English teacher and adjunct professor, she holds an MA in Teaching Writing and Literature and has over 20 years of experience educating children of all ability levels. Through Quirky Catholic Kids, Ginny offers practical support and prayerful encouragement to Catholic families raising neurodivergent children. She believes God gives curious, creative, intense children the exact mother they need to thrive.

Resources & Links:

• Ginny’s Website: https://ginnykochis.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quirkycatholickids/

• Books by Ginny: https://amzn.to/4s33xPh

• Homeschool Connections: https://homeschoolconnections.com/

• Dual Enrollment with Franciscan University at Homeschool Connections: https://homeschoolconnections.com/resources/college-credit/

If you’ve ever felt isolated, unsure, or overwhelmed raising a neurodivergent child, this episode will meet you right where you are—and remind you that you are not alone.

To discover more support for your Catholic homeschool adventure, here are some valuable resources for you:

• Catholic Homeschool Blog, https://homeschoolconnections.com/blog/
• Catholic Homeschool Podcast, https://homeschoolconnections.com/podcast/
• The Catholic Homeschool Conference, https://catholichomeschoolconference.com
• Homeschool Connections Community, https://community.homeschoolconnections.com/

Grab your coffee, and let’s homeschool together!