Welcome to the Wild and Free podcast, episode 75.

I'm Ainsley Arment, and this week we're talking with Mama of Five, Jane Manka,

about homeschooling multiple ages and giving our children permission to make mistakes as they are growing and learning.

Because I definitely used to, in my younger homeschool days, used to like try to force myself

to be something that I wasn't, to try to be what I felt to be the best mom to my children

and their homeschooler, to make their homeschooling experience what I thought it should be,

versus what it was.

And they were still learning whether we were cutting up paper and gluing or not.

Plus, we'll share about our new book called Book Club, coming out on May 25th.

So grab a cup of coffee and join us on the front porch.

Let's get started.

I'm no mother Teresa.

I hide in the bathroom and scroll my phone like any other parent who's had it up to her ears with the constant bickering or continual cries for mom.

I found solace in grocery shopping, if only for the solitude.

And I have a secret stash of chocolate

for the especially hard days, like the best of them.

But more than anything, I desire to connect with my kids.

The author Tilly Olson wrote,

More than in any other human relationship.

Overwhelmingly more, motherhood means being instantly interruptible,

responsive, responsible. I make breakfast, switch the laundry, and empty the dishwasher,

all in the middle of answering a simple text. The recipient will never know it took over an hour

...