How do you keep homeschooling and keep loving your family well when life is extraordinarily hard?
Author, speaker, and veteran homeschool mom Mary Lenaburg joins Kaitlin Zara for an honest, hope-filled conversation about homeschooling, parenting a child with profound disabilities, caring for siblings’ needs, strengthening a marriage under tremendous pressure, and finding joy even in seasons of suffering.
Mary and her husband homeschooled their son, Jonathan, from second grade through high school while raising their daughter, Courtney, who experienced significant medical and developmental challenges throughout her life. Looking back, Mary shares both the beautiful memories and the things she wishes she had done differently.
Her advice is refreshingly practical: fall in love with your children and what they love. Get help before you think you need it. Protect your marriage. Let go of the idea that a successful homeschool is measured by completing every page of curriculum. And when a family you love is overwhelmed by medical or special needs, don’t simply ask how you can help; show up and do something.
Above all, Mary reminds us that joy is not the same thing as having an easy life. It is something deeper, rooted in knowing who we are and trusting God with what we cannot control.
This Episode Is Sponsored by John Paul the Great Catholic University
John Paul the Great Catholic University in California offers hands-on programs in creative arts, digital media, theology, and business within a faithfully Catholic environment.
Apply for free and explore free online storytelling courses for homeschool students at:
https://jpcatholic.edu/homeschool
In This Episode
Kaitlin and Mary discuss:
- Why Mary began homeschooling in the 1990s
- Homeschooling a gifted child while caring for a sibling with profound disabilities and medical needs
- How homeschooling gave Mary’s family greater flexibility during an unusually demanding season
- What Mary wishes she had understood about the needs of siblings in special-needs families
- Why parents should “fall in love with what their children love”
- The importance of seeking counseling and outside support
- Protecting your marriage when parenting and caregiving become overwhelming
- Why being fully present doesn’t mean being available to everyone every minute
- Giving yourself grace for the parenting decisions you made with the knowledge you had at the time
- Why practical life skills, character, faith, and relationships matter alongside academics
- How friends can practically support families caring for a child with disabilities
- Mary’s simple advice for helping an overwhelmed parent: “Don’t ask, just do.”
- Finding hope after loss
One Big Takeaway
A successful homeschool and a successful family aren’t ones where everything goes according to plan.
Looking back on decades of motherhood, homeschooling, caregiving, marriage, loss, and healing, Mary encourages parents to focus less on checking every academic box and more on the people God has placed in front of them.
When life doesn’t look anything like you expected, remember Mary’s words: “Joy is a choice.”
About Mary Lenaburg
Mary Lenaburg is a wife of nearly four decades, mother, grandmother, author, speaker, and veteran homeschool mom. She is the author of the award-winning Be Brave in the Scared, Be Bold in the Broken, and a forthcoming book from Ascension Press arriving in October 2026. Her writing has also appeared in newspapers, magazines, and seven additional books.
An acclaimed international speaker, Mary leads retreats, delivers keynotes at conferences, and co-hosts The Mary and Jerry Podcast with her husband. Known for tackling difficult topics with both passion and humor, Mary seeks to help people know that they are seen, known, and loved by God.
About Your Host
Kaitlin Zara is a veteran educator, homeschool mom, and host of the Homeschool Connections Podcast. She combines her classroom experience with the everyday realities of homeschooling to encourage parents to approach education with confidence, flexibility, and joy.