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IN THIS EDITION

🍎 A homeschool mom of 7 says: connection > curriculum
🍎 What Charlotte Mason, Spotify, and spa lighting have in common
🍎 Meg’s 3 favorite tools to reset habits and bring calm

💡 1 THOUGHT

You don’t need a new curriculum. You need a new foundation.

Meg Thomas, a certified life coach and veteran homeschooling mom of 7, has graduated five kids and still loves it. Her secret isn’t the right planner or perfect program.

It’s this 3-part framework: heart, habits, and home.

In this recent Q&A, Meg walks through these three pillars of a thriving homeschool:

• Heart: Connection is what makes kids teachable
• Habits: Smooth days come from invisible routines
• Home: Behavior often changes when the environment does

She covers everything from how to build trust without yelling, to how to get siblings to stop misbehaving at the dinner table. Watch the full talk, and download Meg’s Happy Habits chart here.

📊 2 TRENDS

1. THE GREAT TOY REDUCTION Meg Thomas shared that reducing toys and clutter has improved her kids’ focus, emotional regulation, and reduced anxiety. Our friend Claire Honeycutt echoes this in her latest piece, sharing how her kids became "happier, more playful, & calm" after decluttering their rooms—even though they initially resisted. Less stuff = calmer, more focused kids.

2. ARE SCREENS SABOTAGING REGULATION?

Meg points out how screen time affects behavior, attention span, and sleep: “It actually makes them have a shorter attention span... it can create anxiety and it lowers social skills.”

This echoes research showing links between screen exposure and emotional dysregulation.

🛠️ 3 TOOLS

1. Happy Habits Chart — Meg's behavior training triangle (example, teach, praise) helps kids gain independence and internal discipline without nagging or yelling.

2. Simple Joy Art — Beautiful, free printable artwork Meg uses to create a peaceful, inspiring homeschool atmosphere. Includes bookmarks, maps, and vintage prints.

3. Spotify — Meg mentions how music shifts the energy in her home. She uses upbeat showtunes for moods and classical playlists for calm and focus.

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