Episode 198
Buy Jennifer’s Book Here: https://amzn.to/4wiwDLS
Today I’m so glad to welcome Jennifer Pepito back to the show.
Jennifer is the host of the Restoration Home podcast, bestselling author of Habits for a Sacred Home, and founder of The Peaceful Press, a homeschool curriculum provider many of us know and love. Her writing has been featured in Wild + Free, Commonplace Quarterly, and Home Educating Family, and she’s been a guest on 1000 Hours Outside, At Home with Sally, and The Read Aloud Revival. She lives in the mountains with her family, where her days are shaped by reading aloud, tending the garden, and building a home life rooted in rhythm and beauty.
And if you’re a mom who has ever felt the tension between what homeschool “should” look like and what your child actually needs… if you’ve wondered whether there’s a more peaceful, more meaningful way to educate without losing depth or vision—this conversation is for you.
Today we’re talking about her newest book, The Inspired Homeschool: How History’s Heroes Light a Path Toward Joyful, Confident Learning. In her book, Jennifer pulls from the lives of historical figures, along with research and biblical wisdom, to help us reimagine education through literature, nature, work, and story—so we can raise children who are curious, grounded, and confident in who they are becoming.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from Jennifer’s book (& the interview):
“Raising my hand too often and too excitedly to answer questions was met with frustration from teachers.” – page 27
“My personal ideals for our homeschool don’t have to be yours, but if you don’t know your why, you will continually bow to outside pressures and create stress for your children in the process.” – page 29
Not wanting our kids to learn from a system that is hostile toward our faith.
“Young children are great imitators, and if we haven’t yet crushed their natural desire to help by setting unreasonable standards or expressing disappointment in them, they can be great helpers.” – page 47
“The atmosphere is you.” – page 49
Beauty: Effortlessly incorporate beauty…such intentionality.
“Mason particularly emphasized the habits of attention, obedience, right thinking, and right acting.” – page 63
Habits: You’re the one who showed me that virtues and habits are interconnected.
“Homeschooling in the modern age requires tremendous powers of attention, as we must forcibly tear ourselves away from a highly distracting culture and learn to settle into the beautiful and short season of homeschooling our children.” – page 74
“I wanted to give my children the world, so I gave them inspiring books.” – page 79
“It’s hard to understand why traditional schools keep pushing the factory model, and why they’ve replaced classic literature with hopeless victim narratives.” – page 126
“We eventually ditched history textbooks altogether, preferring instead to read primary sources, biographies, and other resources from that time period rather than a modern author’s revision of the information.” (us vs them textbooks or victim lens) – page 138
An inspired homeschool will leave children feeling hopeful about people and the future.
Feed our children a steady diet of beauty because beauty leads us beside still waters and restores our soul. – page 178
Make love for God and people the main thing
Joan of Arc…”no workbooks were thrust upon her to be completed under duress.” – page 209
“We forget that children, like us, are in process; and God, who began a good work, is faithful to complete it.” – page 212
“So just be faithful. Be joyful. Keep plodding along, doing your best. Keep forgiving yourself when you make a mistake, and keep loving your children. This is good and worthy work, and the joy of the Lord will be your strength.” – page 217
Jennifer’s Bio: Jennifer Pepito is the host of the Restoration Home podcast and the bestselling author of Habits for a Sacred Home. Her latest book is The Inspired Home School: How History’s Heroes Light a Path Toward Joyful, Confident Learning. Jennifer is the founder of The Peaceful Press, a homeschool curriculum provider. Her writing has been featured in online and print journals, including Wild and Free, Commonplace Quarterly, and Home Educating Family. She’s made guest appearances on the podcasts 1000 Hours Outside, At Home with Sally, and The Read Aloud Revival. Jennifer lives in the mountains with her beloved family, where she enjoys reading aloud, working in her garden, and watching the sunset.