Building a Joyful Home: My Go-To Books for Parenting (And Homeschooling!) Differently Wired Kids

This week, I took a detour from my usual “what I’m reading” updates to talk about homeschooling: the messy, creative, deeply imperfect way we’ve done it for thirteen years now.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from others who are homeschooling, or thinking about it, and it felt like the right time to share what’s worked for us and talk realistically about finding your own rhythm when the traditional school system doesn’t fit your kid’s needs.

We come to this as secular homeschoolers, meaning we don’t incorporate any religious teachings into our lessons, and that’s because…

I had to homeschool out of necessity.

My oldest simply wasn’t going to make it in a classroom when they were little.

Each year I’ve tweaked and adapted what we do to fit both my kids’ needs, while also prioritizing Lesson #1 of how not to go insane while homeschooling: your needs as the homeschooling parent matter too!

Some days as a parent feel magical, and some days don’t.

This book list will help you get through them all…even if you’re not homeschooling.

This episode talks beyond “how-tos” - although I did link to a few of my favorite homeschool books.

More so, I talked about parenting tools, executive functioning support, home organizing, and creativity. Honestly, the real work of parenting, no matter how you choose to educate your kid/s, is about meeting their needs, getting through the tough days, and finding tiny bits of joy and humanity for yourself in the process.

Whether you’re celebrating the first week of school back-to-school, all-in on homeschooling, just coasting through, or somewhere in between, I hope you find something that brings you a little peace in the (probable) chaos you’re experiencing.

📚 Books Mentioned

Some of these may be affiliate links, which just means I get a tiny kickback for fueling your reading habit.

* Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D.

* Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp (I’ve always used the 2nd Edition, but it looks like a new 3rd edition released on September 15, 2026...which is nice because the 2nd edition from 2020 is a little outdated. Might have to buy the new edition!)

* The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart

* Cure the Fear of Homeschooling High School: A Step-by-Step Handbook for Research & Planning by Ann Karako

* The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education by Grace Llewellyn

* Smart but Scattered Teens: The “Executive Skills” Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential by Richard Guare, Peg Dawson, and Colin Guare [ Here is the version for 4-13-year-olds, Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary Executive Skills Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential | And the one for emerging adults, Smart but Scattered--and Stalled: 10 Steps to Help Young Adults Use Their Executive Skills to Set Goals, Make a Plan, and Successfully Leave the Nest ]

* The Artist’s Way for Parents: Raising Creative Children by Julia Cameron and Emma Lively

* Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Organized, Clean, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day by Becky Rapinchuk

* How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis, LPC

* Organizing Your Day: Time Management Techniques That Will Work for You by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims [ Please note that this book appears to be out of print. ]

* Break Free from Reactive Parenting: Gentle-Parenting Tips, Self-Regulation Strategies, and Kid-Friendly Activities for Creating a Calm and Happy Home by Laura Linn Knight

* Calm the Chaos: A Fail-Proof Road Map for Parenting Even the Most Challenging Kids by Dayna Abraham

💬 Let’s Chat

What helps you feel like you’re doing okay as a parent or educator (even if it doesn’t look “normal”)? I’d love to hear your wins, or even the things you’ve let go of lately.

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