Bonnie Landry is an ordinary Catholic wife and mom, living on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada with her family. She and her husband Albert have raised (and are still raising) seven children who range in age from 17-37. Four are now married, and the avalanche of grand-babies has begun.
Bonnie’s mission is joy. Living simply, discipline with dignity, fostering community and encouraging others are all central to her life. This mission encourages others to be present to the people they love.
She strives to make joy normal.
Homeschooling her kids for the last twenty nine years confirms that strong relationships are fundamental for success in education. And the rest of life. Life is kind of a bust if you can’t get along with people.
WHERE TO FIND ME:
SPEAKING
Here are some workshops and talks:
Why Education Matters
If the most important work we do as parents is to raise good and thoughtful children, then why does education matter at all? Education matters because to truly reach our full potential as humans we need to expand the mind to its full capacity. Education's proper place is to develop people to their fullest potential without worshipping education.
How to Read a Book so it Becomes the Curriculum
Literature can be the backbone for so many subjects. History, geography, culture, sciences, art, music...and other subjects, can be studied through literature. When we read aloud well to our children, that beautiful family study that we all imagined homeschooling to be comes to life. This talk discusses ideas for family study through literature and vital resources.
A Well Ordered Life: finding the Good, the True and the Beautiful amidst the laundry: What has laundry got to do with a rich homeschooling life? Order changes everything. In the laundry room, kitchen, activity choices and in our hearts...order helps our mood and our productivity. How do we "get order" when we are so busy raising children? It is valuable, freeing AND possible!
Raising Holy Children: what does that even mean?
It's easy to think obedient, cooperative and well behaved mean the same thing as holy. Lord, knows - I’m not well behaved - but I am striving for holiness! Holy and perfect? NOT the same thing.
Dictation: love and language
Dictation, used well, is perhaps the single most effective and efficient tool at our disposal to teach language. In an environment of love, we discover the world of language one on one with our children. Each lesson is perfectly tailored to a child's skill level and aptitude. Learn how Language Arts can be easily presented in a simple, short and loving lesson daily.
Families, Become What You Are: intimate communities of life and love Defining "what really matters" in family life helps us stay focused on the big reasons we teach our own. Parents are primarily concerned with what kind of people they will raise. People of integrity, faith, honesty, empathy, diligence. Busyness, chaos and distractions can cause us to lose sight of the big picture. The "tyranny of the urgent" should not be the state in which our families run. This talk is about recognizing and avoiding the pitfalls that create discord and disorder in our day and provides practical advice about actively changing clutter and chaos (emotional, spiritual and temporal) into a more joyful, ordered environment.
Homeschooling, simplified: what matters most OR Revolution of Mercy
Parents are primarily concerned with what kind of people they will raise. People of integrity, faith, honesty, empathy, diligence. It’s easy to lose sit of the big picture. Recognize and avoid the pitfalls that create discord, clutter and chaos (emotional, spiritual and temporal) into a more joyful, ordered environment.
Homeschooling through the Challenging Times
Our vocation should be joyful and love should be what defines our families. But it isn't always so. Emotional strife, a difficult child, financial hardship or physical illness can tarnish joy. We can ease the impact of difficulties by preparation, and developing contingency plans for when things go awry.
Shortcuts to Joy: homeschooling the way you thought it would be
We all learn best in an environment of joy. Joy is a means to reach our full potential. How do we find joy and keep joy? By employing these two tools: simplicity and surrender.
Transcending the Laundry and other Homeschooling Realities
What has laundry got to do with a rich homeschooling life? Order changes everything. In our homes, our activities and in our hearts...order helps our mood and our productivity. And our mood...