How does one raise children in a world of screens, casual culture, and declining manners? In this refreshing conversation, I sit down with Faye Root, a 38-year-old writer and homeschooling mother of two (soon to be three) living in northern Michigan.

We discuss Faye’s decision to homeschool despite having attended public school herself, why she teaches her children to say “please” and “thank you” with direct instruction (not just modeling), and how she practices what she calls “placeholder parenting”—imagining the adults she wants her children to become and working backward from there.

Faye is candid about the sometimes tedious challenges of raising and homeschooling young children. But she’s also convinced that cultivating beauty, teaching manners, and prioritizing parental bonds over peer orientation are essential acts of rebuilding society.

We explore why natural materials matter, the importance of fostering curiosity over achievement, and why children need to be taught good manners in order to be welcome in other people’s homes and society at large. Whether you’re a parent, thinking about becoming one, or simply curious about alternative approaches to education and family life, this conversation offers an attractive and achievable vision of what intentional living can look like.

Find Faye Root:

Writing:Faye’s work at the Michigan Enjoyer

On Instagram:littlebayschool

On X: littlebayschool

On Substack: littlebayschoolfaye

Recommended Reading:Hold on to Your Kids by Gabor Mate and Dr. Gordon Neufeld

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