The Family Room (The Quest)

Beth Von Arx, former teacher and homeschooling mother of nine

After interviewing John Paul Von Arx about his wildly successful song,”He’s Different,” which aired on our December 27, 2023, episode, it became clear that there was another celebrity in the family, John Paul’s mother, Beth Von Arx.

Beth and her husband, Joe, raised their nine children with the primary goal to help each member get to Heaven, and, initially, homeschooling was not part of their plan. As a former teacher, Beth remembers sitting in the teacher’s lounge echoing the common opinion that homeschooled kids were destined to be socially backward. Nine homeschooled children later, Beth shares that it’s the best decision they ever made because homeschooling gave them – and not the culture – the joy of becoming their children’s biggest influencers.

Beth stresses how homeschooling gives parents the pleasure of discovering each child’s gifts in a natural way and allows each child to blossom into the person they were always meant to be without the overwhelming peer pressure to conform to the culture. Beth’s humor as she describes the controlled chaos while simultaneously homeschooling nine children will give you hope. Her creativity will put wind in your sails, giving you the encouragement you need to step into the crazy but eternally-rewarding world of homeschooling.

Resources

• A book that influenced Beth: A Landscape with Dragons: The Battle for Your Child’s Mind by Michael D. O’Brien, published by Ignatius Press