There are some milestones that you know are going to be exciting:

• First smile
• Baby giggles
• First words
• First steps
• Sleeping through the night
• Adios, diapers!

And then there are those super-exciting milestones that somehow no one tells you about:

• When they can get dressed independently
• When they learn to pump while swinging
• When they can put their snow gear on without help
• When your kids can wipe their own bums

And then there is my absolute favorite milestone and it happened–for the very first time–last week.

My Favorite Milestone: And Why I Love Brave Writer

Last Thursday, my youngest son read his first three books to me. Thankfully, I captured the moment on video.

The smile on his face says it all.

There is something absolutely, breathtakingly magical when you witness a child unlock the code. It brings tears to my eyes and fills my heart. It’s a milestone that you know you’ll enjoy, but you have no idea you’ll enjoy it this much.

(To be honest, it’s bittersweet. I am a little bit sad this was our last unlock-the-code moment over here!)

As a bibliophile and homeschool mom, building a love of written language has been on my mind from the beginning. That is why I chose Brave Writer as our homeschool language arts curriculum. I know, without a doubt, that Brave Writer helped us to grow a love of the written word in our children.

And, the best part? Brave Writer never feels like work because it allows for the natural development of written language.

Why I love Brave Writer

There are so many reasons why I love Brave Writer. Here are just a few:

• Brave Writer was created by a professional writer and homeschooling mom of five homeschool graduates.
• Brave Writer is more than a curriculum, it’s a lifestyle. It becomes a way of life; a beautiful, fun, and family-strengthening way of life.
• You don’t have to be a fantastic writer to use Brave Writer. Brave Writer gives you the knowledge and tools you need to become your child’s writing coach.
• Brave Writer is fun. Do you love family movie night? Tea parties where you get to dress up and have an interesting conversation? Parties for no reason? Walks in the great outdoors? So do I! Guess what? All of those things and more are considered part of the Brave Writer lifestyle.
• Brave Writer emphasizes creativity and the arts.
• Brave Writer is a complete writing program that covers academic writing, yet the program manages to do so without losing the writer’s individual, creative voice.
• Brave Writer is flexible. There are no set timelines or to-dos with Brave Writer. There are suggested routines rather than schedules.
• This program is ideal for families with multiple children.

And guess what?

Last week, the very same week that my youngest unlocked the code, I had the honor of interviewing Julie Bogart, creator and founder of Brave Writer, on The Homeschool Sisters Podcast. My co-host, Kara, and I are huge Brave Writer fans. On the show, we often talk about how the Brave Writer lifestyle has shaped our homeschool. And we always joke about how we should have Julie Bogart on the show.

Well, we did.

And it was awesome.

In the episode, we talk about the Brave Writer Lifestyle, homeschooling, writing, and raising awesome adults who grow up to travel the world… yet still come home for Thanksgiving. The episode will air on Tuesday, October 11th and I want to invite anyone curious about the Brave Writer Lifestyle to join us. The very next day, Kara and I will be taking over Brave Writer’s Instagram feed to show what the lifestyle looks like in our home. The episode is a perfect example of why I love Brave Writer.

If you have a child who balks at writing, if you are looking for ways to make learning natural and fun, if you are a homeschooler… you’ll want to tune in.

Now, it’s your turn: What is your favorite milestone? How do you instill a love of language in your children? Are you a Brave Writer family too? Share here!