Meet the board: Dayna

Hello, all! My name is Dayna, and I’m honored to be serving as the new member liaison for The Social Homeschooler. This is my first year on the board, and I’m looking forward to supporting this wonderful community.

We are a military family, with my husband currently stationed at Fort Leavenworth. We have three children—a 7-year-old son, a 5-year-old daughter, and a 2-year-old son. Because we’ve moved often (four times since my oldest was born!), we know how important it is to find friends and community wherever we land. We feel so blessed to have found TSH, where we were welcomed into an established network that is also so open to new faces.

I first became interested in homeschooling when my oldest was about a year old. I dove into research on child development and parenting—both scientific sources and the lived experiences of homeschooling families. What began as a plan to keep my children home until school age quickly grew into a vision for a lifestyle of learning together. With the frequent moves that military life brings, I wanted our home to be a constant source of stability, closeness, and belonging for our children.

Right now, our homeschool is less about formal academics and more about living and learning in the everyday. For us, childhood is a time of exploration—of the world, of relationships, and of oneself. My kids are naturally curious, and I’ve seen how quickly and joyfully they learn when they are interested in something. My role is simply to make space for that curiosity and to trust the process, even when doubts creep in. I’ve been deeply influenced by the works of John Holt, Peter Gray, Raymond S. Moore, John Taylor Gatto, and many unschooling families who have shared their journeys.

Motherhood has been the greatest teacher of all. It has stretched me, humbled me, and grown me in ways I never expected. The mom guilt is real, but so is the grace. Little by little, I see growth—not only in my children, but in myself as I learn to be more patient, present, and understanding.

This is the hardest work I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding. I am so grateful not to be walking this path alone. Community matters—people to lean on, learn from, and encourage. I am thankful for the amazing women who make this group thrive and who continue to build it up for the sake of raising good humans.
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I can’t wait to get to know you all better!