Shownotes
What if you’ve been climbing the wrong mountain all along?
In this episode, Anya shares a moment of clarity from the middle of Seussville—yes, in the Cat in the Hat store at Universal Studios—where a quote from Alice in Wonderland sparked a powerful realization about homeschool, direction, and how easy it is to follow a path that was never meant for you.
Find out what Alice, the Cheshire Cat, the Inuit, and the Maya families have in common. They may come from wildly different worlds, but each one teaches us something powerful about direction, trust, and choosing a path that’s truly your own.
So, if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, misaligned, or unsure of your next homeschool step, this episode will meet you with compassion—and clarity.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why “just getting somewhere” isn’t the same as choosing where you want to go—and how that mindset shift can change your homeschool.
- The powerful lesson homeschool parents can take from the Maya and Inuit—trusting observation over rigid structure.
- How to stop climbing someone else’s mountain—and start creating a homeschool rhythm that’s aligned with your values, not social media noise.
5 Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Clarity Beats Motion: Like Alice, we can wander endlessly if we haven’t defined where we actually want to go.
2️⃣ Not All Mountains Are Yours to Climb: Just because a homeschool path is popular doesn’t mean it aligns with your values.
3️⃣ Observation Is Powerful: From the Inuit to the Maya to Montessori—true learning starts with watching, not forcing.
4️⃣ Your Child Doesn’t Need More—They Need Aligned: More drills, tests, and trendy curriculum don’t equal better—alignment does.
5️⃣ You Are Not Lost—You’re Pausing: Feeling stuck might just be the moment before your greatest clarity. Trust the pause.
Timestamps
0:00 – One question that can change your week
1:12 – Standing in Seussville and feeling the chaos
2:10 – The Alice in Wonderland moment that hit me
3:05 – How we drift without a clear homeschool destination
4:10 – The cost of climbing the wrong “mountain”
5:30 – What I really wanted from homeschool
6:20 – You don’t need more stuff. You need a path.
7:10 – Why I created the MKAP™ Experience
8:15 – What the Inuit and Maya teach us about learning
10:00 – Observation over pressure: the Montessori connection
11:20 – Sarah’s story: when creativity meets the STEM “shoulds”
12:40 – The freedom of building your own rhythm
13:25 – If you feel like Alice—you’re not lost
14:10 – Clarity over comparison. Joy over perfection.
Resources & Links
🎯 Join MKAP™ EXPERIENCE. If you’re listening to this when the episode first comes out and you find that the MKAP™ EXPERIENCE isn’t currently open for enrollment, don’t worry! You can hop on the waitlist and be the first to know as soon as the doors open again, + the first to get your hands on any time-sensitive bonuses. It’s your chance to be ready the moment those doors open, so you don’t miss your moment.
📚 Research & Sources Mentioned
- Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6: "Pig and Pepper" (1865)
- Research on Inuit and Maya families referenced in the work of Dr. Barbara Rogoff, cultural psychologist and author of The Cultural Nature of Human Development (2003), and in various ethnographic studies of indigenous learning practices.
- Montessori, M. (1967). The absorbent mind (C.A. Claremont, Trans.). Holt, Rinehart and Winston. (Original work published 1949)
- Ducey, M. (2021). Hunt, gather, parent: What ancient cultures can teach us about the lost art of raising happy, helpful little humans. Simon & Schuster.
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🎙 Thanks for tuning in, and I will see you next time!
Transcripts
We were standing in the Cat in the Hat store at Universal Studios in Florida. My husband was eyeing some souvenirs, and my kids were buried in the heaps of blue faux fur, of Seuss hats, giggling like there is no tomorrow.
And I'm just standing there, soaking it all in—this beautiful, slightly overstimulating chaos. And then a line from Alice in Wonderland popped into my head.
You know, the one where Alice, dismally lost, was asking the Cheshire Cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to go," said the Cat.
"I don't much care," said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
And that's where it hit me. How often are we doing the exact same thing?
Drifting like a piece of wood on the tide of life. Moving, yes, but without ever deciding where we want to go.
So right there under the fluorescent light and next to a life-sized plush Thing 1, I realized we were all a bit like Alice. Homeschool moms, parents, families—craving direction but rarely defining the destination.
Because the truth is, we're often wandering through a maze of options without ever deciding what mountain we actually want to climb. Hey, my friend, and welcome to The Anya Garcia Show.
Here we will explore the science of learning, the art of parenting, and the mindset shifts that help you simplify your journey to amplify your growth. You see, I thought I would find purpose in courtrooms until motherhood showed me it was waiting at home. So...
So I traded my attorney briefcase for the beauty of homeschooling—depositions for diapers and settlements for sensory play. I stepped off the legal path so that I can walk it with you.
Because parenting doesn't come with a manual or legal briefs, so no wonder it can feel overwhelming and messy. But I see you showing up every day, even when no one is watching. And that little voice, Am I doing enough? I hear it too. But here is the truth:
You don't need more to be enough. Because more doesn't create peace. Alignment does. Progress matters more than perfection. And when you stop doubting, you start leading with confidence.
And before you know it, you have created a space where you and your child thrive. Because humans are born with this natural desire to learn and grow. And I am here to help you harness that. Your child's potential is limitless.
And so is yours. We just need to unlock it. Because if I'm honest, for years I didn't actually know what I wanted from homeschool.
I just knew that I didn't want screen time, I didn't want stress, and I definitely did not want kids who dreaded learning. But that's not the same as having a vision. Without direction, I was pouring energy into plans I wasn't even sure aligned with our values.
So be careful whose mountain you're climbing.
Because you can spend years climbing someone else's parenting mountain, only to reach the top, look around, and realize it's not even where you wanted to end up.
How many of us are climbing a homeschool mountain someone else built, only to discover we're exhausted, disconnected, and honestly not even sure we want the view from the top?
I realized I had to stop doubling down on a losing hand.
Not because homeschool was failing, but because the way I was doing it wasn't aligned with why I started in the first place.
You see, if your homeschool feels like a patchwork of random choices and constant overwhelm, it's okay to pause, get honest, and ask the question no workbook can answer for you: What do I actually want out of this journey?
So in the middle of Seussville, I asked myself: What's my homeschool for? And my heart whispered back:
I want learning to feel like an adventure, not an obligation.
I want to nurture my kids’ absorbent little minds while their wonder is still wild and wide open.
I want to make these early years rich, not rushed.
You see, I'd been doing what so many of us do.
I was bouncing between curriculum programs, trying every co-op, downloading every Pinterest printable, and Googling how to homeschool a 4-year-old without losing my mind. I was racing up the mountain I wasn't even sure I wanted to be on.
It all came full circle.
How often do we double down on a path that doesn't even match our values—just because we're already halfway up the mountain?
Or we're afraid to change direction. Because the truth is, you have the brains in your head and the feet in your shoes, and you can steer your homeschool in any direction you choose. It's not about climbing faster. It's about choosing the right mountain.
I didn't need more stuff.
I needed a framework. A rhythm. A path.
One that aligned with my values, my kids' natural curiosity, and the way I actually wanted our days to feel.
And that's exactly why I created the MKAP™ Experience.
Not just for me, but for every other mom who is standing in a homeschool aisle with 14 tabs open and no clear direction—so you’re not just busy, but fulfilled.
Here's the thing.
If we look back at how our ancestors taught their children, it was never about following someone else's school script. Anthropology shows us that each community passed down learning in a way that made sense for their own tribe.
They created a path that was unique to them.
And that's exactly what we're doing here. We're not just following a pre-made map.
We are using the MKAP™ Experience as a compass to help you find your direction. It's not about walking someone else's path. It's about having a guiding framework that lets you carve out your own.
Because when you have that clarity, you're not just following a trend—you're creating a homeschool journey that's as unique as your family.
Okay, let me give you a real-life example.
The Inuit people who live in the Arctic have a beautiful way of teaching children—by showing, not dictating. They don't hand down rigid rules.
Instead, they gently involve kids in everyday life, letting them absorb skills naturally and adapt them in their own time.
That's the heart of the MKAP™ Experience. Like the Inuit, it's not about control—it's about guidance.
You get a flexible framework of monthly activities that support your child's growth without locking you into one path.
The Maya families in Mexico also model this beautifully.
From a young age, Maya children are encouraged to watch, listen, and step into meaningful work alongside adults—not because they're told to, but because they want to.
A toddler might quietly observe an older sibling sweeping or making tortillas.
And before long, they're joining in—not for gold stars or praise, but because they see themselves as part of the family's rhythm.
What struck me is this: Maya parents aren't trying to control or engineer outcomes. They're not pushing their kids up someone else's mountain.
They are simply creating an environment where children choose to climb—when they're ready, and in their own way.
And that's the key. The mountain isn't chosen for them. It's one the child steps toward on purpose.
In their homes, there is no checklist, no reward charts, no pressure to perform—just a quiet confidence that the child will move forward when the moment feels right.
And here’s what’s amazing: this approach mirrors one of the core principles of Montessori—observation.
Maria Montessori believed that when we slow down and observe our children—without interference—we begin to understand what they're truly ready for, what sparks their interest, what challenges them in just the right way.
Both the Maya families and the Montessori method trust the child to show us who they’re becoming—if we’re patient enough to watch.
Because alignment isn't something we force. It's something we notice.
And isn't that what we all want?
A homeschool rhythm that feels aligned, not forced.
One rooted in purpose, not pressure.
Because when you're choosing your own mountain—instead of scrambling up someone else's—it doesn't feel like a grind. It feels like coming home.
Okay, let's talk about a real-life scenario.
Imagine a mom—Sarah—and she always felt a deep love for creativity.
Maybe she's passionate about art, storytelling, or hands-on crafts. Her vision for homeschooling was always about nurturing that creative spark in her kids.
But then she starts hearing all the buzz around how important STEM is—science, technology, engineering, math—for a “successful” education.
And suddenly, she feels that pressure.
Maybe it's from social media, other homeschool parents, or just the general narrative out there that says, If you're not focusing on STEM, you're doing it all wrong.
So she starts piling on the coding classes, the robotics kits, the science experiments.
And then, bit by bit, that joyful, creative vision she had starts to fade into the background.
She’s climbing a mountain that someone else picked out for her.
And even though STEM is wonderful for families who truly love it, for her it feels like a grind. It’s not aligned with her family’s vision.
And that’s exactly why it is so important to know which mountain is truly yours to climb.
Just like the Maya families create an environment where children can choose their own meaningful work, we can create a homeschool journey that's aligned with our own family's passions.
And that's exactly why I created the MKAP™ Experience—giving you the framework to choose your own path so that you're climbing a mountain that feels like home.
With MKAP™, each month you receive thoughtfully curated activities across language, math, sensorial, practical life, cultural exploration, and crafts—all designed to support your child's natural curiosity and development.
If your child lights up with numbers, you can dive deeper into math.
If they thrive with their hands in motion, lean into practical life or craft projects that spark their joy.
And the best part?
Every activity is adaptable for kids from 18 months to 6 years, so you can tailor it to your family's rhythm without starting from scratch every week.
In other words, this isn't a rigid roadmap—it's a flexible plan with the supportive community behind you.
You get the clarity of a plan, the freedom to follow what works best for your child, and accountability follow-through you've been craving.
And if you're listening to this when the episode first comes out and you find that the MKAP™ Experience isn't currently open for enrollment, don't worry.
You can hop on a waitlist and be the first to know as soon as the doors open again—plus the first to get your hands on any time-sensitive bonuses I might have.
It’s your chance to be ready the moment those doors open so you don’t miss your moment.
And remember—if you've been feeling like Alice, spinning in circles, you're not lost.
You just need a moment of clarity. A moment of honesty.
Ask yourself gently:
Is this really what I want for my kids?
Or am I chasing a Pinterest-perfect, Instagram-worthy version of homeschooling that tells me what I should do… and leaves me feeling like I’m not enough?
But here is the truth:
You are enough.
Your instincts matter.
And the fact that you've been asking these questions?
That is proof you are already on the right path.
Thanks for spending this moment with me.
Let’s keep choosing clarity over comparison—and joy over perfection.
Until next time.
