Home Education, Motherhood & Building a Business That Fits Real Life

Guest: Katherine Wilkinson
Host: Dr. Natasha Wallace, Clinical Psychologist
🎧 Listen to this episode of The Mum Poster Syndrome Podcast for the full conversation.

Some conversations stay with you, not because they give you answers, but because they make you feel seen.

This episode of The Mum Poster Syndrome Podcast did exactly that for me.

I sat down with Katherine Wilkinson  who is a mum of two, entrepreneur, and founder of The Online English Teachers,  and we talked about home education, motherhood, work, neurodiversity, overwhelm, and choosing a path that actually fits your family.

And honestly? It challenged a lot of assumptions.

“Home education” isn’t what you might think

One of the first things Katherine explained was the difference between homeschooling and home education, and why the distinction matters.

Home education isn’t about recreating school at home. It’s about flexibility. About learning through everyday life. About tuning into your child rather than forcing them to fit into a system.

As she spoke, I kept thinking: Why don’t we talk about this more?

What happens when the “normal” path doesn’t fit?

Katherine’s children went to nursery, but school didn’t feel like the right long-term fit for her family.

And this is where the conversation really deepened.

We talked about the quiet pressure parents feel to follow the expected route, even when something doesn’t feel right. How hard it is to trust your instincts when you’re surrounded by opinions, judgement, and “this is just how it’s done.”

Listening to Katherine describe how she navigated those decisions felt incredibly grounding.

Learning through life (and why that matters)

One of the most eye-opening parts of this episode was how naturally learning happens through real life.

Maths while shopping. Literacy through stories and conversation. Science through cooking, experimenting, and curiosity.

It made me reflect on how often learning gets squeezed into boxes, and how much richness we lose when we forget that children learn best through connection and experience.

Work, motherhood & the myth of perfect balance

We also spoke honestly about work–life balance and how unrealistic it is to expect it to look the same at every stage of life.

There were times when Katherine’s work had to come first. Other times, her children needed more of her. And instead of framing that as failure, she described it as responding to the season she was in.

I know so many working mums will breathe a sigh of relief hearing that - I know I did.

Parenting, sensory overload & emotional honesty

Katherine also shared openly about parenting neurodiverse children, sensory overwhelm, and the emotional intensity that comes with being together so much of the time.

What stood out most was her honesty, with herself and with her children.

She doesn’t pretend she’s always calm. She names when she’s overwhelmed. She models emotional regulation instead of perfection.

That part of the conversation alone is worth listening to.

Letting your children see you work, dream and choose differently

Another powerful thread we explored was what children learn when they see their parents working, dreaming, and building something meaningful.

Katherine’s children see her create, make choices, set boundaries, and prioritise what matters. And in doing so, they learn that there isn’t just one way to live a life.

That message feels especially important in a world that so often tells mums to shrink.

Why this episode might be for you

If you’re a mum who:

• feels overwhelmed by expectations
  
• questions whether the “normal” path fits your family
  
• worries about balance, guilt, or doing enough
  
• wants to trust yourself more
  

…this episode will resonate.

It’s not about convincing anyone to home educate. It’s about choice, flexibility, self-trust, and finding what works for you.

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🎧 Listen to the full conversation

The Mum Poster Syndrome Podcast
Home Education, Motherhood & Building a Business That Fits Real Life
Guest: Katherine Wilkinson, Founder of The Online English Teachers

This is one of those episodes that feels like sitting down with a cup of tea and having a conversation you didn’t know you needed.