Homeschool Curious? How Outdoor Play, Community, and One Mom’s Pivot Sparked a Movement | Morgan Bergstrom, Basecamped

Jul 7

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Episode 14 of The My Outdoorsy Mom Podcast features Morgan Bergstrom, mom of three, outdoor enthusiast, and founder of the new app Basecamped—a digital hub designed to help families connect locally, find community co-ops, enrichment classes, and nature-based education resources.

From corporate burnout to co-op dreaming, Morgan shares her journey from high-level recruiter to homeschool-curious mom, and how one dinner conversation with her parents sparked the idea for Basecamped.

From Burnout to Breakthrough
Morgan shares the emotional and logistical shifts that came with her third baby, her desire to be more present, and the lightbulb moment that changed everything: a family co-op in Hawaii that showed her a new way was possible.

Basecamped: Born From a Dinner Conversation
What began as a conversation at the dinner table turned into a fast-moving startup. Basecamped is quickly becoming a go-to tool for community-driven education and enrichment.

What Homeschool Actually Looks Like
Morgan and Julianne bust the myth of kitchen table learning. From errands and co-ops to LEGO clubs and community hikes, homeschool can look like real life.

Small Kids, Big Play
Morgan opens up about parenting three boys under five, resisting messy indoor crafts, and leaning into simple outdoor adventures—like walking to the creek or bringing your yoga mat out while the kids scooter.

Seasons of Schooling
This episode offers permission to let your educational path ebb and flow. Whether you homeschool now, are just curious, or want to explore outside-the-box enrichment options, Morgan shares how Basecamped can support you wherever you are.

Want the full episode? 🎧 Listen to Episode 14 “Homeschool Curious? How Outdoor Play, Community, and One Mom’s Pivot Sparked a Movement | Morgan Bergstrom, Basecamped”

Julianne Nienberg (00:00)
Today I'm talking with Morgan Bergstrom, a mom of three young boys, outdoor enthusiast and the founder of an amazing new platform called Basecamped, a community driven app helping families connect, find resources and build the kind of flexible nature inspired education that actually works for real life. From climbing Mount Rainier with her now husband to raising her kids with daily outdoor play and creative backyard games.

Morgan brings a fresh approachable take on both homeschooling and outdoor parenting. Whether you're already homeschooling or just homeschool curious, this conversation is full of encouragement, simplicity, and so many good reminders about getting outside together.

Welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited too. I'm so glad that we could connect in this way. And I loved learning through, your answers on the questionnaire that you spent over a decade in corporate recruiting before launching Basecamped. And I have a similar professional background. spent 11 years in corporate America. So what was that transition like for you both professionally?

Morgan (00:38)
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to talk to you.

Julianne Nienberg (01:03)
and personally, and what ultimately pulled you toward homeschooling and creating this app in the first place?

Morgan (01:08)
Yeah, so I'll answer the first question first. I did do corporate recruiting for almost 12 years and the past six years of that was with a financial services company that was very high demanding. My kids went to daycare from, I dropped them off at 7.59 for my 8 a.m. that I would do like as I rushed into the office and pick them up at five and it was starting to get like burnout and

Julianne Nienberg (01:18)
.

Morgan (01:36)
My oldest, who is four right now, is about to approach kindergarten. And I was just kind of having that like mom guilt of like, want to be more present in their life. I don't want to do nine to 10 hours every single day. I put them down and still do more, like sitting on the couch with my husband. And so it was kind of, I loved my job, but I loved being a mom more. So it was kind of that back and forth. And then,

my husband and I were both not homeschooled. So it's very, very like taboo to us and our family. Like no one knows anything about it. And we were just become more interested in it. And so I know today's conversation is not about homeschooling. I'm not an expert. haven't even started yet. My son will approach kindergarten this summer. that was kind of like, how can moms or parents, I don't mean just moms, do it all? How can we work?

and also raise our children the way we want to or educate them and keep them home if we wanted to. How do they do both? Like it just homeschooling seemed so daunting and scary. And so was kind of telling my parents that one night and it was like exactly a year and a half ago or so. And I was remember so vividly I was in their house in California and my dad was telling me at dinner, well, do you remember so and so? And it was an old.

family friend that he still talks to. And we're all from California. And I'm like, yeah. And he's like, well, during COVID they left. Like they didn't want to be in California anymore. They moved to the middle of nowhere in Maui, Hawaii. And they both work, but they knew they wanted to homeschool. There weren't a lot of resources out there and they just found community in their area. And they do this co-op with four other families and they share the workload and they only have all of those kids once a week.

And then all four of the other days, these four families rotate where these kids will go. And each parent kind of specializes in a different subject. And I was like, literally my life changed that night. Like my husband and I went into bed that night. like, we have to do this. you can work, you can homeschool your kids, you can do what you want to do. Like you can travel for a month if you want. Like there was just so much flexibility and that was just like our aha moment of how do we make that work? And that was literally the night that like,

Basecamp basically started. So I did leading up to the actual launch of Basecamp, which only launched two months ago, by the way, like it's still so new. I did work and continued doing corporate recruiting. And then eventually just kind of let it fade. I went part-time for a couple months and then I've completely as of February, like in full-time founder of Basecamp. So it's very new for me. So that transition, like when you ask how's it going, it's like,

now can't envision going back to like working for somebody else. Like I hope that base camp to become successful because it is like, I don't, could never see myself having another boss again, to be honest. ⁓ But I, but I'm loving it. And if I ever had to go back, I I would in a heartbeat.

Julianne Nienberg (04:33)
I'm curious to hear from you because I remember when it was for me, if you had a moment.

You know, as you had your kids and you know, you have three kids, I have three kids as well. Did you have a moment where you realized like your family needed something different when it came to this balancing work and your kids are growing and I hear you say, you you, you, you wanted to be a mom more, you know, we're always a mom, right? But when you're working full time, there's just so many plates that you're juggling. And I know for me, I worked up until my youngest was like six or seven months old. So I worked.

Morgan (04:57)
Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (05:06)
through my first two. And I always envisioned myself to continue being a working mom when I had my kids. And it wasn't until I had my first, my daughter, that my heart just completely changed. And I remember feeling the pull and the draw to stay home. But I also, like you said, I loved my job. I loved what I did. I was established enough in my career that I had a little bit of flexibility.

Morgan (05:26)
Mm-hmm.

Julianne Nienberg (05:31)
But to your point, I was working for somebody else. And at the end of the day, it felt like I was on a shot clock in terms of spending time with my kids. so many of the things that you said earlier, I really resonated with. So was there a moment for you when, amidst raising your kids and they're still so, so tiny that made you realize like your family needed something different?

Morgan (05:49)
Yes, and I think it would, and I feel guilty saying that, of course, after I had my first, I was obviously that changed. I totally get, I feel guilty what I'm about to say is it was almost having my third. the first two went to daycare, and I loved the daycare. She lived right down the road. It was like sending my kids to grandma's house, right? it was at her house. There was only two other kids. She just loved these four kids, like her own.

So the mom guilt was a little less, because I was a mile down the road. They were little, like, you know, out of house. And, but having my third, and it's not all about money, but I was like, I actually, like, if I want to continue working and doing this full-time daycare thing, like, I'm basically working to pay for somebody else to raise my children. And that was kind of like the, that what first started or like sparked that.

but it isn't all about money either. Like I want to be home with my kids. And I find that like their, their temperament and their behavior is so much better when they're with me and my husband, right? Like when I would pick them up from daycare, I kind of like hated the five to seven 30 PM because they haven't seen me all day. And they've ever read like all those articles that little kids like hold it all together. And then they like let it out when they see their mom. Like I was getting that every night.

So was like burnout from work and then the next two and a half hours was like dinner, bed, bath, like get you to sleep. And that was like, that was literally our life. So when I went down to part-time for the past year, everything has changed that a little bit. So now they all, so I can continue to work. They all go to school together at a very cute preschool for depending on the day, two to three hours a day. And that is like literally.

heads down to the door for like two to three hours. And then they come back home and we do a quiet time. get another hour to myself and then I do so much at night. And I'm not, I wish I was a morning girl. I'm not, my kids wake me up every morning, but nighttime is when I, you know, can do my heads down work too. I feel guilty saying that it was almost the third that really was like, this is not doable. And we know we want another one. We know we want four. So it's like, how the hell do you do that?

So

Julianne Nienberg (07:59)
I think

too, once you start to have more

kids, at least in my experience, you begin to realize that time is just fleeting and these kids grow up right before your eyes so quickly. And so while my heart changed, with my first, thought, well, I've got a good thing going. I'm going to just keep doing it. You know, I like my job. We have a nanny. We had a nanny at that time that was taking care of our first. And it just felt like, you know, that it wasn't yet the time. But then as I had my third

Morgan (08:10)
100%. Yes. ⁓

Julianne Nienberg (08:27)
I'm realizing, you know, I was in a similar season of life and a similar schedule. And I remember just turning to my husband one day and I just cried and I said, I can't do this. You know, at that time I was in a different industry and it was very stressful and my schedule wasn't my own. I was getting called into surgeries and it just felt like, you know, my time with my kids was slipping away before my eyes. So I'm curious now that you have three and

Morgan (08:50)
Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (08:53)
They're home with you and you're an entrepreneur. I know the sentiment of doing as much work as you can when they're sleeping or when they're at school or maybe if they're in the care of someone else. What does a typical day look like when they've come home from preschool and you're trying to just connect and fill your time and fill your day with three young little kiddos?

Morgan (09:15)
Yeah, and I am like the type of person that cannot be home. So like I know even when I start to homeschool our kids, it will literally be, we are outside. We are outside of nature. That's like the best way to learn. They're gonna run their, my errands with me. They're gonna learn real life. But like I cannot be home. Like literally I'm like a young child that if they are acting out, just put me outside and I will like immediately my mood will switch. So.

Typically, like I said, they go every morning and it's more of like a play-based school that they do. And they do so much of like the messy play, which I know as a mom, need to be better about, but I can't stand finger painting, markers, like crayons on the, like I, they're under four, right? So it's a mess. And all three boys of them, like, and it lasts five minutes and then they're onto the next thing and I'm still cleaning up as they're making their next mess. Like, I just can't do it. So anyway, that's in the morning.

They do it at school and then they come home. I make them lunch every day and there usually is a period of quiet time for about 90 minutes and all of them are so young that they typically fall asleep. And if not, the oldest is really good about bringing a car or a book or whatever. And then it's really just the afternoon. And I am all about community. I cannot raise these children by myself and my husband, if he's working.

late, I'm at a friend's house, we're doing play dates, like we are out. I'm at the local park right across the street, we have a dog, we're out walking her. They're learning how to ride their bikes on, we live in an apartment complex, but there's like a little podium level that's safe for them to like ride around while I can sit and watch. Like we are not in the house. And if we are in the house, they're like crazy and making a mess. but yeah, I have a lot of really good friends that have really young children too. And we just,

Do it together.

Julianne Nienberg (11:04)
I think it's so much easier, especially during those ages. Like you said, I am also not.

a messy arts and crafts type of mom. When you were saying those things, I was like, yes, I remember those days when you would set up a painting activity and then they'd be done. And the colors would just end up being brown, you know, especially the little boys. It would just be all one circle of gray and brown, all the paint mixed together and they'd be done with it in five minutes. And then you'd have to clean up, there'd be paint splattered on the wall. And so I got to a season where I just said, paint, play-doh, all that messy stuff, we're doing it outside because I absolutely refuse.

Morgan (11:28)
Yes.

Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (11:38)
to have it inside the house. But yeah, sometimes it just feels like mothering and just parenthood is so much simpler outside. And I loved something that kind of clicked for me as you were talking. I think so often those who are learning about homeschooling think that homeschooling has to be done inside.

You know, when I close my eyes and I think about homeschooling, I envision kids sitting around a table. It's very Pinterest like it's very idyllic. And what I love in the last year or so and connecting with so many moms that do homeschool and seeing them, you know, on social media is homeschooling can be done anywhere. And I love to hear the stories of families who are traveling and showing their kids real life. And that's homeschool, you know, and I think that that sets kids up.

Morgan (12:21)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (12:24)
so well for just for real life, you because they're getting to experience it in a multi-age setting, you know, when they're out in the community, they're not siloed into groups of their peers and single ages. They're really out living life in a community and they're surrounded by people of varying ages.

Morgan (12:42)
Yeah, exactly. You said so much of what kind of drew me to it, but it really is just that time back to be out in the community. especially as they're young, you know, under fourth or fifth grade, they really can get a lot of their schoolwork done within an hour or two. And so then it's really dedicating time out, giving back to the community or what is it that they are so passionate or driven about?

sign them up for the 10am piano lesson instead of the after school right like there's or there's a lot of activities that provide homeschooled family discount like at a lot of the local like children's museums they'll do like the homeschool Wednesdays and it's like half off and it's a lot cheaper for and like most kids are in school and they get to like go out and actually like be in real life they go to the market and they have to like

weigh the stuff for the mom and they're like learning real life and that's math and that's science and you know it's if anything they're outside way more than a recessed you know child at school and it's like I don't know how true these stats are but it's like scary when you hear like some only get like 30 minutes a day and I'm like they're in a classroom the whole rest of the day like that's not good for any child I would go crazy you know.

Julianne Nienberg (13:59)
I know there's a couple of groups that I'm in and they were promoting the different homeschool classes that they have during the day. And they have a cohort of boys who take

Jiu-Jitsu, you know, at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday. And I'm like, I think that is so brilliant, especially when it comes for boys, whether it's getting them outside or engaged in something physical, because boys learn, they're experiential learners. And a lot of them learn by seeing and doing, right, versus, you know, seeing, writing, memorizing, et cetera. I'm curious, what kinds of things are your boys into inside or outside?

Morgan (14:37)
Yeah, I mean, they're still so little, right? So like, I've tried to get my oldest, we tried soccer once, but he's just like, he just doesn't like to be told what to do. So it's like, he's just a little too young to be in anything like group structure where he has to like listen to somebody and with me not around, like they're still very much attached to their mama. Like if I try to leave, it's like, so, and I just recently tried gymnastics at the local like gym that we're members of. I'm like, oh,

I could drop them off at gymnastics and go work out and it was not good. Um, so but there's there's still very little so I would say like a like you just said like so many part lots of play dates. But my oldest in the middle two he's only three but like they love Legos and actually our local one of like the local gyms started a Lego class and it's every Wednesday and he

loves it. And like I should show you like some of the pictures every week is a different theme and they learn and he just loves puzzle that he loves Lego. So I feel like, and he likes using his hands. So my husband are like, very soon, I think we're going to do piano or some sort of instrument. My husband and I are not musically inclined like at all. But my grandpa played the bass and his grandpa was a singer. So I'm like, maybe they have those genes of them. And it just like skipped my husband.

Julianne Nienberg (15:36)
Hmm.

Morgan (15:58)
So we really want to like sign him up for some sort of music. I think that he's going to really like it. But yeah, I think when he's outside playing a lot, he gets tired. And so I think he needs something where he can

Julianne Nienberg (16:00)
Hmm.

Morgan (16:11)
calm his body and use his brain instead. Like, I think that will be really good for him, like in the next couple of months.

Julianne Nienberg (16:17)
as your kids get older and they just begin to form into these little people, right? And you start to see their different and individual interests. Your son sounds a lot like my middle, my boy. And one thing I found is taking some of that stuff. I have girl, boy, boy. So yeah, and.

Morgan (16:30)
Do you have girl, boy, girl, or what do you have?

Okay, girl, boy, boy.

Julianne Nienberg (16:36)
You know, each one is so different. My daughter, I mean, she can play outside like independently. She's, know, she's almost eight now. So she's had several years of like training and how to play independently. And for, know, for a year of her life, she was an only kid. But my middle is the same way when it comes to organized sports. And we tried three years ago to put them into soccer

He didn't want to be told what to do, although his gross motor skills are insane and crazy. He didn't want to be told what to do. And I think quite frankly, the entry level that he was at was too basic for him. Like he wanted to be running and kicking. And anytime he had a ball, he wanted to be chucking it or throwing it super hard. And so after fighting so many times, I said, why am I doing this to myself? And why am I paying money to fight with my

Morgan (17:18)
Yeah.

And him! Like,

to him,

Julianne Nienberg (17:24)
Yeah,

We said no to organize sports for him for I think two to three years and finally now we're in a season. He is six and so my kids go to. They go to school outside the home. They go to a private school that follows a classical Christian curriculum so he just turned six and he's in.

like a bonus year of junior kindergarten. So he will enter kindergarten next year as a six year old, which is I'm, so grateful that we made that decision for him. But he like for so long, we didn't do any of those activities because I was like, I don't want to get into a fight with him. I don't want to be fighting him to do any of this. And finally now he's expressing interest in doing some of these sports like baseball, which I would have honestly never picked for him because I thought, there's just too much standing around in baseball.

But he started throwing and catching a ball in the backyard with my husband for the first time last month, and he is a natural. He loves being up to bat because he just wants to smash the ball super hard. it's it's been a little bit of a transition because he is still very much like attached, right? Because he didn't do those sports and he didn't have like that group setting. And he's just the kind of kid that gets a little anxious before any new group environment.

Morgan (18:24)
Good.

Julianne Nienberg (18:32)
So it's been kind of a season of pushing him a little bit and so that he can stretch himself because I know that he can do it, right? Like there's one day at baseball practice, I had to hide behind a tree. I told my friend and thankfully he has a friend. He has a friend in baseball. So that was like, you know, that was a pull for him. But I told her, I I have to go hide behind the tree because if he sees me, he's gonna start to weep. And it's this is, I know that he can do it. I just need him to go out there.

Morgan (18:33)
Yeah.

Yeah.

I like know this all. ⁓

Julianne Nienberg (19:01)
and to get warmed up and he's gonna start to have fun. And by the end of that first practice, he wasn't crying anymore. And he was like, that was amazing. Like, I can't wait to do that again. I loved batting, but it was just this, you know, as a parent, there's often this like tension and struggle with when you have kids that are attached and it's a healthy attachment, right? But pushing them towards something that you know that they're gonna be great at, but it's still a little uncomfortable for the both of you.

Morgan (19:08)
Bye.

Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (19:26)
And so he's seen a lot of growth, but it's just like we're in that season of like, oh, you know, I know he wants to see, if he could, he would climb back into the womb, right? But he'd be kicking in there all the entire time. But as a parent, I'm like, this is something that I want you to try because I know you're gonna have so much fun and I know you're gonna be amazing at it. So it's been a trying season for us. So as you get older, you might find that your children just naturally gravitate towards certain activities as it sounds like you have like with the Legos and.

Morgan (19:27)
Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (19:55)
I love that those are things that you can do outside too, right? Like when it be, when the first nice day in the springtime, my kids, I'm like, I send them out there with the magnetiles and the Legos and they just go to town. And I'm like, this is, I need you to just get outside. We all need to get outside.

Morgan (19:58)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah,

Julianne Nienberg (20:11)
So if there's a parent out there or a mom who might be in a similar season of life as you, and they're beginning to think about what school might look like for their young kiddo, for their preschooler, what

What advice would you give, know, as they're exploring homeschooling, you you mentioned community a lot, like what can parents be thinking about?

can they find base camped and what kind of advice would you give as you're kind of in this similar season as well?

Morgan (20:36)
if you asked me a couple years ago, if I would homeschool my kids, I would have said no, you know, like, and things like life just changes and a couple years ago, it sounded scary and it sounded like it would take up my entire life.

there are so many resources and that was like truly what kind of started Base Camp is like there are so many things out there. It's just like not in one place. And if you are at a stage where both parents have to work or you're a single parent or whatever it is, like you truly can do both and sometimes you just don't know it. there.

are micro schools or major schools or those enrichment programs, or you find two or three families where once a week they go to a co-op and once a week they go to Julianne's house and then they're all at my house once and whatever it is that like you can make it work. And it's not like you said at home, eight hours a day sitting around a desk, like, you know, it's so different. And you know, as long as you could have that flexible schedule, I mean, it's so many of these.

Home school families are firefighters, nurses. They're not working normal schedules anyway, you know, and the kids kind of flex to that or you do home school on Saturdays and Sundays because we're all home and I, you know, like you can do it whenever you want. You can do it in your pajamas at night, like while you eat dinner. Like it's so flexible to you and your stage of life and every stage is a little different. when I had my third son, we decided to

live with my parents for three months because my husband had a great paternity leave. And you can do that if you homeschool, right? Like we moved, we live in Virginia, we moved to California for three months and it was the best. Like I had my mom's help, you know, like it was, and you couldn't just pick up and

Julianne Nienberg (22:12)
Mm.

Morgan (22:18)
go if you're in a normal schedule. So there was, there was a lot of like goes aha benefits for us.

Julianne Nienberg (22:27)
I think something too that you mentioned that, it can fit in the different seasons of your life. Our school was actually started by homeschooling families. And so we have a lot of families.

Morgan (22:36)
Wow.

Julianne Nienberg (22:37)
that have gone through different phases. They might've started out homeschooling and now they're, you they wanted a little bit more of a traditional school schedule or they've been at the traditional school and for whatever reason, you know, life seasons are changing and they're going back to homeschooling. So we've been able to be surrounded by a lot of families who have homeschool backgrounds. something to encourage families to think about, whether they're gonna homeschool or send their kids to

outside of the home is that these seasons don't have to be finite, I think about that too with my kids is, homeschooling is never off the table for me. we're not homeschooling currently, but if something happened or something changed, it's always on the table, it's always an option. And my husband is in agreement, he's open to it. He tells me he's like, now, you know.

Morgan (23:05)
Mm-hmm.

Julianne Nienberg (23:22)
You gotta make sure you understand what you're getting into. I'm like, I know, I know. But we have had so many friends and extended family who have homeschooled that there is really so much wisdom that everybody that homeschools loves to share and loves to be helpful. They love to share what curriculum they're using or what their day looks like. And I find that the homeschool community in general is just so helpful.

Morgan (23:40)
Yes.

Julianne Nienberg (23:44)
So it's never off the table for us. And I think that's just something to encourage families that like, even if you're not in a season of life or homeschooling is a possibility, you know, that's not to say maybe in a few years, maybe a door might open or something in life might change. so often we think of school as just This one traditional track. And really there's so many different opportunities throughout the course of childhood that education can really

Morgan (23:46)
Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (24:06)
just kind of ebb and flow. But so often I think society forces us to look at education in this silo when there's so many kids nowadays, there's so many families who are reverting back, right? I shouldn't even say reverting back, but who are homeschooling. And why do you think that is? Why do you think we're seeing such a great movement of families choosing to homeschool again?

Morgan (24:26)
I think when COVID hit was when that really changed a lot of parents' perspective of, wow, I can't actually do this, right? Like they didn't know what it was. Like, you you're told to go to a traditional school where the kids are gone all day and like, you just don't know until you can do it yourself and you're forced to do it yourself that they were like, wow, I don't want to send them back. This is actually like, I can do this. And you always thought that you needed a...

Julianne Nienberg (24:31)
Okay.

Morgan (24:54)
credentialed teacher that has a master's that studied it to do it for you when really like you probably could do it. You know your child better than anybody. You could probably do it better yourself. And I don't, I mean, I know public and private are a little bit different, but also the idea of sending my five year old with a teacher that maybe has 28. That's like the average, I think in the United States right now, 28 in a public school. Like he's not going to get.

Julianne Nienberg (25:00)
you

Morgan (25:22)
that one-on-one or, mean, he doesn't need one-on-one 24 seven, but like, he's so little to me. Like it's crazy to think that

I would drop him off and leave him for the next eight hours in somebody else's hands. that actually, when they're a baby, it's different. When they went to a daycare, it's different. But now we're like shaping their minds and teaching them how to read and write and, you know, be a good, confident person in the world. Like I could, I know I'm confident enough to do that.

as a mom myself. But I think a lot of moms didn't have that. And you probably, you have older kids, kind of. do you remember like what, mean, or were they not really in school when COVID hit?

Julianne Nienberg (25:49)
What is.

No, when COVID hit, I had three under three, but my oldest, I had three, it was like three under three and a half. so we we were doing daycare until we couldn't do daycare anymore. And we had a nanny until we couldn't have a nanny anymore. And we were just all, you know, it was actually, I know that it, COVID was a lot of different things for a lot of people.

Morgan (26:06)
my gosh.

Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (26:20)
But it was that time to be together was such a blessing for us. We were coming off a really hard season of me changing jobs. We moved from Chicago to Michigan. I changed jobs and I was traveling every other week for three or four months. I was gone Sunday to Friday. My husband would alternate and he would spend time in Chicago working the alternating week. So we were just two ships passing in the night. My stepdad.

Morgan (26:21)
Yeah.

Wow. Wow.

Julianne Nienberg (26:46)
was battling ALS and when COVID happened, like we obviously couldn't travel for work anymore. And so my husband stayed home for his job for the first time in like over a decade. He had never worked from home before. He was always in an office setting and I was hunkered down at home too. So it was for our family, was, you know, as tough as it was and everything that my stepdad had been going through at that time, you know, it was a time for us to just like be together in our home.

So for us it was, it was a blessing, but it was also kind of crazy because, you know, I was used to sending my kids off to daycare. I was used to handing them off to a nanny. And then all of a sudden I'm like, I have, at the time I was pregnant, but I had two toddlers and one of them was potty training. And I think we just stayed in the house for like seven days straight with no underwear on. Like everybody was going crazy. everybody, you know, the kids were peeing everywhere. They were running around naked because where else did we have to go? But.

You know, my daughter, my oldest, when she turned four, four and a half, you know, then we really started to think about where she was going to go to school. And I think also it's kind of crazy, right? Like in America, we send our kids off to school so young when in Europe and in Scandinavian countries, I think kids are entering kindergarten at six or seven years old and they have, from what I've read, higher markers of success, when they enter school at a later age.

So I think it's just kind of fascinating to see how American society, start kids so young in school and sometimes they're just not ready. Like my son was not ready to go to kindergarten and I'm so grateful we had a loving and gracious JK teacher who was very wise and said, no, you know what, I think he needs another year.

Morgan (28:07)
Okay.

Julianne Nienberg (28:26)
I don't even think she said I think she was like he should definitely do junior kindergarten again and I had no clue. I was like, I just thought he's an April birthday. He's middle of the pack like he's just going to go on to kindergarten. But she was wise and gracious to say, you know what he needs another year to just mature emotionally and this has been a great year for him and I'm confident of him going into kindergarten next year. You know a lot more mature, a lot more confident. So that that's been a blessing for us. But yeah, those.

Morgan (28:36)
Yeah.

Julianne Nienberg (28:54)
those early years when you're navigating what to do for school can be so tough and challenging. When you think about base camp, so if I'm a parent that is interested in seeing what's going on in my community and if there are other homeschoolers, can they find that out on your app?

Morgan (29:10)
Yeah, so I mean, and I don't want it to only be all about homeschooling families. Like I said, like I'm at a season where we're not even formally homeschooling, but like I am all about community and finding like a few really good friends to like share motherhood with and like do it together. And my husband and I move every two years for his job. When I first met him,

Julianne Nienberg (29:17)
Mm-hmm.

Mm hmm.

Morgan (29:35)
I'm from San Diego and he was stationed there in the Marine Corps and that was 11 years ago and we've now moved like five times since I've met him. So we're moving every two to three years. So I'm like redoing it every two to three years, like, you know,

finding my people and, know, like I said, I only need a couple, but like, I don't want it to be just about homeschooling. just want parents to find like-minded parents in your area. And, you know,

Obviously a lot of them will be, especially on the homeschooling front in the community, but like the other side of Base Camp, which is to answer your question, is like just those resources and classes and activities and enrichment programs. Like there's so much out there that even if your child does a normal traditional school or maybe they do do more of like micro school where they are gone a lot and there's after school activities, like there's so much out there that I want.

when you first go into the app right now, you only see people in your area. But coming this summer, there will also be, when you log into that map, it will be those like right down the street businesses, farm schools, nature schools, STEM, coding, cooking, like whatever you can think of to keep your, even if it's after school, to keep your child busy and find something that they love.

Julianne Nienberg (30:48)
I love that because sometimes even you know, like you said, for kids who are in traditional school settings, there might be the random Tuesday or Thursday that they have off.

because of teacher professional development. And you're like, wanna, you I don't necessarily wanna stick my kid in a one day camp, but what's something that they can do for an hour or two that is enriching, that, helps me kind of fill the day. And there are so many things that, families can take advantage of during the day, When it's not that busy after school rush hour. I know I've been a part of several groups here that are more nature, like learning related, and they'll do

know, community hikes every Friday at a particular park. you know, any mom with their kids are welcome to join no matter what age your kids are. And I think that's just a fun way to get people together, like you said, to build community and to be out in the community. I think that's such a beautiful thing.

Morgan (31:37)
Mm-hmm.

Yes. I could not agree more.

Julianne Nienberg (31:39)
So now that you are moving every two years, it must be, as you mentioned, there's certainly challenges to that, but you're probably getting to see a lot of different parts of the country and getting to spend time outside exploring some of these places with your young kiddos in tow. Any favorites that stick out to you?

Morgan (31:57)
Well, this was before I had kids. So I don't know if this is the right answer, but right before we moved and COVID kind of slowed us down moving. like, we stopped and we stayed in Virginia for longer than we expected, which was amazing. Cause I got to have all three boys at the same hospital, same, brought each one home to the same home. But previous to that, we lived in Colorado and we had just gotten married.

Julianne Nienberg (32:12)
.

Morgan (32:21)
And so we, I love Colorado. Like if we could ever like settle back down there, but I mean, was skiing outdoors in the winter. In the summer,

we got to be outside hiking. mean, like whatever the weather was in Colorado, there is something to do outside. And like, I would truly love to live in a state like that forever. Then we got to Virginia and it's like hot and humid in the summer. It's freezing in the winter, but there's like no mountains to actually ski on. So we were like,

We were just spoiled in Colorado. we, mean, our, our babies are young. So like, when we say hike, like they last a mile and they're, they're done. They were like over walking, but I just love exploring. Like we have a really cute little trail that takes you to the creek. that's like, so that's like our, they're like, we can do it. We can get to the creek. It's long add water to anything outside and

your child is happy. like we get to the creek, they get to take their shoes off, their feet in the water, throw the rocks, skip them. The dog's happy because the water is cool. So like that is our literally every weekend. It's to the creek is like when especially when there's like chaos about I can feel it in the house. We're like we need to get out. So that like we went from before kids like out every single day hiking and running to like

we are in a season where we're lucky to get like a 30 minute workout in every day now, right? So it is hard. Like we're outside and we love to be outside, but it's not like, can't wait for, I have like vivid memories of my mom running and she was such a good runner. And I would like roller ski or ride my bike. Like I don't want to wish away time because I love how little and cute they are, but like I also am looking for, I love to run. I would love if my son was like.

Julianne Nienberg (33:53)
.

Morgan (34:04)
Hey mom, let's go five miles right now. I'll ride my bike. Like let's race. Like I would love that, you know? So I can't, I'm excited to get to that stage too of being outside and exercising with them.

Julianne Nienberg (34:17)
Well, I love that, you know, in taking these walks to the creek, you're building so much stamina, you know, for kids to walk long distances and to, you know, as you said, hike, quote unquote. I just love that, that you're even at their young age now.

you are intentional about getting them out there because those things just build and build and we were the same way. I'm like a walk for us was down the street to like the corner and we turn around. I'd be pushing somebody in a go-kart, know, two, one would be scootering, but they were like new to scootering. So I was just always on edge, you know, cause someone's going to bust their chin or bust their knee. Or I would be carrying two scooters on the handle of my.

Morgan (34:54)
Yep, and pushing the stroller.

Julianne Nienberg (34:57)
On the handle

of my stroller you know I had I had a two seater stroller and then somehow I find one you know in the basket of the stroller because it couldn't walk anymore so. I remember those days well and like you said in the in the same breath you don't want to wish it away but i'm here to tell you that you know what this stage that i'm in now and they're still young but everyone's walking everyone's talking everyone is out of diapers.

Morgan (35:05)
That is literally my life.

Julianne Nienberg (35:22)
And it is, it's just another fun season to get into. Like the other day, my husband and I were walking behind our kids and all three were biking. My four and a half year old, six year old and seven year old, they were all biking ahead of us. And we just looked at each other like, this, is this real life? Like, are we in officially in that season of life? Or like, we don't have anybody in the trailer. And I have to admit, like, I got a little teary-eyed. I'm like, I don't have anybody in a bike trailer behind me anymore.

Morgan (35:35)
Real life?

Julianne Nienberg (35:45)
⁓ But this next season has been just equally as sweet and fun to see their little personalities. you know, I know.

Morgan (35:46)
Aww.

See, and I have to hear

that because it makes me sad when I think that. But then you're like, we've made it. We can truly enjoy being outside.

Julianne Nienberg (35:59)
and you know all the work you're doing now is so that they can gain more independence, and learn to be outside and to love being outside with or without you, right? So I love that you're building, you know, in these little small steps.

Morgan (36:09)
Yeah, I love your

story. Like I love and I think that's how like I originally connected and found you on Instagram was like your story was like, you said you live in Michigan, right? Like, it's cold, right? So like, at first, when you were trying to like get your children outside and love to be outside, like, they're out there freezing, like, well, what are we supposed to do now? You know, like you went from that to like what you're doing now. It's like so inspirational. Like we have those days in

Julianne Nienberg (36:21)
Yes.

Morgan (36:37)
Virginia where like when we're out in the heat and where there's so many mosquitoes I'm like, why are we like it's miserable to be out here and then in the winter it's just cold but there's no snow and it's like windy and it's like, you know, there are obviously seasons where you're not going to be able to get outside but just like starting off small or doing the little things like my kids won't even wear gloves. So if it's cold, they like, you know, we're at that phase where they won't keep the beanie on their head and they'll rip it off. So they're like

freezing, but there's like nothing I can do about it. So I loved like, I love your story too.

Julianne Nienberg (37:10)
thank you. I know it's I shared that story recently with somebody and are with a group actually and

You know, I mean, we were just standing outside my kids would look at me through the, you know, I would take them outside and then I kind of come back in and I keep an eye on them as they just, you know, just kind of dawdled around our patio and they would have their eyes like in the on the glass like looking in like, can I come in yet. Can I come in yet. I'm like, no, you know, I'm like, this is good for you. I'm like this builds character. No, but you know, it's just those, like you said, those small little steps and

A lot of snacks, a lot of patients, you know, I still a lot of snacks and a lot of patients is my mantra these days as well. ⁓

Morgan (37:49)
Yeah, what?

Okay, I know this is probably like I should have probably prepared this before I go to say it on a podcast, but like there's articles out there that say like it takes a child. I think it's like 30 or 45 minutes before they can actually like truly appreciate and have fun outside. And it is so true. Like we'll first go to a park and if none of their friends are there, it's just me and the three boys. They're like, mom, this is boring. No one's here. I don't want to be here anymore.

Julianne Nienberg (38:08)
Yeah.

Morgan (38:18)
you know, and so I'm in the beginning, especially because they're little, I'm trying to like, what can be like, let's pretend that this is a fort and like, I try to help them kind of start the imagination and then those some of those days are like the best days were like, I then can't get them to come home. We've been at the park for two hours and no one's here and it's dinnertime, like we need to go home. And

so like, you just have to kind of like, persevere through those first like 30 minutes of like, you know, you don't want to tell them what to do, but give them ideas that act like

or this and do that or you know, like, they're now getting really good at, they're, at an age that they're having fun playing imagination together and they don't want me involved. And I'm like, great, I'm just gonna sit here on the park bench and watch you. Like they're, they're to the point where they're like, mom, you're annoying. Like you're, you're not fun in this like little game that we're playing right now. So I know I've made it when they don't want me.

Julianne Nienberg (39:06)
Citivising, yeah.

Citivising is the best. You've officially reached like the next level of parenting when you can just citivise, right? And to your point, I think those, whatever I've read says something about how it takes kids almost, 45 minutes to enter into a deep state of play, right? Where...

their creativity is flowing. And I believe that to be true. It takes us at least 30 minutes. And just like with your kids, there's a lot of like, what can we do? I'm bored. And there's a lot of me helping with just kind of some open-ended prompts, just like you do with your kids. But sometimes it takes kids like 30 minutes to warm up to the idea of being outside. So that's why I always encourage moms to start with 15 minutes.

And I find that 15 minutes is often a super easy gateway to 30 minutes, because once you hit 15 minutes, you can go five more minutes. You can get to 20. And then once you get to 20, 25, 30, and that time just builds and builds. And so before we wrap up, always end with like a simple, doable, outdoorsy challenge from the guest to our listeners. And it's something that listeners can try this week. So what's one thing that you would encourage listeners to do to get outside this week?

Morgan (39:58)
Yep. Yep. Little by little.

that's a good one. So I think you asked, or I like there was something like that on the questionnaire. And so this is cheating because I have a dog. So like that's our like we have even if they're like being grumpy and don't want to I'm like, it's for Millie, like Millie needs to get outside. So I'm to do two answers because if you don't have a dog, that's not fair. But I my favorite thing

is bringing the balls or the cones or something for them to play with in the driveway. And I get my workout in and that's our outside outdoorsy like, and I want my children to see me working out and doing something for mommy. And most of the time they are wanting to do it with me, which like I love, I usually have like a little class on my app that I'm following. That's like 30 to 45 minutes and that's their outside time. Like we've at least gotten it in. But I'm like,

Sometimes that's my only time to work out is when I have all three and they think it's like funny when I'm doing push-ups and they're trying to do them so like I would say try that for a week like you're getting your workout in and you're getting outside So that's like my favorite thing is just like bringing the yoga mat out and a few weights and they like

They either do it with me or they're playing and it's like, it's a fun 30 minutes.

Julianne Nienberg (41:31)
Absolutely. And you know what, for boys, getting them to work out, my boys love, all my kids love to work out with me too. They see me doing something and they're like, I want to try these pushups or they, take out like the two to three pound weights and they're trying it as well. So I love that. you're, yes, absolutely. Farm is important and it's important to you, especially. No, I completely agree.

Morgan (41:45)
I know and they teach them good form. I'm also a personal trader. I'm like all into that. It is. ⁓

Julianne Nienberg (41:57)
your outdoorsy challenge is to either walk your dog or an animal that you have and take them outside, or you can also bring your workout outside and invite your kids to join you. Morgan, this conversation has been so just enlightening and encouraging. I think you shared great tips for any parent that is looking to build community, whether you homeschool or not. Where can listeners find you?

Morgan (42:19)
Yes, so we are for Basecamped on Instagram, it's Basecamped app and it's same on Facebook, although I'm not as big on Facebook. And then we also have just like www.basecamp.com, subscribe, download. I mean, that's like the biggest thing. We only just launched two months ago, but we already have nearly 1500 families in the app. so.

The need and the interest is out there. We just have to spread the word.

Julianne Nienberg (42:48)
That's incredible. Morgan, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your heart and your vision with us. And for everyone listening, go give Morgan a follow. I will make sure to include all of her links of where you can follow.

Morgan (42:51)
Thank you for having me.

Julianne Nienberg (42:58)
and find more information in the show notes. Until next time, get outside, breathe in that fresh air, let your kids run a little wild, and I'll see you back here next week.