Ambleside School of Boerne

Beyond Strict or Permissive: The Third Way of Parenting - An Ambleside Blog

"I used to think I was a strict parent, and that strict was good.

Looking back now, I realize my strictness was often based on my own convenience. If I wasn't tired, I'd be okay with my kids staying up later to play a game, especially if their dad was on a business trip.

But if I was exhausted? Then they really needed to go to bed at 7:30 sharp. . .

Many of us feel trapped between two extremes when it comes to parenting. We don't want to be dictators, but we fear that if we relax our grip, chaos will take over. We assume the only alternative to being strict is being permissive, and neither option feels quite right. But there's actually a third way."

Read the blog: https://amblesideschools.org/beyond-strict-or-permissive-the-third-way-of-parenting/.

We’re excited to share that Ambleside Boerne is now ACTS accredited and can accept TEFA funds for eligible families. For families seeking an education that supports character, curiosity, strong habits, and a love of learning, this can be a meaningful new pathway to make that possible.

At Ambleside, children are known, challenged, and nurtured in an environment that partners with parents and helps students grow both academically and personally. Call us at (830) 388-8865 to learn more.

We asked Ambleside Principals, "Discipleship is about positive change. How have you seen lives changed at Ambleside?"

Here is a reflection from Melinda Boshears, Principal of Ambleside School of Boerne:

"True discipleship is about seeing others through the eyes of Christ. We walk beside others and assist with struggles, rather than view them as problems to remedy or solve.

We have a student who started in Pre-K and it was noticeable her first year that she struggled overall with academics; however, she lit up a room with an internal light that can only come from Jesus. Everybody gravitated to her, and she knew every student and parent by name in no time at all, along with details about each one.

Both the parents and grandparents are very active in her life and sought answers in order to help her. It turns out she has a chromosomal difference. Not long after the diagnosis, her grandmother came in to visit with me. She posed the difficult question of how long will Ambleside continue to accept this child?

The Holy Spirit’s words flowed through me easily. I told her, 'I don’t put a timeline on relationships, and what (this child) brings to Ambleside is far greater than anything we could ever teach her.' This chromosomal difference did not diminish who she was — a child of God made in His image, nor did it diminish her purpose on Earth or at Ambleside."

Every parent wants more than academic performance alone. Children need space to grow in attention, self-command, peace, and the ability to do meaningful work well.

That is part of what makes habit formation so important at Ambleside Boerne. The goal is not pressure for its own sake, but helping children grow into mature learners and persons through steady guidance, worthy work, and practiced habits.

Over time, those habits shape far more than a school day. They support a child’s relationships, confidence, diligence, and freedom to engage fully with God, others, ideas, and creation.

“The most common and the monstrous defect in the education of the day is that children fail to acquire the habit of reading.” – Charlotte M. Mason, Home Education

Phonics, Spelling, and Reading at Ambleside begins with the conviction that language is meant to be understood, not memorized. Our goal is not to move children through disconnected word lists or isolated drills. We aim to help students take delight in learning the science of sounds, unlocking the code of words, and forming lasting connections between reading, spelling, and meaning.

Instruction builds understanding and accuracy. Students work with phonograms, spelling rules, and syllable types as tools that help them make sense of what they see and hear. Each lesson brings repeated encounters with words, allowing students to apply what they learn across their work. These skills are not confined to one subject, but are used throughout the day in reading, narration, transcription, dictation, and copywork.

Practice is purposeful. Students do not study spelling lists at home for the sake of recall. Instead, they strengthen their ability to read and write through consistent use. They learn to recognize patterns, apply rules, and attend carefully to language in context.

The result is not just literacy skills, but students who understand how language works. They read with increasing fluency, write with precision, and engage words with confidence and care.