About Me.
I'm Theressa. You can call me tt! I am a mom of three, an artist, a veteran, a wife of an entrepreneur, and creator of Bahay Kids.
This idea bloomed before we began homeschooling to share language, culture, resources, and
new ideas with others.
Q&A
Where did you get the name
Bahay Kids?
After meeting my husband I started picking up on Tagalog here and there. My Tagalog vocabulary expanded after having our first child. We eventually moved all of us into a multi-generational home with my in-laws. From there our family grew with two more children. I. became a stay at home mama and began homeschooling. It was challenging to find resources to fill the Tagalog aspect of teaching my children so my idea grew.. into this! Bahay means home, I jokingly said "we have school at home," after playing around with that it turned into Home Kids, Kids at Home... Bahay Kids!
What is your education and career background?
After high school I attended university with intentions of majoring in Business. I volunteered a lot throughout my last year of high school to first year of undergrad, I fell in love with the act of bringing others together for a big impact. My understanding of community grew and allowed me to interact with people from all different backgrounds. After my first year of college I chose to take some time off before deciding to join the U.S. Navy. I traveled to many countries and continued to grow my leadership skills while learning from people of varied experiences.
I discovered my passion for art and creative outlets at a young age, after putting it to the side for many years - having my first child really re-sparked my creative side. I started making activities for her and hands on learning opportunities.
Eventually I went back to college after getting out of the military but this time I went in the Art direction. I thoroughly enjoyed my painting class and have since carried some of the lessons into our home while practicing along side my children.
Why do you homeschool?
After moving back to The States I was able to spend a lot more time with my family, including one of my cousins that had two little ones; I looked up to her and learned a lot from her parenting style. I soon became pregnant with my first child. That same cousin began homeschooling after years of being a teacher, I was so intrigued and saw the many benefits of it. I love the idea of freedom in schooling and the time given to our kids to use their brains for creative play and following their own ideas/ passions.. This choice has also given us time to foster and deepen our relationship with our family.
What will I find here?
My dream for Bahay Kids is for it to be a place that provides ideas and encouragement while teaching Tagalog inside the bahay (home).
Here you will find blog posts filled with activities and experiences as I journey through learning Tagalog alongside you and my children. Our resources focus on creative play, many many books, and intentional family connection.