Show Notes

Watch on YouTube

Resources

Network Sweet 13 Promo

Akiflow

A Year of Living Productively

Doing Too Much Episode

The post Escape Task List Tyrany appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

If you’re worried, hurried, and exhausted, there’s a good chance you’re doing too much in your homeschool. You may be homeschooling too many hours, teaching too many subjects, or carting kids to too many activities. When we hoped to escape the traditional school rat race, why do we so often overdo it in our homeschools? I’ll share three common reasons with practical steps for recovering your homeschool happiness.

Watch on YouTube

Resources for Doing Too Much

Grammar Galaxy

5 Signs You’re Doing Too Much

Podcast Network Sweet 13

I’ve been a homeschool publisher since 2015 and recently hit a wall. I didn’t want to do anything. I thought I just needed to buck up and work harder. I created a detailed, packed schedule for myself that didn’t even last a day. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t have a good work ethic; it was attempting to do too much for too long. The reasons I did are the same reasons homeschool moms do it.

First, I was using activity to manage fear.

In my case, I thought if I didn’t publish a new book every year that my business would fail. So I published at least one a year in addition to publishing podcast episodes, managing customer service, and speaking at conferences. It meant that I had no time to improve other aspects of my business.  I could only respond to urgent tasks like making dinner, cleaning the house for company, and my family’s needs.

In the same way, homeschool moms try to teach long hours, including many subjects, classes, and activities because they’re worried their kids won’t have a good education, have good social and emotional skills, get on a good sports team, or get a good scholarship.

In the middle of my burnout, a good writer friend asked me, “What if you stopped writing for a couple of months?” I stammered. Stopped writing? You mean not have a new curriculum ready for spring conference season? Umm, I couldn’t do that. Could I?

I’m not sure what I would be sharing with you today if my friend hadn’t suggested I get off the writing treadmill. Because she did, I’m going to suggest this alternative to managing fear with more activity: talk to a homeschool mentor. She doesn’t have to be an official coach—just someone who’s further down the road than you. Share your homeschool schedule, routine, and curriculum list with her. If she laughs, you’ll know for sure you’re doing too much. But the best thing a homeschool mentor can do for you is reassure you that you don’t have to do all the things to have happy, successful kids. I don’t even have to see your list to tell you that it’s true.

A mentor can help you determine the priorities. I’ve spoken before about a precious mom who wrote me to say she was dying. She wanted to homeschool her kids with the time she had left so she had more time with them. She asked me what approach she should use to teach her kids. When I thought about it, I realized it was the approach I think all homeschool moms should use. First, teach the most important information and skills. For me as a Christian mom, teaching my kids the Bible and apologetics was vital. Teaching my kids the basics of language arts, math, history, and science was also important. After the essentials were covered, I recommended that she teach what she enjoyed and make memories.

Reading historical fiction to my kids, researching aspects that were of interest to them, and doing fun related activities with friends were the delight of our homeschool. So many other activities were nice but not necessary. What is most important and most joyful to you? Focus on those things.

The second reason I was doing too much is because I was using a deadline for motivation.

Every year the thought of the conference season in March had me writing furiously to have books done in time. The deadline kept me writing when I was tired and frankly didn’t feel like writing. If I had to miss a day or two of writing, I felt that I had to make it up. Distractions and changes in plans became more annoying the closer conference season loomed. I couldn’t enjoy the writing process because I was on a deadline.

When the project was done, I was busy traveling and speaking. I wasn’t able to rest, especially because everything else I’d put off to finish the book needed to be handled. Before I knew it, it was time to start the next book project. Deadlines do work for motivation. I’ve published 17 different books in 10 years. But there’s been a cost.

Homeschool moms often want to finish their curriculum books by the end of their homeschool year too. In that desire, getting off schedule can become an annoyance that makes us irritable and robs us of the joy of learning. I think it’s important to say here that few traditional teachers complete an entire curriculum by the end of the year.

Instead of deadlines, I wish I had just had a realistic routine. Writing curriculum four hours a day wasn’t realistic for me if I wanted to be a happy, balanced writer. As a homeschool mom, determine how much time is realistic for you to spend on the most important and joyful activities. You might try doing these activities in the same basic order on regular school days and calling what you accomplish at the end of the year a success. Even if the book isn’t done. Unless you’re part of a program that requires you to finish by a certain date, you can choose to finish later. Amazing, right?

The third reason I was doing too much is reliance on self-control.

As I neared the deadline on a new book, I would try to eliminate distractions. I wouldn’t chat with my friends before I got my four hours of writing in. I would tell myself “no” to doing anything other than writing curriculum for months. My fear of failure and the deadline allowed me to exert a lot of self-control. Like a power lifter, I forced the weight of the project to completion. But because self-control is like a muscle, I had very little strength left for other temptations. I was more likely to be rude when interrupted. I would eat junk after I finished my writing time. And when my book was finished, I continued to put off unpleasant work that needed to be done. I didn’t have the self-control I needed to tackle it.

Homeschool moms may push themselves to get through the curriculum, complete their co-op commitments, and take their kids to all the activities, sure that when the regular school year is over that they can finally get organized, plan a better homeschool, or start a fitness journey. But they have nothing left in the tank to do those things. They’ve burned through their self-control.

Instead of relying on self-control, I wish I had relied on the Sabbath to renew me so I could be more fruitful. I have not worked on Sundays generally. But I needed a more extensive rest. Like the farmers described in Exodus, I am going to let one field of my life rest this year while I work elsewhere.

I believe that my business will actually improve as I focus my time on areas other than curriculum writing–areas I’ve neglected like social media and marketing.

Homeschool moms don’t have to quit homeschooling for a year to experience renewal. You could switch to unschooling for a season. You could drop a subject or activity you’ve always done. You could cut way back on the amount of time you dedicate to formal schooling. Whatever you consider, your first response may be like mine. You mean stop? Yes, stop.

If you do stop doing too much, you can experience peace and joy once again like I have in creating this content. Which reason for doing too much resonates? Please comment and let me know. If this was helpful, I’d love to have you subscribe.

The post Why You’re Doing Too Much And How To Stop appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

The post Why Consequences Aren’t Working appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Melanie came to this network from a blogging conference. Felice met her, heard what she was doing, and invited her on — and the Homeschool Sanity Show has been steadying homeschool moms ever since.

For the thirteenth birthday, every host on the network takes one question. Just one. Here is hers.

Her question: “It is October, you are already behind, and you are starting to wonder if you are the problem.”

The good news, in her words: there is nothing wrong with you. You have run into a thinking error that catches the smartest people — the planning fallacy — and it is fixable. The clip is from Why You’ve Fallen Behind In Your Homeschool Plan.

Also in this episode: Felice Gerwitz on whether to homeschool at all · Hal and Melanie Young on boys who will not sit still · the 7Sisters on the high school transcript · Sue Myers on a fever and a two-year-old · Meryl van der Merwe on teenagers and AI · Meredith Curtis on getting the joy back · Lisa Nehring on life skills before they launch.

The Sweet 13 Giveaway is open. More than $1,500 in prizes, four drawings across October, and a free party favor for everyone who enters. Enter at ultimateradioshow.com/sweet-13 — October 1 through 29. No purchase necessary, US residents 18+, official rules here.

Presented by Eden’s Table, a Bible-rooted herbalism unit study for K–5. Get Week 1 free, or use code EDEN13 for 10% off through October 31.

The post Sweet 13 Bonus: Why You Are Already Behind appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Have you ever wondered how some moms manage to homeschool a large family—when homeschooling just a few children can already feel overwhelming?

Penney Douglas homeschooled all ten of her children, but her homeschool didn’t turn out anything like she imagined it would. Along the way, unexpected challenges forced her to rethink what successful homeschooling really looks like.

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, Penney shares the lessons she learned through more than 27 years of homeschooling—including what she had to change, what she had to let go of, and what ultimately made homeschooling a large family manageable.

We also talk about the surprising benefits her children gained from growing up and learning together—and the encouragement she would give the homeschool mom who feels like she simply can’t keep up.

If you’ve ever thought, “How am I supposed to do all of this?” you’ll want to hear Penney’s perspective.

We also discuss Penney’s book, Dear Struggling Homeschool Mom, I See You, written for the mom who needs reassurance that homeschooling doesn’t have to look perfect to be successful.

Watch or listen now for encouragement from a mom who has truly been there.

Related Episodes

Homeschooling Preschool

Homeschooling with Babies and Toddlers

The post Large Family Homeschooling: From Traditional Teacher To Homeschool Mom Of 10 appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Are you battling anxiety as a Christian—whether it’s constant nagging worry or a fear that feels like it’s controlling your life?

I can relate. For years, I struggled with an intense fear of home invasion. Even as a clinical psychologist, I had routines designed to make me feel safe, but I could still spend hours awake at night, frozen by fear.

Then one night, while my husband was out of town, someone began pounding on my front door at 2 a.m.

What happened next forced me to face my worst fear—and ultimately changed my relationship with anxiety.

In this video, I share that story along with three keys that helped me overcome anxiety.

And if your child struggles with worry or anxiety, check out Training Aliens, my story-based social and emotional skills curriculum for kids.

Try a free Training Aliens sample lesson: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

If this podcast encouraged you, please subscribe for more practical, faith-based encouragement for homeschooling, parenting, and Christian living.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/et2XEajx7CU

Other Episodes for You

Stop Worrying, Start Homeschooling

Overcoming Anxiety as a Homeschool Mom

What are You Trusting In?

The post Overcoming Anxiety As A Christian appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

We want our kids to be kind, helpful, and cooperative. But we also want them to be able to say no when someone pressures them to do something that isn’t in their best interest.

That can be especially difficult for conscientious kids—the ones who want to be good friends, avoid disappointing people, and keep everyone happy.

So how do we teach our kids to set healthy boundaries without encouraging them to be selfish, rude, or unkind?

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, I share three practical ways to help your child develop healthy boundaries. We’ll talk about why some kids have such a hard time saying no, how other people can take advantage of that tendency, and what we can do now to prepare our kids for situations they’ll face as teens and adults.

You’ll also learn a simple strategy that can make saying no much easier for kids who tend to agree to things too quickly—and what your child needs from you after they’ve enforced a boundary.

These are skills our kids will use in friendships, dating relationships, college, work, and family life for years to come.

In This Episode

You’ll discover:

• • Why being the “nice” or “responsible” kid can sometimes make boundaries harder

• • How to help kids recognize when someone is pressuring or manipulating them

• • Why kids don’t always need to answer a request right away

• • How to help your child become more comfortable saying no

• • One important thing parents can do after a child sets a boundary

Watch on YouTube

Help Your Child Practice Healthy Boundaries

Knowing what a healthy boundary looks like is one thing. Practicing it before your child is in a difficult situation is even better.

Training Aliens is my story-based social and emotional skills curriculum designed to help kids practice skills like healthy boundaries through stories, discussion, role plays, challenges, games, and more.

Your kids will meet an alien at Space Camp who struggles with boundaries, consider how the other characters should respond, and practice the skill themselves. Training Aliens is available in both faith-based and secular versions and includes a video course, too.

Download a free Training Aliens sample here: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

What About You?

Is saying no difficult for you or one of your kids? Share your experience in the comments.

And be sure to subscribe to The Homeschool Sanity Show for more practical strategies for raising competent, capable kids.

Other Episodes You May Like

How to Establish and Defend Time Boundaries

Conflict Resolution Skills You Must Teach Part 1

Conflict Resolution Skills You Must Teach Part 2

The post How To Teach Your Child Healthy Boundaries appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Want your child to make more friends this year—but aren’t sure how to help?

Friendships are important for kids’ happiness and well-being, but making friends doesn’t always happen automatically, especially for homeschoolers. Simply putting kids around other kids isn’t necessarily enough.

In this episode, I share a simple three-step strategy for helping your child develop meaningful friendships. And surprisingly, it has a lot in common with shopping at a rummage sale!

You’ll learn:

• How to help your child recognize a good friendship fit • Why having time for friendship matters • The importance of shared interests and compatible values • Where homeschoolers can find good opportunities for friendship • Why large groups don’t always lead to closer relationships • The three ingredients that help acquaintances become friends • Social skills your child may need to be explicitly taught • How curiosity and good questions can help kids connect • What to notice when friendship interest isn’t reciprocal

Help Your Child Build Social & Emotional Skills

Kids need more than conversation skills to build lasting friendships. They also need practice with teamwork, good sportsmanship, handling frustration, resolving conflict, apologizing, setting boundaries, and responding when someone else behaves poorly.

That’s why I created Training Aliens, my story-based social and emotional skills curriculum for elementary students.

Each lesson uses a funny story, choose-your-own-adventure decisions, realistic consequences, discussion, games, challenges, STEM activities, and more to help kids practice important social and emotional skills.

Both faith-based and secular teacher’s guides are available.

Download a FREE Training Aliens sample: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

If helping your child make more friends is one of your goals this year, remember the rummage-sale strategy: know what you’re looking for, go where real friendships can develop, and teach your child the skills to turn an acquaintance into a friend.

What have you found works well for helping your child make friends? Share your ideas in the comments.

Other episodes to Check Out

Homeschool Mom Friendships

Hospitality Lies That Keep Us Lonely

Raising Confident Kids Through Homeschool Theater

If this episode was helpful, subscribe to The Homeschool Sanity Show.

Watch on YouTube

The post How To Help Your Child Make Friends This Year appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Other Episodes You May Enjoy

Homeschooling Strong-willed Children

Strategies for Homeschooling Smart Kids

How to Motivate Reluctant Learners

Does homeschooling your strong-willed child sometimes feel like negotiating with a used-car salesman? You have a plan, but your child definitely has ideas of their own!

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, Dr. Melanie Wilson shares what she learned about parenting strong-willed kids while watching her son negotiate the purchase of his first used car.

You’ll discover:

• • Why caring more than your child can put you at a disadvantage

• • How pride and fear can make homeschool conflicts worse

• • Why too many rules and consequences invite pushback

• • How unnecessary schoolwork can become a battleground

• • Why time pressure often backfires with strong-willed kids

• • What your child may really be asking for when they resist

• • How love, approval, and reasonable boundaries can help you reach a deal you’re both happy with

Strong-willed kids can be challenging to homeschool, but their determination can also become a strength. Instead of trying to win every battle, learn how to negotiate wisely, reconsider rules that don’t serve your family, and help your child develop the skills to advocate for themselves respectfully.

Resources Mentioned

Grammar Galaxy Story-based language arts without unnecessary busy work. Take it for a test drive with a free sample: http://funtolearnbooks.com/samples

FastGrammar A story-based approach to grammar for older students: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/fast-grammar-high-school-training-bundle/

Training Aliens A fun, story-based social and emotional skills curriculum for K–8 students that teaches skills including boundaries, conflict resolution, and respect for authority: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

Goldilocks Discipline Get more help parenting and homeschooling strong-willed kids: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/goldilocks-discipline/

Are you having trouble making a deal with your homeschooler? Share your deal breaker in the comments!

Homeschooling Strong-willed Children

Strategies for Homeschooling Smart Kids

How to Motivate Reluctant Learners

The post Strong-Willed Homeschooler? How To Make A Deal With Them appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

If your child is a late reader, should you relax and give them more time—or could waiting make reading struggles harder to overcome?

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, I talk with Faye Bankler Casell, a Certified Academic Language Therapist and dyslexia specialist, about one of the most debated questions in homeschooling: When should parents be concerned about a child who isn’t reading?

Faye shares why reading struggles can often be identified before a child is actually reading, why dyslexia is frequently missed, and what parents can do at home to help. We also discuss the popular homeschool philosophy of delaying formal reading instruction and how parents can balance respecting a child’s developmental timetable with recognizing signs that intervention may be needed.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• • Why “wait and see” may not be the best approach for every late reader

• • Early signs of dyslexia parents can watch for

• • Why speech and language delays can signal increased risk for reading difficulties

• • How bright children sometimes mask dyslexia by memorizing and guessing words

• • A simple way to determine whether your child is actually decoding rather than relying on memorization

• • Why spelling can be especially challenging for students with dyslexia—and why improvement is still possible

• • What the Orton-Gillingham approach is and why its explicit, sequential, multisensory instruction can help struggling readers

• • Why repetition is so important for dyslexic learners

• • How homeschool parents can provide effective reading support at home

Faye also explains her Reading Breakthrough program, which gives parents access to dyslexia-therapy techniques they can use with their children at home, along with teaching videos, parent instruction, activities, and materials.

Resources mentioned:

The Dyslexia Roadmap for Families — Faye’s free mini ebook covering signs of dyslexia and resources for families.

Reading Breakthrough — Faye’s program designed to help parents use dyslexia-therapy strategies with their children at home. Use coupon code PODCAST for $20 off

Learn more about Faye’s resources at Home Reading Coach:
https://homereadingcoach.com

https://www.instagram.com/homereadingcoach

https://www.youtube.com/@TeachMyChildToRead

https://www.facebook.com/homereadingcoach

Other Episodes You May Enjoy

Help for Distracted and Struggling Readers

How to Help Struggling Readers

What do you think? Have you had a late reader—or a child whose reading struggles turned out to be dyslexia? Share your experience in the comments.

The post Late Reader? When To Wait And When Not To appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Are your students more like the tortoise or the hare when it comes to learning English? Some homeschoolers find that grammar, writing, spelling, vocabulary, and literature take so long that it feels like they just can’t win. Others find that their kids breeze through English lessons so quickly that they may not be accomplishing the goal of being competent readers and writers.

Fortunately, learning English doesn’t have to take all day. In fact, there’s a way to teach it that’s so enjoyable that you and your kids will want to do it.  As a former homeschool mom of six who also taught English to her friends’ kids, I’m going to get you on the fast track to English teaching success. Ready? Let’s go!

Watch on YouTube

#1 Use Stories

The first step to teaching English quickly and effectively is to use stories. In fact, if all you do is read your kids a story every day, you’re making progress in all the language arts. Stories are one of the best ways to teach vocabulary—which also happens to be the best predictor of academic achievement and life success. Using stories that include advanced vocabulary words like those in Grammar Galaxy will give your kids exposure to the words. Exposure to the words is more effective for building vocabulary than having kids write out definitions—something most students don’t like doing.

In addition to vocabulary, stories teach grammar through exposure. Although some grammar has to be explicitly taught, other grammar is mastered through listening to it used correctly in conversation and story.

Stories can be used to teach literary concepts of course, but they also help students become better writers. Most writers were voracious readers in childhood. They learned how to use the English language to express themselves by reading their favorite authors.

The added benefit of using stories to teach is that they are memorable. A lecture or nonfiction paragraph is forgettable. But stories stick with us and beg to be shared. That’s why I wrote Grammar Galaxy—to use story to teach language arts concepts.

Ask many adults what a prefix is and they won’t know. But in Grammar Galaxy, Prefix is an evil programmer who introduces the re- virus into the galaxy’s computer system. As a result, movies keep rewinding and people keep repeating themselves. Students are guardians of the galaxy who correct the chaos Prefix and his Gremlin accomplice caused. If you’d like to try a free sample of Grammar Galaxy, click here.

#2 Skip spelling and vocabulary busywork

If you’re using story to teach English, you’ve already come a long way. But now let’s take a shortcut. When I first started homeschooling, I thought I needed a separate spelling curriculum—one that presents new lists of words to be memorized. As I tried one curriculum after another like this, I noticed something. My kids already seemed to know most of the words in each list. And those they didn’t either weren’t that difficult to spell, or they weren’t words they used often.

While dyslexic students’ spelling can benefit from focused work on phonics, most students can focus on learning only the words they are misspelling in their own writing. Then they can choose a mnemonic or memory tool that makes remembering easiest. For example, students may find it helpful to remember that piece meaning part is spelled p-i-e-c-e by noting the word pie at the beginning. They can embellish this further with a saying like: “The waitress put a piece of pie in front of Ce.” In Grammar Galaxy, students focus on learning to spell the most commonly misspelled words. They also choose and create a mnemonic that helps them remember them.

I found the same shortcut worked with vocabulary. I didn’t need a separate vocabulary curriculum, but it did make sense to review Greek and Latin word roots that form the basis of so many English words. I added many of these to the vocabulary unit of Grammar Galaxy. As homeschoolers, we save teaching time by not doing spelling or vocabulary busywork.

#3 Encourage kids to write faster with milestones, friends, and encouragement

Writing is like the last leg of the race. It feels like the hardest part, but that’s mostly psychological.

Florence Chadwick attempted to swim 21 miles from Catalina Island to the California coast in thick fog. She stopped after almost 16 hours of swimming only to discover she was less than a mile away from shore. If she had known, she would have dug deep and finished. How can we use her experience to help our reluctant or slow writers?

The most important thing we can do is break up the long writing process into smaller milestones. Swimming 21 miles must have felt impossibly hard. “Write an essay” can feel like a slog for our students too. So instead of, “Write an essay,” we can say, “write your three main points.”  Instead of write a paragraph, we can say, “write the topic sentence.” Shorter sprints completed regularly help students build skills more effectively than a writing marathon.

The next thing we can do to make our writing lessons take less time is have students write with others. If Florence had been trying to beat another swimmer who was still swimming, I think she would have gone the distance. Giving a student an independent writing assignment that doesn’t have to be shared is not as motivating as participating in a class. Having my kids share their writing in our home-based co-op with friends helped them write better and faster. But writing and sharing with family members also helped—especially when we had a funniest writing competition that I participated in and Dad judged.

Finally, we can speed our young writers along by cheering them through to the finish line. If we are alongside them, focusing on when they should have started, and what they could have done better, they will be tempted to quit. Applaud the effort and content first to help them finish writing faster.  Only then can we choose one or two things that we’d like them to improve in the next writing assignment.

Students don’t have to be either the tortoise or the hare when it comes to learning English. They can be guardians of Grammar Galaxy who quickly defeat the Gremlin and master language arts. Download a sample from the link here.

Have other ideas for quickly and effectively teaching English? Comment to share them.

Other episodes on teaching language arts

Why Charlotte Mason Would Love Grammar Galaxy

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Child’s Writing

How to Edit Your Child’s Writing

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Teaching English Doesn’t Have To Take All Day appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

In This Episode

• • Why your child’s goals matter more than your goals

• • How “busy work” can destroy motivation

• • Why bright kids need meaningful challenges

• • The hidden cost of constant correction

• • How self-control becomes exhausted—and how to restore it

• • Simple strategies you can use right away to help your child start trying again

Free Resources

Free Grammar Galaxy Sample Discover story-based language arts that turns reluctant learners into enthusiastic readers and writers.

Free Training Aliens Lesson Help your child build self-control, communication, and other essential social-emotional skills through engaging stories.

Find both free resources here: https://funtolearnbooks.com

More Episodes Like This

Reluctant Learners: How to Motivate Them

Helping Students Take Initiative

Homeschooling Smart Kids

Subscribe

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to:

• • Like the video

• • Leave a comment: Which of these five reasons do you think best explains your child’s lack of motivation?

• • Subscribe for practical homeschooling advice, motivation strategies, and curriculum tips every week.

Connect with Me

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Have a happy homeschool week!

Have a bright child who suddenly refuses to do schoolwork? You’re not alone. In this episode, I share the surprising reasons intelligent, capable students stop trying—and why the problem usually isn’t laziness.

After homeschooling six graduates and researching motivation, I discovered five hidden causes that can keep bright kids from giving their best. More importantly, you’ll learn practical ways to help your child rediscover their love of learning.

In This Episode

• • Why your child’s goals matter more than your goals

• • How “busy work” can destroy motivation

• • Why bright kids need meaningful challenges

• • The hidden cost of constant correction

• • How self-control becomes exhausted—and how to restore it

• • Simple strategies you can use right away to help your child start trying again

Free Resources

Free Grammar Galaxy Sample Discover story-based language arts that turns reluctant learners into enthusiastic readers and writers.

Free Training Aliens Lesson Help your child build self-control, communication, and other essential social-emotional skills through engaging stories.

Find both free resources here: https://funtolearnbooks.com

More Episodes Like This

Reluctant Learners: How to Motivate Them

Helping Students Take Initiative

Homeschooling Smart Kids

Subscribe

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to:

• • Like the video

• • Leave a comment: Which of these five reasons do you think best explains your child’s lack of motivation?

• • Subscribe for practical homeschooling advice, motivation strategies, and curriculum tips every week.

Connect with Me

Facebook

Instagram

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Why Bright Kids Stop Trying (And What To Do About It) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

If your student isn’t a fan of English, reading, writing, or grammar, you’re not alone.

When I homeschooled my six children, one of them actually offered to pay me not to teach English! I thought I knew why they disliked language arts—but I was wrong.

After researching curriculum, language development, and motivation, I discovered five hidden reasons kids resist English. Those discoveries eventually led me to create Grammar Galaxy, a story-based language arts curriculum that has helped thousands of reluctant learners enjoy English.

In this episode, I’m sharing those five surprising reasons—and practical ways you can help your own student.

In This Episode

You’ll learn:

• • Why traditional English curriculum feels repetitive

• • How story makes grammar meaningful and memorable

• • The developmental reason grammar can seem confusing

• • Why fun isn’t optional when it comes to learning

• • The hidden skill that affects both English and math success

The 5 Hidden Reasons Kids Hate English

1. English Is Too Repetitive

Traditional language arts curricula repeat many of the same concepts year after year.

For example, students often study parts of speech every year from elementary school through high school, even though much of the material has already been covered.

Instead of constant repetition, I recommend a mastery approach, where students learn concepts once and then build on them with increasingly advanced applications.

2. English Doesn’t Feel Relevant

Many grammar exercises ask students to identify parts of speech in random, disconnected sentences.

Children naturally remember information better when it’s part of a meaningful story.

That’s why Grammar Galaxy teaches grammar through an ongoing adventure in which students help save the English language from a mischievous gremlin. Story transforms grammar from an abstract exercise into something memorable and engaging.

3. Grammar Requires Abstract Thinking

Grammar asks students to think abstractly about language—something many children aren’t developmentally ready to do until middle school.

Kids aren’t just remembering:

• • letter sounds

• • word meanings

• • vocabulary

They’re also learning to identify the different jobs words perform in a sentence.

Introducing grammar gently—and without making children feel like they’re failing—helps preserve their confidence until they’re ready to use these concepts more naturally.

4. English Isn’t Fun

Learning sticks when it’s enjoyable.

Humor, stories, games, and active learning all increase engagement and help students remember what they’ve learned.

Some student favorites in Grammar Galaxy include:

• • humorous stories

• • synonym and antonym mix-ups

• • active games

• • comedy writing

Learning doesn’t have to be boring to be effective.

5. English Feels Too Hard

One of the biggest surprises in my homeschool was discovering that my children’s biggest obstacle wasn’t grammar at all.

It was handwriting speed.

Because they wrote so slowly, they often forgot what they wanted to say before they could finish writing it down. That frustration affected writing and even math assignments.

Some simple solutions include:

• • handwriting speed drills

• • dictation exercises

• • allowing children to dictate responses before handwriting becomes automatic

Children are far more motivated when work feels challenging—but achievable.

One simple trick is to begin with material that’s easier than you think they need. Early success builds confidence and encourages continued learning.

Resources Mentioned

Free Grammar Galaxy Samples

Try Grammar Galaxy with your reluctant learner:

https://funtolearnbooks.com/samples

Grammar Galaxy Placement Test

Find the best starting level for your child:

Placement Test

Grammar Concepts by Level

See what is taught in each volume:

Scope and Sequence

Have a Question?

I’d love to hear from you!

Leave a comment below and let me know:

What does your child dislike most about English?

Subscribe to the Homeschool Sanity Show

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe so you never miss practical, research-based homeschooling encouragement.

Until next time…

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Hidden Reasons Kids Hate English (And What To Do About It) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Try a free week →

Hey homeschoolers!

As beginning homeschoolers, we tend to be way more focused on our homeschool space and curriculum then we are on relationships. But just as engaged couples should be focused more on the marriage then the wedding, we have to be intentional about developing our relationships. That’s what I will cover in this episode of the Homeschool Sanity Show.

Before I do, however, I want to tell you about The Organized Homeschool Life book and planner. I had good intentions of spending time with God, my husband, and my children one-on-one. But it was amazing how quickly my daily responsibilities got in the way of that. I still face temptations to make other things a priority. That’s why I added space for my time with God and my relationships on the daily page of The Organized Homeschool Life Planner. We make note of what God is saying to us in His Word each day–something that is so important at this time. Then we choose a person or a character quality we want to focus on throughout the day. Keeping relationships in focus is one reason you will come to look forward to your daily planning time. You’ll know that your life and homeschooling are in balance. Try a free sample of The Organized Homeschool Life book and planner at psychowith6.com/tohlplanner.

When it comes to keeping relationships a priority, there are five relationships that are deserving of special attention: God, spouse, children, extended family, and friends.

#1 Relationship with God

The first relationship we have that has to be a priority is our relationship with God. I could not do any of the things I do without the Holy Spirit strengthening and renewing me. I need God’s word each and every day. That’s because I hear other words that run counter to His in abundance. I hear them from the news, the radio, and social media. I even hear them from well-meaning people I talk with. I quickly become confused about what truth is.

As our students need drills on math facts, we need drills on God’s word so we achieve mastery. Reading directly from the Bible each day, even a single page, will be a layer of protection for our vulnerable minds. Audio Bibles are wonderful for busy moms. We can listen while we walk, fold laundry, or cook. Devotionals are another way of reflecting on God’s word that can be enjoyable for us as homeschooling moms. Listening to worship music can also keep us meditating on His word. I have been successful in memorizing God’s word with my kids by using the app MEMLOK just five minutes a day.

Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with God. Rather than turning to others first with a concern, we can train ourselves to go to God. I enjoy writing out prayers each day. When I’m really struggling, I use truth journaling. I write out what I’m thinking and feeling and then respond to myself with the truth. We can pray throughout the day, using waiting, driving, nursing, and sleepless times for connecting with God.

Using the time boundaries we’ve established, we can ensure that we are spending adequate time with God. We can also experiment to find the best time to be consistent in our prayer and Bible time. We could plan it for the morning, the evening before bed, or during kids’ free time. Whenever you plan it, you will be richly rewarded for having time devoted to the Lord.

#2 Relationship with Spouse

The second relationship we must prioritize is with our spouse. If you are not married, I encourage you to prioritize time with your main support person. The number one reason our homeschooling records will be demanded is because our spouse  is protesting the validity of our homeschooling in divorce court. A happy marriage is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. As far as it depends on us, we must seek a healthy relationship.

That healthy relationship begins with time. In a podcast episode I did with my husband, I was struck by his saying that men want to know that homeschooling isn’t going to take all of the time and energy we have, leaving nothing for them. Homeschooling can become another lover if you will, trying to steal us away. We should not allow that to happen. If we are too tired to engage in activities that our husband enjoys, especially if that’s physical intimacy, we need to adjust our time boundaries once again.

Be intentional about reserving time for your spouse or support person. Put it on the calendar and make it part of your daily routine. Then treat that time with respect, and don’t let just anything crowd it out. How we treat that time speaks volumes about how we feel about the relationship.

#3 Relationships with Children

The third relationship we must prioritize is with our children. I don’t think it’s appropriate to say that we have to separate our roles as parent and teacher. I honestly don’t know how to do that because those roles have been blended in my life for over two decades. But it is appropriate to have a separate focus in your time with your children. The teacher in you may be focus on helping your child improve his handwriting, master multiplication facts, or become more adept at grammar. For many of us the parent role is like the law. Our children must learn by the rules and do well.

But if we work from law alone, we will lose our children’s hearts. If you consider your favorite teachers as a child, my guess is they were not strict legalists who loved the law. Instead they were likely teachers who could laugh and clearly loved you as a person. This is what our children want to see in us. Yes we expect them to work hard and learn a lot. But we want to enjoy life with them, too.

We can know if we have become too legalistic in our homeschooling by our children’s reaction. If mild complaining about starting the school day has turned into sullen and angry pupils, we need to take a look at what we’re doing. Have we been allowing violations of our time boundaries? Are we more concerned that our children do their work then grow as people? If you really aren’t sure, ask your children what they think your primary goal is. In The Organized Homeschool Life book and planner, I have an assessment your children can take that will give you great insights into your parenting and teaching.

The easiest way to make sure you are keeping relationships with children at the forefront of your homeschooling is to schedule time with them. Scheduling time for fun activities with all of your children is an easy way to do this. Have a fun Friday in which you do educational activities that don’t  seem educational. These can include field trips, videos, and games. You can also plan family activities to fulfill this purpose. A board game night is one example of something to put into your weekly routine.

But one of the most powerful ways of connecting with your children is to plan individual time with them. Depending on how many children you have, you will have to adjust this plan accordingly. With six children, it was impossible for me to do this daily. But many weeks, I could devote time to each child once a week. I gave my children the option of choosing our activities. Their choices told me a lot about them. I had a child who wanted his feet rubbed. His love language is physical touch. I had a child who liked going to a restaurant for a treat with me. Others requestded time to watch a show or play a game with me. Because children often fight to get our attention, spending individual time with them can help decrease sibling rivalry. And as children mature, I would argue that the relationships become even more important to nurture.

#4 Relationships with Extended Family

The fourth relationship we must prioritize is with extended family. You may have relatives who aren’t supportive of homeschooling. Depending on how negative these relatives are, you may have to limit time with them. But in most cases, we do well to help extended family feel important. Relatives, like husbands, may feel sidelined by a busy homeschooling schedule–explaining at least in part a negative attitude. There are many ways to make family members feel a part of what we’re doing–whether that’s regular calls, letters, or visits. Family should be incorporated into the regular schedule if possible. You may be surprised by how flattered a relative is by being asked to teach your children a skill or even to be regularly involved in teaching.

If you have family members who don’t know much about homeschooling, invite them to watch a video or to talk to a local support group leader who can answer their questions. Some negativity may be coming from homeschooling myths they’ve heard. You can also share what you’ve been learning, even showing family members the materials you plan on using.

#5 Relationships with Friends

If you’re prioritizing relationships with God, your spouse, your children, and extended family, you may conclude you have no time left for friends. You may even believe that spending time outside of the home with friends isn’t appropriate for a homeschooling mom. I believe that even that most introverted home body can benefit from friendships. Without friends to talk with, to pray for us, and to advise us, we can quickly become overwhelmed and depressed.

I don’t know what I would have done without friends when my children struggled with a school subject, character qualities, and even faith. I needed friends to help me see that I was expecting way too much of myself.  I’ve needed friends for practical help, too. I still need friends to encourage me.

With busy schedules, participating in an activity where the moms stick around makes socializing easy. If that isn’t possible because of social distancing restrictions, consider joining a virtual Bible study or small support group for moms. But also pursue face-to-face interactions outside or in an environment you are comfortable in.

Time with friends can make the difference between staying the course in homeschooling and giving up.

Conclusion

Choosing curriculum and how to organize more materials can be more complicated than focusing on relationships. But relationships do require a commitment of time. I hope I’ve convinced you to make your relationship with God, your spouse, your children, your extended family, and your friends a priority. If you do, all the other aspects of homeschooling become more manageable.

Join me next time as I discuss how to find curriculum that will give you homeschool sanity.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How to Keep Relationships the Focus of Your Homeschool (Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Hey, homeschoolers! In this episode, I’m sharing my top tips for getting more done.

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Takeaways

Developing a devotional habit can provide wisdom, focus, and peace of mind. Creating routines can help homeschoolers stay organized and reduce stress. Developing an exercise habit can increase energy levels and improve overall health. Planning your week and day can help you stay on track and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Envisioning your day and using loop scheduling can increase motivation and productivity. Randomizing tasks and using truth journaling can help overcome procrastination and negative thoughts. Stopping worry and trusting God can reduce stress and improve mental well-being.

Resources

The Organized Homeschool Life

The Organized Homeschool Life Planner

FLYLady on Routines

A Year of Living Productively

Great Homeschool Conventions

Random.org

Truth Journaling

Freedom from Procrastination

Trust Project

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Top 10 Tips to Get More Done (Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Hey, homeschoolers! I intended to publish this episode last week but ended up giving you a chance to practice patience in waiting for it. I want to share what I’ve learned about being a patient mom, but first, I want to thank the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network. They are celebrating their 10-year anniversary, which is amazing to me. I can’t believe it’s been that long since the kind and generous Felice Gerwitz offered me the chance to have my own podcast.

Some weeks (like last week), it’s challenging to get the content out, but most of the time I love sharing encouragement with you, some of the most committed moms on the planet. The network has some special plans to mark our anniversary, so I hope you’ll check out the website or my social media to participate. Finally, I want to thank you for giving me the honor of listening to this podcast and other podcasts on the network. I don’t take it for granted.

Introduction to Patience

Now let’s jump into the topic of the week: patience. I was surprised to learn that I haven’t done a podcast on this topic when a mom asked me for resources. I’ve done episodes on anger (Anger episode 2 Anger episode 1). But impatience is the precursor to anger. If we can manage our impatience, we are much less likely to lose our cool.

Just as with anger, I believe that only Jesus can rescue us from a real stronghold of impatience. That rescue usually isn’t immediate. When I started homeschooling, I learned I was an impatient mom. I had this image of what homeschooling would look like. My son didn’t share that image. My impatience in response was a nasty surprise. Many moms would have said I had no business homeschooling with that kind of impatience. But I’m glad I persevered. Homeschooling was the fire that God used to refine my patience.

Practice to be PATIENT

I think we can cooperate with God to develop patience. I’m using the acronym PATIENT to share how.

The P is for process. When we don’t process our emotions, it’s like letting trash accumulate. Soon it will overflow the container. We’ll have a blow up.

Not processing our emotions looks like this: Our homeschool friend announces at the last minute that she will not be coming to the co-op party. She is getting her hair done. You are not happy about that. But you push aside that unhappiness because you have a party to get ready for.  You also didn’t sleep well because your husband says there is a chance he will be laid off. You’re tired and you’re worried. But it’s too upsetting to think about, so you focus on the party. If you don’t process those emotions, where will your patience be if another friend forgets to bring the paper goods, or your child drops a jar of pickles on the floor?

Processing our emotions doesn’t have to take a lot of time and is unlikely to make us feel worse. It can simply be a matter of praying about how you’re feeling, truth journaling, or talking it out with someone. In a household of eight, we had to take out the trash daily. If you’re working to overcome impatience, I recommend processing your emotions daily too. As we process, we realize that there are steps we need to take to deal with the things that are bothering us that can prevent negative emotions from occurring in the future.

The A in Patient is for Asking Yourself If It’s Important. Is it important that your friend forgot to bring the paper goods? Maybe not. You can either cobble together something else or she can run home or to the store to get them. I often find myself feeling like I’m in a hurry when I’m really not. When I ask myself if it’s important that the cashier is behaving like a sloth, I have to answer no. But what if it is? What if the subject of your impatience is truly important? You have a loved one needing medical attention or you could be late for something critical? In this case, we don’t have to be impatient. We can be assertive. We can say that we need something to happen in a timely fashion and why. We can’t expect others to know that we’re in a rush if we don’t tell them.

The first T in Patient is for Tell Yourself the Truth. In situations that can lead us to impatience, we tend to awfulize. We make the situation much worse in our minds than it is. I’ve shared the example before of walking into a messy house after being gone for a while. I can tell myself it’s a disaster of epic proportions! It looks like a tornado hit. It’s going to take all day to get the house back in shape. Or I can tell myself the truth that I can set a timer for 10 minutes and with all of us working, the house will be back to normal. When we haven’t processed our emotions or asked ourselves if something is important, we may have difficulty telling ourselves the truth. It’s a good time to talk to someone who can talk you down. They will tell you the truth. Before we’re in a challenging situation, we can also renew our minds with God’s truth. We can meditate on not only scriptures having to do with patience but on who God is. When we’re thinking about our awesome, holy, loving God, the broken jar of pickles doesn’t seem like such a big deal. We can also recall the truth that we have an enemy actively working to make us impatient. That truth annoys me enough that I stubbornly refuse to become impatient!

The I in Patient is just what it sounds like: I. In other words, we’re more likely to be impatient when it’s about me, myself, and I. We are doing the JOY acronym backwards as YOJ (first you, then others, then Jesus). It’s the mistake impatient Martha made. Martha was impatient because she wasn’t getting the help she wanted from Mary. She wasn’t focused on Jesus either. Perhaps she hadn’t processed her emotions, asked herself if getting the meal on the table quickly was really important, or hadn’t told herself the truth that it was not a fact a nightmare if Mary wasn’t helping. Back to our co-op party example: Who is the party about anyway? If it’s not your birthday party, you didn’t plan it for yourself.

The E in Patient is for Expect More Challenges. Much of our initial feeling of impatience is related to our expectations. Your co-op friends have probably skipped out or forgotten things before. Your kids have certainly dropped things at inopportune times, as have you. Pretty much every time I was away from home without the kids, they made a mess. And once one thing happens to hit our impatience button, we can count on more. With the party example, expect something to break, someone to get hurt, or someone to have a conflict. You’re more likely to remain calm and you can rejoice if all goes well.

The N in Patient is for Neglect the Upsetting Memories. Just because you should have known your friend would no-show the party doesn’t mean you should ruminate on that. Doing so will create more negative emotions that need to be processed or they can lead to impatience. Every day is a fresh start with new opportunities to experience joy. We can choose to forgive ourselves and others with the power of the Holy Spirit. One powerful way of neglecting the negative memories is to see the humor in the situation. Your friend bailed on your long-planned party to get her hair done? That’s hilarious! When I’m in the middle of an impatience-provoking situation, I often think about how I can later tell it as a funny story.

I recently went to the DMV to get my license renewed. I tried to get an appointment online but my office doesn’t have that option. When I got to the office, it took me a number of attempts to get the screen to allow me to check in. Once I did, it said to go ahead and leave and I would get a text message when it was my turn. The room was full, so I thought it could be a while. But I was just about out of the parking lot when I got a message that it was my turn. As I quickly drove back, I got a message that I had missed my turn. When I got back into the office, the clerk was helping someone else. She noticed me though and said that she was going on lunch break for half an hour but I would be the first person she helped when she came back. I did plan to meet someone after getting my license, but I thought I would be okay even waiting half an hour. I went across the street to a thrift store for 15 minutes, figuring that I would go back a little early, just in case. As I got into my car, I got a text message that it was my turn. As I pulled into the parking lot, I got a message that they had gone on to the next customer. I went back to the office and sure enough, someone else was ahead of me. But in a few minutes, the new clerk explained that she had taken over for the woman on lunch break and would be helping me next. I am so glad the Lord gave me patience in this situation and a sense of humor. The new clerk was delightful and I was on my way in plenty of time for my get together.

The T in Patient is for Thankfulness. It’s impossible to be impatient when we are grateful. When you’re in a situation that is provoking you to impatience, find something to be grateful for. If you’re really struggling, start going through the alphabet. A, I’m grateful for our automobile. B, I’m grateful for this healthy body. By the time you’re through the alphabet, you will likely be much calmer. Of course, we want to thank the Lord for helping us resist the temptation to be impatient and for a humorous perspective as well.

I pray that this episode has given you some encouragement and some tools the next time you’re provoked to impatience.

Have a patient homeschool week!

The post How to Be a Patient Homeschool Mom (Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Download your FREE Homeschool Confidence Action Plan: https://funtolearnbooks.activehosted.com/f/68

Every July, homeschool moms tell themselves, “This year is going to be different.” But by October, many are overwhelmed, exhausted, and wondering what went wrong.

The difference isn’t trying harder—it’s building the right habits before the school year begins.

In this episode, psychologist and veteran homeschool mom Dr. Melanie Wilson shares seven simple habits that successful homeschool moms practice before August to reduce frustration, build confidence, and create a homeschool year their families can enjoy.

Whether you’re homeschooling for the first time or your twentieth, these practical strategies will help you start the year with a realistic plan instead of unrealistic expectations.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• • Why asking for help is a strength, not a weakness

• • How to create a realistic routine your family can actually follow

• • The importance of planning relationship time with your children and spouse

• • How confidence-building curriculum reduces frustration

• • Why social and emotional skills are just as important as academics

• • How planning fun throughout the year keeps everyone motivated

• • Why organized homeschool moms build daily habits instead of marathon organizing sessions

Free Resource

Download your FREE Homeschool Confidence Action Plan: https://funtolearnbooks.activehosted.com/f/68

Mentioned in this video

Grammar Galaxy https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/grammar-galaxy-nebula-kit-text-mission-manual/

Fast Grammar https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/fast-grammar-1/

Training Aliens https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

The Organized Homeschool Life https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/the-organized-homeschool-life/

Shop all homeschool resources: https://funtolearnbooks.com/shop

Use code PRIME26 to save 15% on everything but bundles. Get the Organized Homeschool Life Bonus Bundle free on orders over $100.

Other Episodes You May Like

How to Teach Initiative

Why Charlotte Mason Would Approve of Grammar Galaxy

Get Organized in Your Homeschool

The post 7 Habits Of Successful Homeschool Moms appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

– Why AI is not a future technology — it’s here now, and it’s not going away – The most important mindset shift homeschooling families need to make about AI – How your approach to AI should differ for young children vs. teens – The foundational skills kids need *before* becoming heavy AI users – Practical guardrails and family conversations to put in place – Concrete, everyday ways AI can actually benefit your homeschool – How to cut through the overwhelm and choose an AI approach that fits your family values

Key Takeaways:

**Start with principles, not technology.** Before deciding which tool to use, ask: What kind of children are we trying to raise? What values matter most? Your technology decisions will flow naturally from there.

**For younger kids: awareness, not access.** Focus on foundational skills — reading, writing, critical thinking, creative play, and memorization. These are the building blocks AI can never replace.

**For teens: guidance and practice.** AI literacy will matter in college and career. Teens need practice evaluating AI output, developing strong communication skills for prompting, and understanding AI as a tool — not a replacement for their own thinking.

**Guardrails to put in place:** – Teach kids that AI is very affirming — and that affirmation isn’t the same as wisdom – Guard real, in-person relationships; AI should never become a therapist – Ask: Is this true? How do we verify it? What’s missing from this answer? – Avoid sharing personal information (names, ages, etc.) with AI tools – Develop integrity and grit so kids don’t default to AI as the path of least resistance

**Ways AI can help homeschool families:** – Brainstorming unit study ideas, enrichment activities, and field trips – Solving creative teaching problems (e.g., a child who dislikes handwriting) – Meal planning and scheduling – Travel and itinerary planning – Book lists and project ideas – Helping students understand difficult concepts in multiple ways – Writing prompts, debate prep, and career exploration for high schoolers

Resources Mentioned:

– Nancy’s podcast: AI and Your Homeschool — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube – Free family discussion guide (includes questions for parents, teens, and family discussions + real-world AI scenarios): http://nancymanos.com/podcast – Follow Nancy on social media: http://facebook.com/mrsnancymanos http://instagram.com/mrsnancymanos

–Original AI podcast AI Trip Planning AI Tips You Can Use This Week

Have a happy homeschool week!

Does using AI in your homeschool mean you’re contributing to the rise of Skynet? Does refusing to use it mean you’re a Luddite living in a cabin in the woods? In this episode, host Melanie sits down with Nancy Manos — graduated homeschool mom, grandma, and host of the *AI and Your Homeschool* podcast — to talk about how families can navigate AI with wisdom, discernment, and confidence.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

– Why AI is not a future technology — it’s here now, and it’s not going away – The most important mindset shift homeschooling families need to make about AI – How your approach to AI should differ for young children vs. teens – The foundational skills kids need *before* becoming heavy AI users – Practical guardrails and family conversations to put in place – Concrete, everyday ways AI can actually benefit your homeschool – How to cut through the overwhelm and choose an AI approach that fits your family values

Key Takeaways:

**Start with principles, not technology.** Before deciding which tool to use, ask: What kind of children are we trying to raise? What values matter most? Your technology decisions will flow naturally from there.

**For younger kids: awareness, not access.** Focus on foundational skills — reading, writing, critical thinking, creative play, and memorization. These are the building blocks AI can never replace.

**For teens: guidance and practice.** AI literacy will matter in college and career. Teens need practice evaluating AI output, developing strong communication skills for prompting, and understanding AI as a tool — not a replacement for their own thinking.

**Guardrails to put in place:** – Teach kids that AI is very affirming — and that affirmation isn’t the same as wisdom – Guard real, in-person relationships; AI should never become a therapist – Ask: Is this true? How do we verify it? What’s missing from this answer? – Avoid sharing personal information (names, ages, etc.) with AI tools – Develop integrity and grit so kids don’t default to AI as the path of least resistance

**Ways AI can help homeschool families:** – Brainstorming unit study ideas, enrichment activities, and field trips – Solving creative teaching problems (e.g., a child who dislikes handwriting) – Meal planning and scheduling – Travel and itinerary planning – Book lists and project ideas – Helping students understand difficult concepts in multiple ways – Writing prompts, debate prep, and career exploration for high schoolers

Resources Mentioned:

– Nancy’s podcast: AI and Your Homeschool — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube – Free family discussion guide (includes questions for parents, teens, and family discussions + real-world AI scenarios): http://nancymanos.com/podcast – Follow Nancy on social media: http://facebook.com/mrsnancymanos http://instagram.com/mrsnancymanos

–Original AI podcast AI Trip Planning AI Tips You Can Use This Week

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post A Sane Approach To AI In Your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Summer is often seen as a break from the structured routine of homeschooling—an opportunity for kids to relax, play outside, and enjoy more free time. But for many homeschooling parents, summer can also bring heightened challenges: sibling conflict, boredom, and lack of initiative, for example. Why do these issues surface more during break time, and what can you do to turn summer frustrations into opportunities for your child’s growth?In this post, I’ll explore common summer struggles for homeschoolers, why they happen, and practical strategies to equip your kids with the skills they need—so both of you can enjoy a more peaceful, productive summer.

Why Summer Brings Out Hidden Frustrations

Summer’s relaxed schedule often reveals underlying issues that are less noticeable during the busy school year. For example, children might struggle with:

• • Lack of friendships: When regular group activities like co-ops or sports pause, kids may feel lonely or miss their social circles.

• • Increased sibling conflict: Spending more time together without the distractions of school or extracurriculars can magnify personality clashes.

• • Boredom: After initial excitement, kids often become tired of repetitive activities, which can lead to poor behavior and emotional outbursts.

• • Difficulty taking initiative: Kids may have grand plans for summer but struggle to execute them or keep themselves busy.

These challenges aren’t necessarily signs of poor character—they’re signals that your children need specific social, emotional, and executive functioning skills. Recognizing this helps shift your perspective from parenting blame to targeted skill-building.

Common Summer Frustrations and Simple Solutions

Friendship Struggles and Social Skills Gaps

Without regular interactions at co-op or organized activities, children may lack the opportunity or confidence to develop friendships. Many haven’t learned how to initiate play or ask questions that build rapport.

Practical tip: Teach your kids explicit social skills, like asking questions, giving compliments, or inviting friends to activities. Role-play can be a fun way to practice these skills before summer outings.

Sibling Conflict and Relationship Skills

More time together can lead kids to aggravate each other, especially if they haven’t learned how to manage conflicts peacefully. They may not know how to connect or collaborate effectively.

Solution: Model and teach specific connection strategies, such as giving genuine compliments or planning shared activities.

Boredom and Lack of Creativity

Many kids rely on screens or structured activities to fill free time. When those are unavailable, boredom can feel overwhelming, leading to acting out or withdrawal.

Insight: Boredom is actually a catalyst for creativity. Encourage kids to invent games, create crafts, or explore nature. Share stories of how boredom led you to discover a new hobby or project.

Struggles with Initiative and Planning

Kids often have ideas but don’t take steps to make them happen—like inviting friends or working on a project. Without guidance, they may feel overwhelmed or anxious about planning.

Tip: Teach them step-by-step planning skills, such as breaking a goal into smaller tasks and creating a simple schedule.

Resources to Support Your Summer Skill Building

To help your family implement these strategies, I developed Training Aliens. (Scroll down to request a sample)

It’s a story-based curriculum focused on social and emotional skills. Set at Space Camp, it features alien characters learning friendship, self-control, and problem-solving—engaging kids with fun stories while teaching vital skills. You’ll see how you can incorporate these lessons into your summer routine—without overwhelming yourself.

Listen to:

How to Help Your Child Develop Initiative

Sibling Rivalry Help

Take action today:

Choose one skill to focus on this summer and enjoy watching your children develop into more capable, confident kids.

The post How To Fix Summer Frustrations appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

If you have a child whose creativity and confidence you’d love to encourage, this episode is for you! I chat with Bethany Baldwin of MAD Society Inc. about her ingenious approach to homeschool theater:

The surprising benefits of theater—even if your child isn’t a “theater kid”

How to start a homeschool drama club with zero experience

Why student-led performances can spark confidence and creativity in every child

Ready to be inspired? Watch or listen now!

Melanie Wilson

Sponsor: CTC Math

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). CTC Math uses a multi-sensory approach, having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

__________________________________

Get your free lesson on making friends here:

https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-1-kit/

//WHAT TO WATCH / LISTEN TO NEXT

~ How to Start a Drama Club

~ Parent-Child Book Clubs for Homeschoolers

~ Family Entertainment for Building Relationships

~How to Teach Leadership

____________________________________

//RESOURCES

https://madsocietyinc.com

Bethany’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mad_society_inc/?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D

Bethany’s TikTok

Bethany’s Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/people/MAD-Society-Inc/100094518963381

Follow Melanie on Instagram to get regular tips and encouragement: https://instagram.com/homeschoolsanity

Find sanity-saving, story-based curriculum kids love and productivity/organizational helps for you at Fun to Learn Books:

https://funtolearnbooks.com

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: Teaching Kids Confidence with Homeschool Theater appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Hey, homeschoolers! Last week my guest and I talked about finding a homeschool community. Often our biggest concern is helping our kids make friends. But what about us? We need friends too. I might not have made it without the homeschool mom friendships I had.

If you’re interested in developing new friendships, you’ll love my chat with Kristen Strong. Kristen, whose authored books include Girl Meets Change and When Change Finds You, also compiled the 90-day devotional, Praying Through Loneliness. Her new book is titled Desperate Woman Seeks Friends. Kristen writes as a friend walking alongside you in your lonely season to a more helpful, hopeful destination. She loves sharing laughs, long talks, and meaningful stories with family and friends while holding a cup of strong black tea. She and her US Air Force veteran husband, David, have three beloved adult children.

I found her delightful. Here’s our conversation.

Mom Friendships Episode Summary

In this conversation, Melanie Wilson and Kristen discuss the unique challenges that homeschooling moms face in building and maintaining friendships. They explore themes of isolation, the importance of deep versus casual friendships, and practical strategies for overcoming obstacles such as busyness and fear of rejection. Kristen shares insights from her book ‘Desperate Woman Seeks Friends,’ emphasizing the need for vulnerability and the value of creating rituals to prioritize friendships. The discussion highlights the emotional benefits of connection and the importance of understanding different personality types in friendship dynamics.

Mom Friendships Resources

Kristen Strong’s website

Kristen on Instagram

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: Mom Friendships appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Does the thought of homeschooling high school make you feel panicked?

Maybe you’re wondering:

• • Will my teen be prepared for college?

• • What about transcripts?

• • What if I’m not qualified enough?

• • Will my teen miss out socially?

You are not alone.

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, I’m talking with Rachel Kovac, homeschooling mom of six and author of Their Future is Shining Bright, about the fears parents have about homeschooling high school—and why many of those fears simply aren’t true.

Rachel shares practical encouragement for parents considering homeschooling through the teen years, including transcripts, dual enrollment, career preparation, relationships, and socialization.

This episode sponsored by CTCMath.com

Sanity Shortcut

Homeschooling high school does not mean recreating school at home.

Instead, think of it as creating a customized path for your teen—one that can include:

• • dual enrollment,

• • internships,

• • certification programs,

• • apprenticeships,

• • online classes,

• • entrepreneurship,

• • travel,

• • mentoring,

• • and meaningful family connection.

You do not need to have every detail figured out before you begin. You just need to take the next step.

In This Episode

In our conversation, Rachel and I discuss:

• • The biggest myths parents believe about homeschooling high school

• • Why transcripts are easier than most parents think

• • How to create high school credits from your teen’s interests

• • Preparing students for college and non-college career paths

• • Scholarships, AP courses, and competitive college admissions

• • Why homeschoolers often have more flexibility and opportunities

• • What socialization really looks like for homeschool teens

• • How homeschooling high school can strengthen family relationships

• • Helping teens process worldviews that differ from your family’s values

Resources Mentioned

Their Future is Shining Bright by Rachel Kovac

Rachel’s website: RachelKovac.com

Rachel’s transcript template and homeschool resources

Instagram: @RachelStitchTogether

Encouragement for Nervous Parents

One thing I especially appreciated in this conversation was Rachel’s reminder that fear doesn’t mean you’re incapable.

Many of us who now love homeschooling started out convinced we couldn’t do it.

And honestly? Homeschooling high school gave me some of the richest conversations and strongest relationships I’ve had with my kids.

If you’re considering homeschooling through high school, I hope this episode gives you both practical help and renewed confidence.

Share This Episode

If this episode encouraged you, would you share it with a homeschooling friend who’s nervous about the high school years?

You might be the reason she takes the next step toward homeschooling with less frustration and more confidence.

Other Episodes on High School

• Homeschooling High School Grammar
  High School Unschooling
  High School When You Don’t Know Everything

The post Homeschooling High School Isn’t As Hard As You Think appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Hey, homeschoolers! Few things are as distressing as having an anxious child. I’m revisiting the topic today.

Sponsor

Summary

In this conversation, Melanie Wilson discusses anxiety in homeschoolers and provides a three-part framework for managing anxiety. The first part of the framework is prevention, which includes ensuring regular sleep and wake times, engaging in exercise, and limiting caffeine intake. The second part is recognizing the symptoms of anxiety, such as muscle tension, headaches, stomach aches, and insomnia. The third part is substitution, which involves teaching children to calm themselves down through deep breathing and changing their thoughts. Wilson emphasizes the importance of faith in managing anxiety and suggests using scriptures and truth journaling as tools. Overall, she emphasizes that anxiety can be overcome with practice and offers her curriculum, Training Aliens, as a resource.

Resources

Help for Anxious Homeschoolers

How to Help Your Child Manage Emotions

Truth Journaling

Top Bible Verses for Anxiety

Training Aliens

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: How To Help Your Anxious Child appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Hey homeschoolers!

Welcome to the The Homeschool Sanity Show, where it’s all about less frustration and more confidence in your homeschool and parenting.

I’m your host, Dr. Melanie Wilson—Christian psychologist, homeschool mom, and author of story-based curriculum kids love.

And today, we’re talking about one of the biggest sources of frustration for homeschool parents…

kids who don’t take initiative.

If you feel like:

• • you have to remind your kids of everything

• • they wait to be told what to do

• • or nothing gets started without you

this episode is for you.

Watch on YouTube

Because what looks like laziness or lack of motivation…
is usually something else entirely.

Let’s dive in.

I want to start today with a question that might feel a little too familiar.

Have you ever thought:

“Why do I have to tell my kids everything?” “Why can’t they just see what needs to be done?” “Why don’t they start their work without me reminding them…again?”

If that’s you, you’re not alone.

In fact, it’s one of the most common frustrations we have as homeschool parents…and it’s it’s exhausting.

Because when kids don’t take initiative, what happens?

You become the manager of everything. You carry the mental load. And you start to feel like if you don’t say it… it won’t get done.

That’s frustrating.

But what if I told you that a lack of initiative isn’t necessarily a character problem?

It may be a skills problem.

And that’s actually good news for us.

What Initiative Actually Is

Let’s define initiative in a simple way.

Initiative means:

Noticing what needs to be done—and acting. Without being told.

Now, when we define it that way, we can start to see why our kids struggle.

Because initiative actually requires several underlying skills:

Awareness (noticing what needs to be done) Planning (knowing what step to take next) Motivation (getting started) Confidence (believing they can do it)

If any one of those is missing… initiative breaks down.

Why This Feels So Personal

Here’s where it gets tricky for us as parents. When kids don’t take initiative, it feels like:

• • They don’t care

• • They’re being lazy

• • They’re ignoring us

But much of the time?

They’re overwhelmed… unsure… or simply untrained.

And when we interpret it as defiance, we respond with:

• • more reminders

• • more frustration

• • even verbalizing our assessment of their character

Which—unfortunately—doesn’t build initiative. It actually shuts it down.

Initiative in Our Family

I had kids who didn’t take initiative to clean. I spent time teaching them how to clean but didn’t teach them to notice when something needed to be cleaned. It seemed like they should just know. But the truth is, they weren’t thinking about the value of a clean house like I was. They were likely thinking about games, sports, and friends. If I had it to do over again, I would have taught them to notice when something needed to be cleaned or put away and I would have given ample rewards to motivate them in the beginning.

I also had a kid who did take initiative, but not in the way I wanted. Without telling me, my teen called the tennis coach of our local high school and asked what was required for him as a homeschooler to be on the team. That’s something we often forget to teach our kids. Initiative isn’t just “do whatever you think is best.”

It’s: notice act and ask if you need permission

I made it clear that my son should have asked first. He did end up being on the tennis team. And his initiative was a blessing when it came to applying for college scholarships. He handled the whole process.

Why Kids Wait to Be Told

But many kids wait to be told what to do. Why?

Here are a few common reasons:

1. They don’t know what “done” looks like

If expectations aren’t crystal clear, kids hesitate.

2. They’ve been corrected a lot

If they’ve heard “That’s not how I wanted it,” they may stop trying.

3. They feel overwhelmed

When everything feels big, they don’t know where to start.

4. They’re used to being directed

If we’ve always told them what to do, they haven’t practiced deciding.

What Actually Helps

So what can we do to help our kids build initiative muscles? Let me give you a few practical strategies.

1. Make the invisible visible

Instead of assuming they “should know,” say:

“Here’s what I would notice in this situation…”

You’re training their awareness.

2. Start small

Initiative grows with success.

Instead of: “Take care of your schoolwork,”

Try: “What’s the first thing you can do right now?”

3. Allow imperfect action

If we correct everything, kids stop initiating.

Let some things be “good enough.”

(This is hard for us perfectionists—but powerful.)

4. Ask instead of tell

Instead of: “Go start your work,”

Try: “What do you think should be done next?”

Now our child is planning, not just obeying.

5. Notice initiative when it happens

Even small things.

“I noticed you got started on your math without being reminded.”

That builds identity: “I’m someone who takes initiative.”

A Mindset Shift That Builds Initiative

Here’s the shift I hope you take away today:

Instead of asking:

“What’s wrong with my child?”

Ask:

“What skill is missing?”

That question changes your tone. It changes your response. And it changes your child’s experience.

Free Sample Lesson

If this is an area your child struggles with I want to give you something to help.

I’ve just completed Level 3 of Training Aliens, a fun, story-based curriulum that teaches kids social and emotional skills. I want to send you the lesson on initiative for free.

This lesson is designed to:

teach kids what initiative actually is give them a story-based example they’ll remember and help them practice it in a simple, concrete way

Instead of lectures, kids learn through: stories modeling and practice

You can grab that free lesson in the product description here:

If you enjoy it, be sure to take advantage of launch pricing for Level 3 this week. Or grab the discounted bundle of all three levels, allowing you to choose the skills your kids need to work on first. These materials are a wonderful summer course for your kids.

Conclusion

If you’re feeling frustrated right now, I want you to hear this:

Your child’s lack of initiative is not a fixed trait.

It’s a skill that can be taught.

And you don’t have to carry the whole load forever.

With the right tools and a little patience, you can move from:

constant reminding to growing independence

And that leads to exactly what we all want:

Less frustration… and more confidence.

Thanks for joining me today for the Homeschool Sanity Show, a production of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network.

Have a happy homeschool week!

Other Episodes You May Like

Goldilocks Discipline

Consistent Chores

The post Why Your Kids Don’t Take Initiative (and What Actually Helps) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Have you ever wondered if you’ve gotten discipline wrong — been too strict, too lenient, or somehow both in the same day? If so, you’re in good company. In this episode, I’m tackling one of the most common fears I hear from homeschool parents: the fear that your approach to discipline may have already done damage. I want to reassure you right from the start — it is not too late.

Why We End Up at the Extremes

Most of us were never taught how to discipline in a balanced way. Instead, we’re reacting to what we experienced growing up — either repeating it or trying hard to avoid it. Parents who grew up with harsh discipline often swing toward being too permissive. Those who submitted to strict parenting to avoid conflict may find themselves doing the same with their own strong-willed child.

Fear is the second big reason we swing between extremes — sometimes in the same afternoon. We ask ourselves:

• • What if I’ve been too hard and my child rebels?

• • What if I’ve been too soft and my child can’t make it on her own?

• • What if I’ve already done damage that can’t be undone?

That fear comes from love. But it’s also based on a belief that isn’t entirely true. Yes, our parenting has a real developmental impact — but children are far more resilient and forgiving than we’ve been led to believe. They learn, they adapt, and they respond to change.

A third reason we stay stuck at the extremes is that they seem to work in the moment. Counting to three or giving in to avoid a meltdown produces short-term compliance — but it doesn’t build character or create lasting change.

The Just Right Approach

There is a better way, and it doesn’t require perfection. The Just Right approach to discipline is built on four qualities:

• • Clear — your words and actions send the same message

• • Calm — you respond rather than react out of anger or anxiety

• • Consistent — you follow through most of the time

• • Connected — your relationship with your child comes first

One of the simplest ways to prioritize connection is through individual time. With six kids, I couldn’t do it daily, so I assigned each child a day of the week. On their day, I focused on them completely — a game, a shake, whatever they chose — for as little as 15 minutes. That small investment paid off in big ways for our relationship and our ability to work through hard moments together.

When It’s a Skill Issue, Not a Discipline Issue

Sometimes what looks like a discipline problem is actually a skill deficit. My daughter struggled with intense emotions and would scream in frustration. Punishing her made it worse. Ignoring her made it worse. Even sending her to her room wouldn’t have prevented future outbursts — because the real issue was that she hadn’t yet learned to regulate her emotions.

When your child struggles this way, it doesn’t mean they’re broken or that you’ve failed. It means they need to be taught a skill. And because skills can be taught, change is always possible.

It’s Not Too Late

If you’ve felt like you’ve gotten discipline wrong, I want you to hear this: a small course correction can make a big difference. You don’t have to overhaul everything. You just have to take one step toward a calmer, more connected approach.

If you’d like help with that, I’d love for you to check out my new book, Goldilocks Discipline. It’s designed to help you move away from the extremes and toward a confident, just right approach that works in real life — without the fear that you’re ruining your kids.

Through Sunday, April 26th, the book comes with two bonus resources:

1. 1. A 7-Day Just Right Discipline Reset — short daily emails, a printed guide, and audio encouragement to walk you through a course correction this week, even before you finish the book.

1. 1. A Just Right Discipline Swaps Guide — practical ideas for what to say and do instead of defaulting to too hard or too soft responses.

The book is short and includes discussion questions, making it easy to read alongside your husband.

Find Goldilocks Discipline at https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/goldilocks-discipline/

Subscribe to the Homeschool Sanity Show for weekly encouragement, practical tools, and the confidence to homeschool well. If this episode helped you, please share it with a friend who needs to hear it!

More Episodes Like This

Redeeming Parenting Failures

3 Child Discipline Lies That Make Homeschooling Harder

The post Is Your Discipline Too Hard Or Too Soft? Find the “Just Right” Balance appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Hey, homeschoolers! I love hacks. A hack is a simple, creative strategy or shortcut that makes homeschooling easier, more effective, or more enjoyable. In my case, there are 12 hacks that changed everything for me as a homeschool mom. I hope you’ll listen to them all and will find one or more than will change everything for you too. I’m recording this episode in honor of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network’s birthday celebration. Take a moment to visit the website this week and download free gifts we’ve provided at ultimateradioshow.com.

Watch on YouTube

Sponsor:

Thank you to the NIV Application Bible for sponsoring this episode. We love our sponsors who help us bring you hacks like these.

Hack #1: Daily Devotions

The first hack that changed everything for me is daily devotions. I wrote about my experience with establishing a devotional habit in my book The Organzied Homeschool Life. The short version is speaker Becky Tirabassi convinced me to commit to having an appointment with the King daily. I read the entire Bible in a year and prayed daily, even in the hospital after giving birth. At the time I thought the great blessing of my devotional practice was it educated me about the faith I professed. I knew only stories and Scriptures here and there before reading the entire Bible. I also recognized that I had more peace as I prayed. I would wake up overwhelmed with everything I needed to do. I would pray and God would often supernaturally manage my schedule or supernaturally manage me. But I now understand that the most powerful change that occurred is I learned that God was trustworthy. I did not have a lot of experience with trustworthy people before that time. After that first year, my devotional habits changed as my life changed. I still read the Bible and prayed most days, but sometimes I spent time with God in the middle of the night, nursing an infant. Other times, I prayed as I cleaned the kitchen. I listened to devotionals and sermons as I got ready in the mornings. I had a time of legalistic devotions too that blessedly became a grace-filled time that I look forward to. I give God my worries, record connections with the Scripture I read, and pray for myself and others. I don’t believe I would have succeeded in my homeschooling without this practice or at least with my sanity intact. I was recently asked about where to start if you’re new to Scripture reading. If you are in a challenging season, I suggest starting with the book of John. If you want to get the full story, start with Genesis. If you really don’t have much time to yourself, read the Bible with your kids for school. You’ll have more quiet time as your kids get older.

Hack #2: Routines

Hack #2 that changed everything is routines. If you’re a regular listener, you’ve heard me say it dozens of times. When I started homeschooling, or should I say when I said I was starting homeschooling, I had no routines. I got up at all different times and did nothing in a particular order. I put out fires all day, usually not getting dressed. I accomplished nothing other than taking care of my three kids. With this kind of chaos, I wasn’t able to teach my preschooler using any of the books or materials I had purchased. I was ready to quit and stop having more kids. Then a friend told me about a woman named FLYLady. Like me, she was a messy, disorganized person. But she began to string together simple habits into routines. The first habit was shining her sink–making sure the dishes were in the dishwasher and that everything else was clean. It seems crazy to me now that I used to go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes. Waking up to that was demoralizing. Beginning with that simple habit changed my life because it kept expanding. Soon my whole kitchen and home was tidy before I went to bed. My clothes were laid out and I was ready for the next day. An evening routine became a morning routine which became a school routine. I wrote about my experience for Woman’s Day Magazine and my dream of being a freelance writer was realized. This disorganized woman went on to help homeschool moms establish routines of their own. My interview with FLYLady on routines.

Hack #3: Praying with Kids

As part of our morning routine, the kids and I would do chores together. That’s a bonus hack, but I include it in routines. Having their help cleaning and picking up was essential for my sanity. BUT invariably there were kids who weren’t doing the chores they were assigned or they were doing them poorly. There were squabbles and delays so that by the time we started school I was NOT happy. But we had a practice of beginning with prayer. First, each of us would say what we were thankful for. It was nice to hear gratitude from the kids. But the second part of our group prayer is the hack that changed everything. We would go around and say what we were sorry for. Invariably, the child I was most miffed at would confess their poor behavior. I was usually humbled about my own reaction to it.  The final part of our prayer was asking for help from God for yourself or someone else. Usually the child would say they needed help with the thing they were sorry for. Understandable as that’s usually how I pray too. If you’d like to start this prayer routine, I recommend modeling it for the kids by going first.

Hack #4:  Reading Historical Fiction / Biographies Aloud

After our prayer time, I felt the closest to the kids as I read aloud to them. We used Konos and then Mystery of History for our history lessons. Konos incorporated read alouds automatically. When I started using Mystery of History, I would look up recommended titles to go along with the time period we were studying on Sonlight’s website. Stories not only make history more memorable, they are also key in teaching character and social and emotional skills. My kids loved our read alouds and usually begged for another chapter. I was happy to oblige. Our success with learning through story prompted me to create language arts and social and emotional skills curriculum using stories. You can learn more at FunToLearnBooks.com.

Hack #5: Independent Work with Supervision

I talk to new homeschoolers whose schedules with work and other commitments require independent learners. We now have computerized curriculum and online classes that can make independent work possible, even for kids who aren’t yet reading fluently. My caution concerns kids’ need for relationship and interaction. Most adults don’t want to stare at a screen all day. Kids are the same. The younger the child, the more they need that interaction and the less maturity and attention they have for sustained work. Having to give six kids’ individual attention, I did them to have periods of independent work. After finding out that some of my kids were struggling to accomplish anything on their own, I had them all sit at our school table to do independent work on the same subject. So everyone had their math in front of them. Then for 20 minutes, they would all get to work while I walked around the table. They had no opportunity to mess around, but they had every chance to ask for help. It worked brilliantly. I allowed my sophomores and up to work completely independently. By this point, they were mature enough to handle it.

Hack #6: Homeschool Co-op

When I decided to use Konos curriculum, I also wanted to find other families to participate in a co-op. One day a week we would complete the group activities and field trips related to the topic we were studying. Originally, we met in a church basement. The kids had a blast doing the hands-on activities, crafts, and games together. When one family moved, I suggested that we meet at my house. I had little ones that still napped in the afternoons. I also had the most kids and it was easier for me to stay home. Forming this kind of co-op had unexpected benefits. First, it made my kids love homeschooling. They said it was their favorite part of it. Next, they built close friendships. This kind of co-op as opposed to a class or two in a learning center, is most likely to help your child form close friendships. It helped me build close friendships too. I made no friends when I later had my kids enrolled in a learning center. Finally, a co-op in which all the moms were responsible for the activities created much-needed accountability for me. I could not blow off the preparatory lessons. The kids had to have their papers or projects done. And because I was hosting it, my house had to be clean. My kids would have learned far less if we had not participated in a co-op.

Hack #7: Exercise as Part of the School Day

My husband and I have always been committed to fitness. Exercise is the #1 way of promoting physical and mental health, so we wanted to emphasize it for our kids. We had them in sports with practices and games. They played outside and rode bikes, but it wasn’t a regular fitness routine. That’s when I realized I could make fitness a part of our school day. We had times when we would lift weights together. I had many light dumbbells and we would lift in a slow and controlled fashion that is safe for kids. Then we started doing video workouts together before lunch. I got a workout in and my husband would join us when he was home. The workouts went by quickly and we laughed a lot. Today our kids are all committed to fitness.  I highly recommend including it in your school day.

Hack #8:  Loop Scheduling

I have always been someone who tries to do it all. As a homeschooler, that created stress for me. An introduction to loop scheduling helped me fit more things in without frustration. If you aren’t familiar, a loop schedule simply means that on a given day or during a specific time period, you will loop or rotate through a set of options. If you want to do baking, calligraphy, and nature study on Fridays, but you can’t do all three, you bake the next Friday you’re home. In a traditional schedule, you would have calligraphy on the schedule for the second Friday. But if you have a field trip that Friday, you’d miss your calligraphy day. With a loop schedule, you’ll do calligraphy the Friday after your field trip. An unexpected benefit of loop scheduling is you will learn what really matters to you. If you are set to do calligraphy, for example, and you realize you’d really like to do nature study instead, you can drop calligraphy from the loop. You’ve trimmed your activity list without much fuss.

Hack #9: Delegating Difficult Subjects

I believe that we are capable of teaching any subject to our kids at home. There are so many resources out there that we can DIY it all. But do we want to? I tried and tried to teach my kids piano, but I kept avoiding it. I think part of it was that I didn’t feel confident in teaching it, despite many years of piano lessons. But the other issue is I didn’t want to teach it. I was teaching all the other subjects and teaching piano wasn’t enjoyable for me. I paid an excellent piano teacher to come to our home and teach it instead, and it was worth every penny. As a side note, I took lessons with my older kids and seeing me practice motivated my kids. I did the same thing with science labs. I could do it, but I didn’t want to. I had my friend who enjoyed science labs and was excellent at leading them teach them. I taught her kids literature, writing, and speaking which I love to teach. If a subject is difficult or not enjoyable for you to teach, consider delegating it.

Hack #10: Interest-Led Afternoons

Unschooling was fringey when I started homeschooling. I didn’t know people like Karla Marie Williams, who has shared how to provide a quality unschool education on this podcast. But I did fall into a bit of unschooling in the afternoons when I found myself worn out. I would work on my own projects and allow the kids to do independent work and hobbies in the afternoons. Some amazing things happened as a result. One son started creating with paper and started a YouTube channel about it. My daughter wrote a paper to convince us to let her get guinea pigs. I felt guilty for not providing more structure in the afternoons than I did. Now I know that it was a blessing I didn’t.

Hack #11: Apprenticeship

My son applied for a job running slides for our church. He learned the program and was the leader for that aspect of worship. But most importantly, he was being mentored by the pastors and other leaders at church. Another son worked closely with the youth leader at church and grew in his faith and leadership ability. I taught yet another son how to edit my podcast. All of our kids have helped my husband and me exhibit and sell books at conferences. My kids have helped me with proofreading and shipping books over the years, too. This summer, my youngest, a computer programming major, was an apprentice with me in multiple aspects of my business. It was a wonderful experience for me to share dilemmas and get his help. I think it was excellent experience for him as well. If I were starting over in homeschooling, I would start my kids as apprentices at even younger ages.

Hack #12: Community College in High School

If you have this option where you live, I commend it to you. One semester college course is a full year’s high school credit. These courses will limit the studies you have to supervise at home. Community college classes in our area are half the cost of homeschool learning center classes. The credit they earned was transferred to the four-year university they attended. Going to community college gave my kids a chance to further develop their study and writing habits and gain confidence. They learned that they could handle college-level work and it wasn’t just mom saying they were doing well. I also had the opportunity to talk through the worldview of secular coursework with them before they left home. Even if you plan to send your student to a Christian college, they will encounter views that don’t mesh with your family’s. It is also a good trial if your student isn’t sure what they want to do after high school. Daily devotions, routines, prayer with the kids, historical read alouds, independent work with supervision, co-op, exercise in school, unschooling afternoons, loop scheduling, delegating difficult subjects, apprenticeship, and community college. I would love to hear which one of these hacks you’ll try next. Comment on this post. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Have a happy homeschool week!

Your Golden Takeaway:

Small, intentional changes can transform your homeschool. Whether it’s starting the day with devotions, creating peaceful routines, or learning side by side, every little “hack” builds toward something bigger — a home filled with grace, growth, and connection. 

There’s a golden clue hidden in the podcast for today’s featured episode! Visit Making Biblical Family Life Practical: Rules and Relationship to find your next piece of Podcast Gold.

The post 12 Homeschool Hacks That Changed Everything (Special Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Have you ever said the words, “Everything feels hopeless”? Whether you’re walking through chronic pain, a prodigal child, grief, or unanswered prayers, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Dr. Melanie Wilson sits down with Kirby Kelly — author, speaker, and podcaster — to talk about her new book, The Fabric of Hope: How God Weaves Redemption into Every Season. Kirby has lived through deep personal loss, chronic migraines, and seasons that felt like a long, dark winter. She doesn’t offer easy platitudes — she offers something better: honest, biblical hope.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• • The difference between wishful thinking and true biblical hope

• • Why hoping in God — and still feeling disappointed — is something Christians need to talk about openly

• • How the four “threads” of hope (God’s promises, patterns, personhood, and presence) can anchor you in the storm

• • Why Jesus being “well acquainted with grief” is one of the most comforting truths in Scripture

• • What to do when God’s will doesn’t go the way you prayed

• • A powerful first step for rebuilding hope — even if you’re in the darkest season of your life

About Kirby Kelly: Kirby Kelly is the author of The Fabric of Hope, a speaker, and the host of the Bought and Beloved podcast, where she answers listeners’ real-life questions with accessible, scripture-grounded theology. She lives in the Dallas, Texas area with her husband Richard and is expecting her first baby in April.

Resources mentioned:

• • The Fabric of Hope by Kirby Kelly — available everywhere books are sold | FabricofHopeBook.com

• • Bought and Beloved Podcast — new episodes every week

Connect with Kirby Kelly: Website & book info: FabricofHopeBook.com Podcast: Bought and Beloved

More Episodes Like This

Depression and the Homeschool Mom

Hope – When All Hope Is Gone

How to Be Happy and Homeschool Too

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a reminder that hope is still real and still possible.

 

The post Everything Feels Hopeless? appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

How to Get Back on Track in Your Homeschool When You’ve Fallen Behind

A sanity-saving plan for overwhelmed homeschool moms

Have you fallen behind in your homeschool plan and now avoid opening your planner because it feels too discouraging?

You’re not alone.

In this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, Dr. Melanie Wilson explains why so many homeschool moms fall behind—even when they start the year with the best intentions—and what to do when your homeschool plan no longer matches real life. If you’ve ever looked at your lesson plans and thought, There is absolutely no way we’re getting all of this done, this episode is for you.

If you’ve been feeling behind, discouraged, or quietly tempted to pretend your planner doesn’t exist… this episode will help.

Listen now

More Episodes on Planning

• Best Homeschool Planning Tips (Replay)
• A Home Planner to Keep You Organized
• Best Homeschool Planning Tips
• Tips and Tools to Organize Your Homeschool for Insanely Easy Planning

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

Why Homeschool Moms Fall Behind

One of the biggest reasons homeschool plans unravel is something called the planning fallacy.

The planning fallacy is a common human thinking error that causes us to underestimate how long things will take, even when we’ve done them before and should know better. In homeschooling, that might look like:

• assuming a science experiment will only take 30 minutes
• believing you can finish two full language programs in one year
• thinking you can get to co-op faster “this time”
• forgetting how long math or writing lessons actually take

Dr. Wilson points out that many homeschool moms also deal with optimism bias—that tendency to believe that this time things will magically go more smoothly than they have in the past. And while optimism can be helpful, it can also lead to unrealistic homeschool planning.

Why Your Homeschool Plans Keep Falling Apart

If you’ve ever wondered, Why do I keep doing this to myself?—there are actually some understandable reasons.

According to the episode, homeschool moms often fall behind because they:

1. Plan using the best-case scenario

You assume every light will be green, no child will melt down, and the printer will behave.

2. Want to believe the plan will work

It feels better to make a hopeful plan than to admit you probably cannot do everything on your wishlist this year.

3. Misremember how long things took last time

You remember the math lesson taking 10 minutes when it actually took 20.

4. Assume this year will be different

You tell yourself:

• I’m more organized now
• The kids are older
• This curriculum is easier

Maybe. But maybe not.

5. Plan too far ahead

It’s much easier to plan a realistic week than an idealized full school year.

6. Forget about interruptions

Homeschooling rarely happens in a vacuum. Life happens:

• kids get sick
• appliances break
• dogs escape
• people need help
• emotions show up

That doesn’t mean you’re bad at homeschooling. It means you’re homeschooling in real life.How to Get Back on Track in Your Homeschool

The good news? You do not need to throw out your homeschool plan completely.

You just need a better one.

Here are the key strategies Dr. Melanie Wilson shares for getting back on track:

1. Plan Using the Worst-Case Scenario

Instead of assuming everything will go perfectly, estimate based on what usually happens on a normal or difficult day.

A simple way to do this:

• estimate how long something should take
• then double it
• or at least split the difference between best case and reality

If a science experiment “should” take one hour, plan for two—or at least one and a half.

That may feel pessimistic, but it’s actually more honest and much more useful.

2. Accept That You Can’t Do Everything This Year

This one stings a little—but it’s freeing.

Sometimes the best way to get back on track is to stop trying to fit everything into this school year.

Instead:

• make a list of “not this year” ideas
• save great projects or extras for later
• choose what matters most right now

That doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re prioritizing.

3. Start Timing Your Homeschool Activities

One of the easiest ways to plan more realistically is to stop guessing.

Try timing:

• your math lessons
• science labs
• writing assignments
• read-aloud time
• transitions between subjects

This gives you actual data instead of wishful thinking.

And yes… it may be mildly humbling
But it’s incredibly helpful.

4. Learn From Last Year Instead of Ignoring It

Ask yourself:

• What consistently slowed us down last year?
• What took longer than I expected?
• What parts of our day always felt harder than planned?
• What routines still aren’t working?

If your homeschool day still tends to start late…
If your kids still dawdle…
If you still hate setting up science supplies…

That matters.

Past patterns are often better predictors than future hopes.

5. Plan for the Short Term

If yearly planning keeps overwhelming you, try shifting to:

• quarterly planning
• monthly planning
• weekly planning
• even daily planning if needed

Short-term planning can feel more manageable and more realistic.

It also gives you a chance to adjust before things spiral too far off course.

6. Build Margin Into Your Homeschool Plan

This may be the most sanity-saving strategy of all.

Dr. Wilson encourages homeschool moms to leave margin in their plans—intentional open space for the unexpected.

That might look like:

• leaving one hour unscheduled each day
• keeping one lighter day each week
• leaving one week open each month
• creating “catch-up” space instead of packing every day full

This is so important because real life always shows up eventually.

And when it does, margin helps you recover without feeling like the entire year is ruined.

What to Do If You’re Already Behind in Your Homeschool

If you’re already behind, here’s your gentle reset plan:

Start here:

• Open the planner
• Don’t panic
• Don’t try to catch up on everything at once

Then:

Ask:

• What absolutely still needs to happen this year?
• What can be simplified?
• What can be dropped?
• What keeps getting in the way?

Then do this:

• revise your expectations
• shorten your planning window
• add margin
• move forward from today, not from where you “should” be

That’s how you get back on track.

Not with guilt.
Not with overloading tomorrow.
But with a better plan.

Final Encouragement

Falling behind in your homeschool plan doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It usually just means your plan was built for an ideal life… and you’re living a real one.

The goal is not to create a perfect homeschool year.

The goal is to build a homeschool life that actually works.

And that starts by planning with reality, grace, and a little more margin.

Have a happy homeschool week!

Be sure to subscribe to the show for regular updates and planning resources!

New Here? Start with These Episodes

• Homeschool Mom: You’re Not Alone
• To The Homeschool Mom Who Feels Like She’s Failing
• Overcoming Perfectionism As A Homeschool Mom
• 12 Homeschool Hacks That Changed Everything
• How To Close The Complaint Desk In Your Homeschool
• How To Help Your Child Manage Emotions
• How To Teach Your Kids To Make Wise Decisions

The post Special Replay: Why You’ve Fallen Behind In Your Homeschool Plan appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

How do you teach grammar in high school homeschool?

The best way to teach grammar in high school homeschool is through short, practical instruction that connects directly to real writing. High school students are often more developmentally ready to understand grammar than younger students, and they are more motivated to improve because grammar now affects essays, communication, and future academic or career goals.

Do you have a high school student who struggles with grammar? Or do you have a soon-to-be high school student and no idea how to approach grammar at this stage?

This is the Homeschool Sanity Show, the episode where I share a sane approach to teaching grammar in high school.

New Here? Start with These Episodes

• Homeschool Mom: You’re Not Alone
• To The Homeschool Mom Who Feels Like She’s Failing
• Overcoming Perfectionism As A Homeschool Mom
• 12 Homeschool Hacks That Changed Everything
• How To Close The Complaint Desk In Your Homeschool
• How To Help Your Child Manage Emotions
• How To Teach Your Kids To Make Wise Decisions

Hey, homeschoolers! If you’ve struggled to help your high schooler use correct grammar in writing or if the thought of teaching it in the high school years gives you the heebie geebies, I have good news.

This episode is sponsored by CTCMath.com

The high school years are the perfect time to learn grammar.

First, high school students have the abstract reasoning ability required to truly understand and implement grammar.

As I’ve explained to parents of elementary students many times, these younger students simply aren’t developmentally prepared to master the abstraction of grammar. It’s similar to the abstract reasoning ability required to master algebra. Sure, some students develop this reasoning ability earlier, but most don’t. Up until this point in their development, they were working hard to decode and pronounce words and determine the meaning of words given the context of the sentence. Asking them to determine the role of the word in a sentence as well is extra challenging.

That’s why I made Grammar Galaxy a fun, confidence-building introduction to grammar and other language arts in the elementary years. I didn’t want them avoiding grammar once the were developmentally ready to use it in their writing.

The second reason high school is the perfect time to learn grammar is because they have begun to care about it.

When students are in classes with other students and sharing in speech or writing, they will want to avoid the embarrassment of poor grammar. I capitalized on this peer pressure with my own kids with great results. In the English classes I taught, students read their writing aloud and passed it to a friend to read aloud. This performance pressure rapidly improved my students’ grammar and spelling. High school students also begin to use messaging and email and do not want to have poor grammar and spelling for their friends to see. Some of them will be interested in learning grammar for the first time as a result.

Finally, high school is a great time to teach grammar because these students can learn independently.

With the developmental ability and new motivation, students can use grammar curriculum to learn more quickly than they could have in elementary school. With instruction, they will learn to make better use of automatic editors like Grammarly. Like all writers, they will still require another human editor–whether that’s you, an outside instructor, or a friend with good grammar. I have found high school students learn from this editing feedback very quickly.

I hope I’ve convinced you that your teen isn’t behind or incapable of growing as a writer if they still need to master grammar.

But now the question becomes how to teach it.

The first step is to encourage your student to continue reading for pleasure.

Studies indicate that high school students tend to spend more time with friends than reading as much as they did in their earlier years. They also tend to use reading time for study instead of leisure. But reading for enjoyment is the key to developing your student’s vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Invest time helping your student find enjoyable books and making time to read them in their schedule.

The next step in teaching high school grammar is to reinforce the purpose of it.

Reluctant students want to know why they should care. Using prescreened, funny grammar memes and examples is a great way to do this. Because I write grammar curriculum, my high school student loves pointing out grammar errors he finds. You can have fun with this, too. Consider having a competition to find grammar errors.

Many of the principles of teaching high school grammar are the same as teaching younger students.

• • First, keep grammar instruction short. I think of grammar like a tennis drill. When I take a tennis lesson, I enjoy doing a short drill on volleys. But doing an hour of it without playing the game would be a buzz kill.

• • Make grammar memorable. When grammar concepts are taught using relevant humor, multimedia, games, and with adequate repetition, students will remember it. (Grammar teaching podcast).

• • Limit the corrections to a student’s writing. Correcting all the grammar and spelling mistakes at once can be demoralizing for a budding writer. Tell your student ahead of time which grammar issues you’ll be looking for. Consider limiting your first review to the content. Give as much positive feedback as possible. Then go over the specific grammar skills you’re working on. If your student asks for more feedback, then give it. But otherwise limit your editing to those skills.

How to Choose a Grammar Curriculum for High School

When choosing a grammar curriculum for high school, you haven’t had many options. There are worksheet drills indistinguishable from elementary and middle school curriculum. There are the thoroughly dry English curricula that have sentences unrelated to story or to teens’ lives. And then there are brief reviews that are optional. My students didn’t learn anything from these.

The number one request I get from Grammar Galaxy booth visitors at Great Homeschool Conventions is a curriculum for high school. I knew that the Grammar Galaxy story line wasn’t well suited to older teens, so I created a new fictional curriculum. Kirk English, the programming whiz kid in Grammar Galaxy, has developed a program to deal the failure of autocorrect. His Fast Grammar training is for human autocorrectors. These trainees will get to know clients’ intentions so they can correct their grammar in real time through the power of science fiction.

The client in the training is a high school student who has typical teen troubles as well as high school writing assignments. Students who use Fast Grammar correct the client’s grammar while learning it themselves. Trainees will look forward to getting the client’s updates in each lesson.

Fast Grammar is a supplemental, secular curriculum that can be used with any high school literature or writing program. The brief lessons can be completed in one sitting or preferentially, spread out over the week. Like Grammar Galaxy, much of the lesson can be completed with a highlighter. Homophone graphics are included each week because choosing the wrong homophone is a common and embarrassing problem for writers.

The curriculum is completely independent, with the solutions at the back of the student book. At the end of each unit, teachers can administer a test that is available in a separate PDF download. The solutions will help you score the test and give a grade that can contribute to the English grade for the year.

Click here to download a complete lesson. If you’ll be joining me at the Great Homeschool Conventions this year, you can see it in person. The week of this broadcast, the curriculum is 20% off in print or digital.

Whether you try Fast Grammar or not, I hope I’ve given you hope that high school can be the time that your student grasps grammar. Give some of these strategies a try, and I feel confident that you’ll see your high schooler’s writing improve.

Have a happy homeschool week!

FAQ’s

Is high school too late to teach grammar?

No, high school is often the ideal time to teach grammar because teens are more developmentally ready to understand abstract grammar concepts and more motivated to apply them in writing.

Do homeschool high schoolers need grammar curriculum?

Many homeschool high school students benefit from a grammar curriculum, especially if they struggle with writing mechanics, punctuation, sentence structure, or common usage errors.

What is the best grammar curriculum for homeschool high school?

The best grammar curriculum for homeschool high school is one that is age-appropriate, practical, and easy to apply in real writing rather than just isolated drills.

How often should you teach grammar in high school?

Grammar is often most effective when taught in short, consistent lessons rather than long, infrequent sessions.

The post How to Teach Grammar in High School (Special Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

The Importance of Music in Child Development

Why does music matter in home education? Is it just so we can have junior show off for grandparents at recitals? Is it just a nice elective to fill out the kids’ transcript? Or is it an underappreciated medium for the development of multiple skills? That’s what I’ll discuss with my guest Adrian Edward.

Sponsor: NOW Programs

Visit our sponsor: Now Programs, Neuro Development of Words

Podcast Guest: Adrian Edward

I met Adrian the way I meet many of my podcast guests and eventual friends—at a Great Homeschool Convention. One of the first things I noticed about Adrian and his wife Maria was how much friends who greeted them at their booth loved them. Like adored them. After seeing him at five conventions, I’ve realized it’s because that’s how much they love other people. They have both made me feel special. But that’s not all they have going for them. Their Color Me Mozart materials are ingenious and professional. I can’t wait to use them with future grandchildren.

Adrian is a music educator, but it was during his work at The Guild for Exceptional Children in Brooklyn that he saw just how powerful music could be—especially for children with special needs. But he also noticed a troubling truth: in many early education programs, music was treated as an afterthought. Adrian set out to change that.

Through innovative teaching methods and a deep belief that music should be accessible to every child, Adrian has helped families and educators bring joy, connection, and growth into their homes and classrooms—whether their children are neurotypical or have special needs.

We discuss:

How preschoolers can learn real music—even if you aren’t musical The brain science behind music as a language The surprising reason most music curriculums fail young learners

Music Resources Discussed

https://colormemozart.com

https://www.instagram.com/colormemozartmusic

https://www.facebook.com/ColormeMozartMusic

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: The Importance Of Music In Child Development appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Your child wants to keep every rock, every toy, every piece of packaging. And saying “this is trash” just creates power struggles.

Dana K. White (decluttering expert and author of “Winnie’s Pillows”) shares a better way.

Learn: • The biggest mistake parents make when decluttering with kids • Two powerful questions that help kids make their own decisions • How the Container Concept works even with strong-willed kids • Why the “five-minute pickup” is your secret weapon • How “Winnie’s Pillows” gets kids to voluntarily declutter

**Key insight:** You don’t have to convince kids something is “bad” to let it go. Just help them face the reality of space.

Parents report: After reading “Winnie’s Pillows,” their kids asked to declutter their own rooms!

Book: Available anywhere books are sold Connect: @DanaKWhite or @ASlobComesClean

Training Aliens: https://funtolearnbooks.com/product/training-aliens-level-2-kit/

Thank you to our sponsor, CTCMath.com

The post Your Child Wants To Keep Everything: Here’s What to Do appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

🌿 This episode is proudly sponsored by Eden’s Table — a Christ-centered herbalism curriculum for K-5 homeschool families. One plant a week, woven through Bible, science, history, art, and Latin.

Jonathan is a homeschool graduate who became the youngest director of admissions in Virginia. He spent 11 years on the inside of traditional higher education. Now, as CEO of Unbound and father of eight homeschooled kids, he’s challenging everything we think we know about preparing young adults for life after high school.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• • Why the traditional college model is fundamentally broken

• • The crisis Jonathan faced: “I’m making a living asking people to make a bad financial decision”

• • Why we’re asking 18-year-olds to make decisions we would never make ourselves

• • How education has shifted from answers-based to questions-based

• • Why failure needs to be an option (not catastrophic) for real-world success

• • The real definition of success (not fame, fortune, or power)

• • How homeschoolers already have an enormous advantage

RESOURCES

Unbound: http://beunbound.us

Call and ask for Jonathan directly (yes, really!)

Today’s episode sponsor: CTCMath.com

Is the College Model Broken?

“I came home and my 11-year-old daughter opened the door. And I thought: I wouldn’t send her to the college where I’m working.”

That moment changed everything for Jonathan Brush—and led him to create a completely different approach to post-high school education.

Jonathan is a homeschool graduate who became the youngest director of admissions in Virginia. He spent 11 years on the inside of traditional higher education. Now, as CEO of Unbound and father of eight homeschooled kids, he’s challenging everything we think we know about preparing young adults for life after high school.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• • Why the traditional college model is fundamentally broken

• • The crisis Jonathan faced: “I’m making a living asking people to make a bad financial decision”

• • Why we’re asking 18-year-olds to make decisions we would never make ourselves

• • How education has shifted from answers-based to questions-based

• • Why failure needs to be an option (not catastrophic) for real-world success

• • The real definition of success (not fame, fortune, or power)

• • How homeschoolers already have an enormous advantage

RESOURCES

Unbound: http://beunbound.us

Call and ask for Jonathan directly (yes, really!)

Today’s episode sponsor: CTCMath.com

The post The College Model Is Broken; What To Do Instead appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

But my opinion has changed as I’ve watched my introverted, Type B child become a leader. I’ve also changed my thinking after interviewing Kerry Beck for the podcast. Her definition of leadership motivates us to teach every child these skills.

I’m thrilled to be joining Kerry for the Raising Leaders, Not Followers conference starting February 25th. You can sign up now for free if you know you’ll be able to watch live or register for the VIP option at homeschoolsanity.com/leaders. I’ll be sharing how to help your child make and keep friends. I would love to have you join me.

Kerry Beck helps you get past the perfect Instagram image & move on to real-life ways to raise your kids to lead, instead of follow. She offers practical tips to encourage your kids to love learning, think critically and influence those around them as adults. She inspires moms with her personal & spiritual stories of moving from overwhelmed to peace & resting in God.

Kerry homeschooled her three (now adult) children for 10 years. She has a free homeschooling ebook for you at HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com.

Sponsor

CTC Math.com

Leadership Resources

Homeschool Coffee Break Podcast: https://howtohomeschoolmychild.com/podcast2024/

Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/groups/HowToHomeschoolMyChild

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/howtohomeschoolmychild/

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpuF_qVYrSVUUZrL8mWhYfA

Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/howtohomeschool/

Leadership Summit http://homeschoolsanity.com/leaders

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How To Teach Leadership appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

How do you teach your kids to make wise decisions in a world that feels increasingly morally gray? As homeschool parents, many of us worry about striking the right balance. We don’t want to be too controlling on one hand, but we also don’t want to just let our kids “figure it out” on their own. So how do we help them develop godly wisdom without micromanaging every choice?

In this episode, I talk with Dean Zuleger—a father of four, grandfather of seven, and someone who has spent decades mentoring kids through coaching, teaching, and ministry. Dean homeschooled his own children in Wisconsin, and now his son and daughter-in-law are homeschooling their five kids in Minnesota. Dean has developed a biblical framework for teaching decision-making to children that gives them structure and security in an uncertain world.

His approach? Use classic literature and powerful questions to help kids move from observing characters’ choices to owning wisdom themselves. Whether you have wiggly elementary boys, decision-averse teens, or kids somewhere in between, this conversation is packed with practical tools and biblical wisdom for raising wise decision-makers.

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• • Why structure and order are essential

• • How to use classic literature to teach decision-making

• • The natural progression of independence

• • How to correct without labeling as failure

• • What to ask when choosing between two good alternatives

• • The difference between God’s moral will and sovereign will

• • Why teaching kids to “think ahead” matters

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• • The Wolf Story by Williams McCleery

• • The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

• • Watership Down by Richard Adams

• • Think Ahead by Craig Groeschel

• • Decision-Making and the Will of God by Gary Friesen

• • The Warrior’s Way by Jocko Willink

• • Great Homeschool Conventions

• • Training Aliens

• • CharisDynamics.com and Dean @ Charisdynamicsllc.com

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How To Teach Your Kids To Make Wise Decisions appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or like you’re the only one struggling? This conversation will remind you that you’re not alone.

Annette Vaughn, author of Dear Homeschool Mom, shares early warning signs of burnout, the difference between healthy reflection and unhealthy guilt, and practical ways to refuel your tank before you hit empty.

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

The best part? Her book features encouragement from 50+ ordinary homeschool moms who’ve been there—written specifically for different struggles and seasons you’re facing.

Learn:

Warning signs you’re heading toward burnout

How to tell the difference between a bad day and burnout

Why feeling isolated is normal (you’re doing something countercultural!)

Practical ways to fill yourself with encouragement

Why you have value to offer other moms (even if you’re brand new)

Book: Dear Homeschool Mom

Connect: @DearHomeschoolMomBook (Instagram/Facebook)

You’re doing better than you think. Your kids will be okay. You don’t have to have it all figured out.

The post Homeschool Mom: You’re Not Alone appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

In this episode, Dr. Melanie Wilson talks with Dr. Dusty Hess, founder of Upstream Health and publisher of Upstream Magazine, about how to realign your family’s health back to God’s original design—without fear, without overwhelm, and without needing to become a health expert.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER:

• • Why “fear is not of the Lord” is the FIRST principle of health stewardship

• • How health got pulled out of the church (and why that’s dangerous)

• • The difference between acute care and getting healthy from the inside out

• • Why you play a bigger role in your family’s health than any doctor or institution

• • How to escape the victim mindset around health challenges

• • What to do when you or your kids face chronic health issues (PCOS, anxiety, ADHD, etc.)

• • Why comparing yourself to health “gurus” keeps you stuck

• • How to make ONE small change this month without feeling overwhelmed

• • The cookware story that shows how simple changes compound over time

• • Why Christian families are positioned to be the healthiest generation

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

**Upstream Health** Website: upstreamhealth.com

Find the health membership & magazine subscription: Monthly devotions, workout plans, meal plans, recipes, and health education for Christian families

**Connect With Dr. Dusty:**

Social Media: @UpstreamHealthHub (all platforms)

Great Homeschool Conventions

JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What’s ONE small health change you’re going to make this month? Share in the comments below! If this episode gave you hope or shifted your perspective, please subscribe for more encouragement and share with a homeschool mom who needs to hear this

Remember: God chose you—weaknesses and all—to steward your family’s health. You can trust Him with this journey, one small step at a time.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Faith In Family Health appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

The first reason you feel like you’re failing is because you’re focused on your weaknesses.

I have always thought I homeschooled six kids in spite of my weaknesses in organization, patience, and focus. Then I watched a video clip of Pastor Emmanuel Iren discussing Jonah’s impact on Nineveh and my whole perspective changed. I was likewise focused on Jonah’s weaknesses. He was bitter and disobedient. But he was the perfect prophet to accomplish God’s purposes. Before Jonah arrived, the people of Nineveh believed in a god that was a man who emerged from a fish.

You’re going to catch on to this quickly, so I will just say it. God chose Jonah because he knew he would run to the boat to avoid preaching to the Ninevites. He didn’t choose Jonah in spite of this weakness. Jonah did have a very good prophet characteristic, however. He told the truth. The men said, “What up?” and he told them he was running from God. The men apparently thought this God was just an average God that was no concern to them. Until the storm threatened them. They cast lots to see who was responsible, and who made the lot fall on Jonah? God. I love that Jonah continues to be honest and says, “Yep, it’s me. I’m responsible for the storm. Throw me overboard.” That was no kind of honesty that these men were used to and they were scared. They threw out everything else but Jonah to survive the storm, but as you know it didn’t work. They threw Jonah out and prayed to the one true God for mercy.

A big fish swallows Jonah and delivers him to the shores of Nineveh where the people can see him being spit out. Can you imagine? They’re rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Jonah is in a much more obedient state of mind after his time out in a fish. He tells the people to repent and they are willing to listen to anything this man from God has to say.

Now what does this have to do with why you feel like you’re failing? If you are focused on your weaknesses as a source of failure, you’ve missed the boat. God may very well have chosen you to homeschool your children at this time BECAUSE of your weaknesses. God knew I was disorganized. He knew that I was drowning in a mess until a flyfisherwoman called the FLYLady pulled me in and taught me about routines. She set me free so I could homeschool and handle more kids. Like Jonah I was ready to preach! I shared my story with other homeschool moms in The Organized Homeschool Life.

God used a disobedient prophet to save a ship full of sailors and an entire city. So God can surely use your weaknesses to teach your children. I ask you now to consider how God has used your weaknesses for good. And throw the idea of weaknesses meaning failure overboard.

The second reason you think you’re failing is because you’re comparing.

You know it’s wrong, but you keep sneaking peeks at what your homeschool neighbor is doing. I did that at my son’s homeschool kindergarten graduation. I agreed to participate before I knew any better. I thought it was a photo op with cake. But no, apparently it was an exhibition for homeschool talent scouts.

I was shocked that several kindergarteners provided the music for the graduation. I didn’t even have my son in lessons yet. Clearly, I was already years behind. While a couple of these youngsters spoke for the ceremony, my son wasn’t even paying attention. There was more of this to come.

I put my son in soccer in second grade. He would look everywhere but the field during games and slowly jogged behind the players moving the ball. His coach left him on the bench most of the time, and even my husband concluded he wasn’t athletic.

When he started high school, I didn’t even consider putting him in leadership activities some of the other homeschooled boys were in. He just didn’t have the personality they had.

When it came time for my son to go to college, he entered with an undeclared major. His best friend knew exactly what he wanted to do.

Comparing had me thinking I had failed. But here’s the end of the story. This son of mine learned to play multiple instruments, mostly on his own. He asked to be part of our church’s worship team. In college he started playing handball and excelled at it. He also started playing in pickleball tournaments and winning. He convinced his younger siblings to join the handball team and started a book club with friends and siblings as a working adult. He decided to become a physician’s assistant while in college. He arranged to get the patient hours he needed, was accepted to PA school, graduated, and got a job he loves.

Now, I am not responsible for this young man’s success. But neither did I fail him. Instead of comparing yourself to other moms or your kids to theirs, compare where you and your child are now to where you started. No doubt you’ve made progress.

The third reason you think you’re failing is because you’re depending on your own strength.

I recently began working on being able to do a pull-up. To build my strength, I was going to do negative pull-ups. You jump up to a bar and slowly lower yourself. I jumped up to the pull-up bar, only I didn’t slowly lower. I very quickly landed flat on my back because the bar wasn’t secure. I’m thrilled to say that I was okay. Thanks be to God.

But this is how I started my homeschooling journey too. I thought I was strong enough and disciplined enough to do it. And pride goeth before a fall. My pull-up training WAS a fail, but that was my first effort. After throwing the pull-up bar in the trash, I went to the gym and used a pull-up machine. I stood on a step that provided the support I needed when my strength wasn’t up to the job. Since then I have been doing negative pull-ups at home. At first I asked my husband to spot me.

God is our strength and support for everything we do in this homeschooling life. He bears the burdens. He makes things work even when we mess up. All we have to do is ask Him. If we could do it in our own strength, we would be filled with pride. We wouldn’t depend on Him.

God also provides support through a spouse, family, and friends. I could not have finished the job of homeschooling without their help and encouragement. Ask yourself if you’ve been trying to do homeschooling with no support. If so, ask for help. One thing I have learned about other homeschoolers in particular is they LOVE to help.

Conclusion

If you felt like you were failing when you started this podcast because you were focused on your weaknesses, comparisons, or doing it all yourself, I hope you’re beginning to see the shore come into focus. You will land on your feet when you see that everything is working out exactly as God planned.

And one more thing. Although Jonah’s failure is in print for thousands of years, your children are unlikely to remember your shortcomings. What will be a lasting memory is your faith in God and your love for them.

Be sure to subscribe for more encouragement. Have a happy homeschool week!

The post To The Homeschool Mom Who Feels Like She’s Failing appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Do you feel like you’re only as good as your last perfect homeschool day? Do you struggle with the exhausting cycle of trying to prove your worth through achievement? In this powerful conversation, Pamela Good shares her journey from childhood survival mode to adult perfectionism—and how she finally broke free.

Pamela grew up with three siblings in a home where their mother struggled with paranoid schizophrenia. To cope, she learned to push herself relentlessly in sports, work, and eventually motherhood. But that survival strategy that served her as a child became a prison as an adult. She shares how she crashed and burned trying to be perfect, and how she discovered God’s love and grace in the midst of her brokenness.

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• How childhood trauma can lead to perfectionism in adulthood

• Why trying to prove you’re not broken only makes things worse

• How perfectionism affects our children (even when we think we’re hiding it)

• The lies Satan tells us when we’re discouraged

• Three truths that help us break free from performance-based living

• Why it’s important to give ourselves grace for survival strategies that no longer serve us

• How worship music and Scripture helped Pamela renew her mind

• The difference between being a perfectionist and being a recovering perfectionist

Key Quotes:

“I wanted people to think I was worthy. I didn’t want people to see me as broken. So I was going to be the perfect mother, even though I never had one.”

“I realized the voices telling me ‘you need to do this’ or ‘this isn’t good enough’ weren’t me—it was Satan, the ruler of darkness.”

“Only Jesus is perfect. You will never be perfect. But you just feel you can achieve it. And you keep on that little wheel going round and round.”

“I’m a child of God. And if the Son sets you free, you’re free indeed.”

About Pamela Good:

Pamela is the author of “He Never Let Go: Overcoming Childhood Trauma with the Love of God.” She and her three siblings survived a chaotic childhood and all went on to raise beautiful families of their own. Pamela’s book recently won an award for transformative stories.

Connect with Pamela:

• Website: pamelawaggonergood.com

• Facebook: Pamela Waggoner Good

More from Homeschool Sanity:

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend who needs to hear this message!

Subscribe to the podcast

Follow on Instagram: @homeschoolsanity

Remember, friend: You are not defined by your productivity. You are not measured by how perfectly your homeschool runs. You are a child of God, loved just as you are.

The post Overcoming Perfectionism As A Homeschool Mom appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Feeling overwhelmed by homeschool decisions? Struggling with patience? You’re not alone—and there’s a powerful solution hiding in plain sight.

Join Dr. Melanie Wilson and author Danika Cooley for an inspiring conversation about how prayer can ground your daily life, reduce overwhelm, and create a peaceful rhythm for your homeschool year. This isn’t about adding another “should” to your list—it’s about discovering simple, repeatable prayer practices that actually work for busy homeschool moms.

Danika shares powerful stories of answered prayer (including an incredible 15-year journey of seeing God transform an entire city!), practical insights from biblical prayer patterns, and why conversational prayer throughout your day might be exactly what you need instead of a rigid quiet time routine.

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER

• Why prayer isn’t boring (and what to do when it feels that way)
• The three types of biblical prayer most essential for homeschool moms
• How to pray throughout your day without sitting still for an hour
• Real stories of answered prayer that will strengthen your faith
• What we can learn from Hezekiah’s prayer when he was surrounded by enemies
• A stunning testimony of how persistent prayer transformed an entire city over 15 years
• Why God doesn’t shame us for our lack of faith before answering our prayers

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction: Trading Overwhelm for Prayerful Rhythm
00:57 – Welcome Danika Cooley
01:12 – Family Updates & New Resources
03:15 – Why Prayer Feels Boring (And Why It Shouldn’t)
03:49 – Three Essential Prayer Types for Homeschool Moms
07:07 – Learning from Biblical Prayers
10:07 – The Hezekiah Story: God’s Grace When We Mess Up
12:19 – Why We Can Always Come to God
15:00 – Making Prayer Practical (Not Perfect)
20:00 – Conversational Prayer Throughout Your Day
22:00 – The Power of Praying Scripture
24:00 – An Incredible 15-Year Answered Prayer Story
29:51 – God’s Perfect Timing in Answered Prayer
30:21 – Where to Find 60 Scriptures You Can Pray

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Danika’s New Book: 60 Scriptures You Can Pray
Learn more & download FREE resources: http://prayerinthebible.com

• Letter and reading schedule for groups
• Journal pages
• Women’s Bible study materials

More from Danika Cooley:

• Bible Road Trip Curriculum (3-year Bible survey)
• Who What Why series (ages 8-12, theology & church history)
• Bible Investigators: Creation (272-page puzzle-based Bible study)

CONNECT WITH DANIKA

Facebook: @DanikaCooley or @DanikaCooleyAuthor
Instagram: @DanikaCooley
Pinterest: @DanikaCooley
Twitter: @DanikaCooley

CONNECT WITH DR. MELANIE WILSON
Subscribe for more episodes and updates
Share your answered prayer stories in the comments!

OTHER RESOURCES

• Life Skills Leadership Summit (February)
• Organized Homeschool Life Book & Planner
• FREE January Organized Homeschool Life Calendar (Request it below)

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have an answered prayer story to share? We’d love to hear it! Comment below. What’s one area of your homeschool where you need to bring more prayer? Let us know in the comments!

MORE HOMESCHOOL ENCOURAGEMENT

This is the Homeschool Sanity Show—wisdom for making the homeschool journey happy for you and your kids. Subscribe for weekly encouragement, practical tips, and inspiring conversations with experienced homeschool parents.

This has been a production of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network.

Request the January Calendar

The post PRAYER AS YOUR SECRET WEAPON: Transform Your Homeschool with Biblical Prayer Practices appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! I never thought I would have five boys, but I am so glad I do. I love them to the moon and back and judging by the response my episode on homeschooling boys got, so do you.

That’s why I was excited to read Durenda Wilson’s new book on the topic and to hear her thoughts on why it’s so important to think about how we are raising our boys. In Raising Boys to Men: A Simple, Mercifully Short Book on Raising and Homeschooling Boys, Durenda shares her almost three decades of experience raising and homeschooling her five boys. She brings wisdom and perspective that will inspire moms to see their sons in a fresh and hopeful way, so they can raise the next generation of boys to be courageous men of faith and action. I know you’ll love our conversation.

Episode Summary

Durenda Wilson, a homeschooling mother of eight boys, discusses the importance of raising boys and the challenges they face in today’s culture. She emphasizes the need for understanding and appreciating the unique characteristics and nature of boys, while also setting clear boundaries and instilling a strong work ethic. Wilson shares personal anecdotes and insights from her book, which aims to equip mothers with a better understanding of their sons and provide practical guidance for homeschooling and parenting boys. In this conversation, Durenda Wilson discusses her book ‘Raising Boys to Men’ and shares her insights on motherhood and parenting. She emphasizes the joy of raising children and the satisfaction that comes from hard work. Durenda also highlights the importance of shared responsibility in parenting and the role of fathers in raising sons. She concludes by providing information on how to get a copy of her book and hints at future conversations on homeschooling.

Raising Boys Resources

Link to redeem your purchase for a free audiobook

Durenda’s website

Homeschooling boys episode

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: Wisdom For Raising Boys appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

I cover three key steps to abandoning the quest to get caught up:

• • Ask yourself how behind you really are

• • Ask yourself how important it really is to get caught up

• • Start fresh

5 Ways to End the Endless Game of Catching Up

Checklist for completing this quarter (a fresh start)

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: Why You May Not Need To Get Caught Up appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Deal with Disappointment

The first reason George and you and I find it hard to be happy through the holidays is disappointment. Maybe your homeschool year hasn’t been going the way you hoped. The kids don’t love their classes or curriculum. You’re already behind schedule. A learning challenge has been indentified. Maybe your finances are stretched even tighter than you thought. You’ve been ill. Or maybe you’ve experienced a loss. A loved one won’t be joining you for the holidays. A relationship has ended. Or you or your spouse lost a job. George experienced many disappointments like these. He lost his father, a chance to go to college, and the income he hoped for.

Thinking about disappointments is depressing, so we may try to avoid thinking about them. Yet they intrude upon our happiness anyway.

That leads me to the first step we can take to be happy through the holidays: Deal with the disappointment. Instead of eating or doom scrolling over it, acknowledge it. You’re disappointed. You hoped and prayed that things would be different, better. But they’re not.

The quickest way out of disappointment depression is through, not around. Sit by yourself with no noise and no distractions. Allow yourself to think about the disappointment and feel the feelings. If you cry, you cry. If you get mad, you get mad. Give yourself as much time as you need to think and pray about it. Journaling works too. Write out everything you’re thinking and feeling, without worrying about anyone else seeing it. When you’re done writing, you can delete it, destroy it, or password protect it.

When you’ve had the time to process it privately, you can then deal with the disappointment by talking to someone you trust who isn’t a part of the disappointment. You don’t want to worry about hurting someone’s feelings as you share your own emotions, unless you’re trying to resolve a conflict. Sometimes you’ll want to make it clear to the listener that you’re not asking them to fix the disappointment for you, just to listen. Talking it out can make a huge difference in your happiness.

Invest in People

The second cause of unhappiness at the holidays is people. People are hard. They disappoint us. We’ve already covered that. People also annoy us. Maybe we expect the bad behavior, so it’s not as disappointing as it is frustrating. We may struggle to know what to say or do when they’re around. Maybe we feel bad about something we’ve said or done in the past, so we have a serving of guilt to go along with our frustration. George had a challenging relationship with Mr. Potter, who was a constant thorn in his side. He also had to deal with selfish bank patrons and an irresponsible uncle.

While we sometimes avoid thinking about disappointments, we will often ruminate about people problems. We replay the negative things people said and did in the past over and over. We fantasize about what we should have said or done in response. And then we worry about what awful things people will do in the future. George Bailey’s ruminations led him to complete despair.

What should we do instead of ruminating about people? Invest in them. The first time I bought a stock, I followed it closely and my mood was up and down with its price. I tried to time the market and cash out at just the right time. If you know anything about stocks, you know that behavior is laughable. Yet it is what we often do in volatile relationships. We say or do something, hoping to see an immediate payoff. We watch the person like a hawk for signs that they are responding to our investment. That’s not what serious investors do. They’re in it long-term. They keep reinvesting and they don’t watch the price. They believe that what they’re giving will pay off. Of course there are times when it makes sense to sell. But if you value the relationship, you’ll want to keep investing for the long haul without worrying if you don’t see the payoff from each interaction.

George Bailey invested in people. He believed in people. He gave them a chance. He sacrificed so they could have full lives. But because he hadn’t seen the value he’d accummulated, he was ready to cash out completely.

Investing in people means that we continue being kind, loving them, and sharing the reason for the hope that we have. Investing in people means that we help people like themselves when they’re with us. We compliment them and express interest in them. We offer them the gift of hospitality and make them feel welcome. We refuse to stop believing in them.

Express Gratitude

The third reason it can be challenging to be happy during the holidays is our experience of injustice. We’re doing everything for our family, but the kids keep complaining. We are the ones hosting or helping or changing our schedule again to accommodate everyone else. We’ve been doing the right things for years, but we aren’t as successful or wealthy as people we know who do the wrong things. George felt that way. He did everything right but was wronged. He expected a punishment he didn’t deserve.

Our experience of injustice can lead to self-righteousness. Self-righteous people are not happy. Instead of focusing on our experience of injustice, we want to express our gratitude. The gift of children or grandchildren to teach is so precious. The fact that we can legally homeschool them is a gift. The extra time we have to be with our children and learn alongside them is worth more than the extra income we could have were we not homeschooling. And having to deal with imperfect people is a blessing compared to being alone.

Gratitude isn’t just something we should express because it’s the right thing to do to honor God. It’s a focus that can make us happier immediately. We can consider every good and perfect gift we have now. That’s the easiest gratitude list to make. But what about gratitude for gifts we experienced in the past? We can express gratitude for the good times we had in relationships and seasons that have ended. I’m thankful that I had family members and friends that were so wonderful that I miss them now that they’ve passed. We can also express gratitude for the good we know God will work together in the future. We don’t know that our circumstances will change the way we want them to in this life, but we know we can look forward to God’s perfect plan and presence in eternity. If you need some encouragement on that topic, I suggest listening to the episode I recorded with Jordan Raynor. We can express gratitude daily in prayer, in writing, and in relationships.

George was focused on the injustice he experienced until his eyes were opened to the many gifts he had to be grateful for. He wanted to go back to the old life he had so bitterly complained about.

Conclusion

The three steps to being happy through the holidays we’ve covered today are dealing with disappointent, investing in people, and expressing gratitude. I recently learned that Jimmy Stewart was in a very similar situation to George Bailey. He was demoralized after serving in the war and was ready to give up acting to run his family’s hardware store when director Frank Capra offered him the role of George Bailey. Although the film wasn’t a box office hit and it didn’t win any of the academy awards it was nominated for, it has become one of the most loved films of all time. Referring to director Capra, Jimmy Steward said, “He not only saved my career; he saved my life.”

I’m so grateful to God for the same reason. He saved my life and gave me the most fulfilling career–first homeschooling my kids and then writing and speaking for homeschool families. I’m also grateful for people like you who listen and read the materials I write. In gratitude, I am offering 20% all materials excluding bundles at FunToLearnBooks.com/shop with code BLACKFRI through Cyber Monday. My prayer is that you will be blessed with happy holidays. And if you haven’t watched It’s a Wonderful Life, I encourage you to watch it soon.

Have a happy homeschool week!

Hey, homeschoolers! We wish each other happy holidays, but sometimes it’s hard to be happy through the holidays. I have three reasons it can be hard that lead to three steps we can take toward happier holidays.

But first I’d like to thank our sponsor for the podcast: NOW Programs.

Sponsor: NOW Programs

If you’re homeschooling a student with special needs, check out http://NOWPrograms.com

My favorite Christmas movie is It’s a Wonderful Life. When I find out that someone hasn’t seen it, it’s all I can do to keep from dragging them to my couch and playing it because, of course, I own it. George Bailey found it to challenging to be happy through the holidays. That’s an understatement if you know the movie.

Deal with Disappointment

The first reason George and you and I find it hard to be happy through the holidays is disappointment. Maybe your homeschool year hasn’t been going the way you hoped. The kids don’t love their classes or curriculum. You’re already behind schedule. A learning challenge has been indentified. Maybe your finances are stretched even tighter than you thought. You’ve been ill. Or maybe you’ve experienced a loss. A loved one won’t be joining you for the holidays. A relationship has ended. Or you or your spouse lost a job. George experienced many disappointments like these. He lost his father, a chance to go to college, and the income he hoped for.

Thinking about disappointments is depressing, so we may try to avoid thinking about them. Yet they intrude upon our happiness anyway.

That leads me to the first step we can take to be happy through the holidays: Deal with the disappointment. Instead of eating or doom scrolling over it, acknowledge it. You’re disappointed. You hoped and prayed that things would be different, better. But they’re not.

The quickest way out of disappointment depression is through, not around. Sit by yourself with no noise and no distractions. Allow yourself to think about the disappointment and feel the feelings. If you cry, you cry. If you get mad, you get mad. Give yourself as much time as you need to think and pray about it. Journaling works too. Write out everything you’re thinking and feeling, without worrying about anyone else seeing it. When you’re done writing, you can delete it, destroy it, or password protect it.

When you’ve had the time to process it privately, you can then deal with the disappointment by talking to someone you trust who isn’t a part of the disappointment. You don’t want to worry about hurting someone’s feelings as you share your own emotions, unless you’re trying to resolve a conflict. Sometimes you’ll want to make it clear to the listener that you’re not asking them to fix the disappointment for you, just to listen. Talking it out can make a huge difference in your happiness.

Invest in People

The second cause of unhappiness at the holidays is people. People are hard. They disappoint us. We’ve already covered that. People also annoy us. Maybe we expect the bad behavior, so it’s not as disappointing as it is frustrating. We may struggle to know what to say or do when they’re around. Maybe we feel bad about something we’ve said or done in the past, so we have a serving of guilt to go along with our frustration. George had a challenging relationship with Mr. Potter, who was a constant thorn in his side. He also had to deal with selfish bank patrons and an irresponsible uncle.

While we sometimes avoid thinking about disappointments, we will often ruminate about people problems. We replay the negative things people said and did in the past over and over. We fantasize about what we should have said or done in response. And then we worry about what awful things people will do in the future. George Bailey’s ruminations led him to complete despair.

What should we do instead of ruminating about people? Invest in them. The first time I bought a stock, I followed it closely and my mood was up and down with its price. I tried to time the market and cash out at just the right time. If you know anything about stocks, you know that behavior is laughable. Yet it is what we often do in volatile relationships. We say or do something, hoping to see an immediate payoff. We watch the person like a hawk for signs that they are responding to our investment. That’s not what serious investors do. They’re in it long-term. They keep reinvesting and they don’t watch the price. They believe that what they’re giving will pay off. Of course there are times when it makes sense to sell. But if you value the relationship, you’ll want to keep investing for the long haul without worrying if you don’t see the payoff from each interaction.

George Bailey invested in people. He believed in people. He gave them a chance. He sacrificed so they could have full lives. But because he hadn’t seen the value he’d accummulated, he was ready to cash out completely.

Investing in people means that we continue being kind, loving them, and sharing the reason for the hope that we have. Investing in people means that we help people like themselves when they’re with us. We compliment them and express interest in them. We offer them the gift of hospitality and make them feel welcome. We refuse to stop believing in them.

Express Gratitude

The third reason it can be challenging to be happy during the holidays is our experience of injustice. We’re doing everything for our family, but the kids keep complaining. We are the ones hosting or helping or changing our schedule again to accommodate everyone else. We’ve been doing the right things for years, but we aren’t as successful or wealthy as people we know who do the wrong things. George felt that way. He did everything right but was wronged. He expected a punishment he didn’t deserve.

Our experience of injustice can lead to self-righteousness. Self-righteous people are not happy. Instead of focusing on our experience of injustice, we want to express our gratitude. The gift of children or grandchildren to teach is so precious. The fact that we can legally homeschool them is a gift. The extra time we have to be with our children and learn alongside them is worth more than the extra income we could have were we not homeschooling. And having to deal with imperfect people is a blessing compared to being alone.

Gratitude isn’t just something we should express because it’s the right thing to do to honor God. It’s a focus that can make us happier immediately. We can consider every good and perfect gift we have now. That’s the easiest gratitude list to make. But what about gratitude for gifts we experienced in the past? We can express gratitude for the good times we had in relationships and seasons that have ended. I’m thankful that I had family members and friends that were so wonderful that I miss them now that they’ve passed. We can also express gratitude for the good we know God will work together in the future. We don’t know that our circumstances will change the way we want them to in this life, but we know we can look forward to God’s perfect plan and presence in eternity. If you need some encouragement on that topic, I suggest listening to the episode I recorded with Jordan Raynor. We can express gratitude daily in prayer, in writing, and in relationships.

George was focused on the injustice he experienced until his eyes were opened to the many gifts he had to be grateful for. He wanted to go back to the old life he had so bitterly complained about.

Conclusion

The three steps to being happy through the holidays we’ve covered today are dealing with disappointent, investing in people, and expressing gratitude. I recently learned that Jimmy Stewart was in a very similar situation to George Bailey. He was demoralized after serving in the war and was ready to give up acting to run his family’s hardware store when director Frank Capra offered him the role of George Bailey. Although the film wasn’t a box office hit and it didn’t win any of the academy awards it was nominated for, it has become one of the most loved films of all time. Referring to director Capra, Jimmy Steward said, “He not only saved my career; he saved my life.”

I’m so grateful to God for the same reason. He saved my life and gave me the most fulfilling career–first homeschooling my kids and then writing and speaking for homeschool families. I’m also grateful for people like you who listen and read the materials I write. In gratitude, I am offering 20% all materials excluding bundles at FunToLearnBooks.com/shop with code BLACKFRI through Cyber Monday. My prayer is that you will be blessed with happy holidays. And if you haven’t watched It’s a Wonderful Life, I encourage you to watch it soon.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How To Have Happy Holidays As A Homeschool Mom appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Podcast Sponsor: NOW Programs

http://NOWPrograms.com

Podcast Guest: Keith Phillips

Keith Phillips is a former US Army helicopter pilot who, along with his wife Becky and their six children, is dedicated to building productive families and enduring Christian legacies. He introduces BUNKEYS, small DIY linked log cabin kits to America, promoting family unity through shared meaningful work. Keith believes in the power of family and community with work as the cornerstone and advocates for living a life of biblical producerism. I so enjoyed our conversation.

Takeaways

• • Consumerism thrives on neglecting our inherent call to produce.

• • Family work fosters cooperation and contributes to family unity.

• • Saying no to passive entertainment encourages creativity in children.

• • Boredom can lead to innovative play and activities.

• • Fear of missing out drives consumerist behavior in children.

• • Creating space for meaningful activities is essential for family bonding.

• • Overcoming societal pressure is crucial for resisting consumerism.

• • Hard work can replace addictive behaviors and foster fulfillment.

• • Engaging in family projects teaches valuable life skills.

• • Reading together strengthens family connections and shared experiences.

Resources

Keith’s Substack article on consumerism

Bunkies

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/5gBadT2mixwLThvz8GqI7z

Apple

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-stay-at-work-home/id1762916088

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@TheStayatWorkHome?sub_confirmation=1

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/stayatworkhome

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/stayatworkhome

Read Aloud List

https://stay-at-work-home.ck.page/b3004580e4/index.js

See also my interview with Joshua Becker

The post Combatting Family Consumerism appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers!

Are you dealing with complaining when it’s time to start school, or time to do chores, or time to do anything your kids don’t like to do? If so, you will want to listen to this episode of the homeschool sanity show. I have six ideas for you that will result in a complaint-free homeschool.

Subscribe to the podcast

Before we dive in, I would love to have you subscribe to the podcast. You’ll get links to new episodes, but I also provide a weekly sanity saver newsletter and a monthly fun homeschool sharing calendar. Simply go to Psychowith6.com/subscribe. I would love to connect with you..

Podcast sponsor

I want to think my sponsor for this episode: the Overcomer movie.

Special Thanks to Our Network Sponsor -Overcomer Movie

Opening nationwide on August 23, OVERCOMER dares to leave you filled with hope, inspired to dream, and asks the question: what do you allow to define you?

Click here to learn more!

Read the blog post

Contentment Bible Study from NotConsumed

Memlok Scripture memory

How to overcome parental anger

How to deal with dawdlers

Complaint or compliment box

Complaint-free week challenge

Thanks again to the Overcomer Movie for sponsoring the podcast.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How To Close The Complaint Desk In Your Homeschool appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Sponsor: Fun to Learn Books

The sponsor of today’s episode is Fun to Learn Books, the publisher of story-based curriculum like Grammar Galaxy and Training Aliens. Kids love this fantasy-based learning for its funny, short lessons and parents love it because it’s low prep, screen-free learning. Learn more at FunToLearnBooks.com.

Podcast Guest: Wilson Hickman

Wilson Hickman is a follower of the Lord Jesus with a strong passion for storytelling. He was homeschooled and from a young age, began writing books in a variety of genres. His passion for creativity led him to the visual medium of storytelling. When crafting a film, he often draws inspiration from his own life, vicariously learning and growing with the characters he creates. His latest project is an award-winning proof of concept episode for a Christian-themed fantasy TV series called The Lost Healer. Inspired by real-world spiritual warfare, the series is designed to transport viewers to an exciting new world while inspiring them to navigate the struggles of this one. Recognizing the power of stories to shape the culture, Wilson seeks to make compelling, God-honoring entertainment that can be enjoyed by a broad audience.

I loved our conversation and hope you do too.

Using Fantasy to Teach Scriptural Truth Resources

The Lost Healer

The Lost Healer series on Facebook

The Lost Healer series on Instagram

Entertainment to Build Relationships

Self-Publishing for Homeschoolers

Helping Teens Through Loss

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Using Fantasy To Teach Scriptural Truth appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! I absolutely love chatting with homeschoolers. That’s just one reason I wanted to interview Kara Walker. Kara graduated from college debt-free, and is now on a quest to help other students do the same with her podcast, “Money and Mental Peace,” and her online course “The Debt-Free College Blueprint”! She is a twenty-something Christian entrepreneur, amateur snowboarder, and recovering over-achiever. Kara enjoys goal-setting, budgeting, and living a debt-free lifestyle, and wants to help YOU do the same!

Kara is absolutely delightful. If you have a college-bound or finance-interested teen, have them listen to this episode with you. You won’t be disappointed.

College Degree, Debt-Free Resources

Dave Ramsey personal finance courses

Dave Ramsey podcast

Modern States Study Guides

Homeschooling for College Credit

Money and Mental Peace – Kara’s website and podcast

How we manage college

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How To Get A College Degree Debt-Free appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! Homeschooling has changed so much since I started teaching my kids. I wonder what it will look like if and when my kids start homeschooling their children. I wanted to talk with someone who is on the cutting edge of education. I know you’ll be interested in what my guest has to say because it can change the way you homeschool now.

For over 30 years, Matt Bowman has been reimagining education for the digital age. As a former sixth-grade teacher turned tech executive and education entrepreneur, Matt saw firsthand how the traditional education system often fails to meet the unique needs of individual learners.

Together with his wife Amy, Matt founded OpenEd (formerly My Tech High), which has served more than 100,000 student enrollments across multiple states, including many military families worldwide. Their approach focuses on blending personalized learning with technology and entrepreneurship skills, giving students the flexibility to learn in ways that work best for them.

Matt holds multiple degrees in education and is an alumnus of Stanford’s Executive Business Management program.

He lives in the mountains of Utah, where he and Amy enjoy spending time with their five married children and four grandchildren (and counting!)

Sponsor: CTC Math

Before I share our discussion, I want to thank CTC Math for sponsoring this episode.

Future of Home Education Resources

https://opened.co/book

https://opened.co

https://opened.co/blog?type=podcast

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post The Future Of Home Education appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Ruth Wilkey is an educator, musician, and storyteller with a heart for nurturing the souls of children and families. Raised in a generous German-Lutheran family known for their hospitality and faith, Ruth learned early the power of love shared through stories, songs, and community. After earning her teaching credential from Christ College Irvine, she taught English, Spanish, music, and drama before founding Creative Cottage Piano Studio, where she inspired students for over thirty years. Today, through Sonflower Press and her new children’s book series at SociableBunny.com, Ruth continues to shine God’s light, helping families grow in love and joy through story and song.

Sponsor: CTC Math

Before I share our chat, I want to thank CTC Math for sponsoring the podcast.

Resources for Children Who Are Hurting

Training Aliens

Sociable Bunny books and questions

Sociable Bunny on Facebook

Sociable Bunny on Instagram

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post How To Help A Child Who’s Hurting appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Watch on YouTube

Sponsor: NIV Application Bible

There are three lies the enemy tells us that can deflate us and three responses that can get us homeschooling courageously again. Before I share them I want to thank the NIV Application Bible for sponsoring the podcast.

I am taking the three lies from a biblical account that is well known to you if you’re familiar with Scripture. In Luke 4:1-12, we read that Jesus fasted for 40 days and was hungry. Hungry seems like an understatement, but I like the word for our purposes. We are often hungry for things in our homeschooling: hungry for order and organization, hungry for our children’s hearts to be turned toward us and the Lord, hungry for our husbands to be our partners in every sense of the word. We can be hungry for so many other desires that have gone unsatisfied–a return to health for us or our family members, financial provision, healing in relationships.

Lie #1: There is no help.

When we are hungry, the devil comes calling. To Jesus, the devil said, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” I’ve read excellent theological commentaries on this statement, but when the devil tempts me this way, he is saying, “There is no help. Meet this need yourself. God hasn’t provided and He won’t. It’s time for you to do something.” And with my classic “If it is to be, it’s up to me” attitude, that’s what I so often do.

I research. I consult. I buy books, courses, supplements. And when I remain hungry, I spend even more time trying to find the answer to my need. Never mind the fact that most of the time the food that will fill this aching need of mine is not what I’m shopping for. The food that fills me comes from the Lord often unexpectedly, subtley, gradually.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with looking for the equivalent of bread when we’re hungry, Jesus tells the devil that we need more than what’s available in this world to live. In fact, it’s been when I have stopped trying to fill my own gnawing need that it seems my needs are attended to as they were for Jesus.

The devil says to us: “Meet your own need because God won’t.” Our response can be to repeat to ourselves Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

A book that has helped me so much in waiting on the Lord is Hind Feet for High Places. I have read a chapter a day and it feels like I am journeying with the main character Much-Afraid every step of the way.

Lie #2: There is no Holy One.

When we are in a discouraging season, the devil comes back with lie number 2. There is no Holy One. The devil shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and says, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” In this, the devil shares a partial truth. The Bible calls him the prince of this world with some power and control. That is true.

In times of vulnerability, we can start to believe that he’s the ultimate authority. Worldly steps to success may seem better than waiting on God to meet our family’s needs in homeschooling or our personal needs. The worldly way can seem like a sure thing–Door #1 that’s open to reveal what’s inside versus Door #3 that holds an unknown future.

Most of us when tempted in this way don’t become atheists. Instead, we make some compromises. We give a little here and a little there because maybe God isn’t as good as we thought. That’s why Jesus’ response is so powerful. He says, ““It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

I pray most days for a nation using the Operation World app. One of the most common descriptions of a nation with a church in crisis is that its believers have mixed aspects of their pagan religion into their theology. Whenever I’m tempted to judge, I realize how well this describes our own culture. We can compromise and justify a little bit every day until we are nearly indistinguishable from our unbelieving neighbors.

When the devil says, “There is no Holy One,” we can answer with 1 Samuel 2:2: “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” Although the devil has some power, he is certainly not holy. If you need a reminder of that and you’ve been off the grid for a long time, read the news for just one day. Otherwise, I advise reading a Christian hero’s biography. One of my favorites is If I Perish by Esther Kim.

Lie #3: There is no hope.

For the final temptation the devil took Jesus to the top of the temple. He said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here…” Because the devil also tells him that God and the angels will protect Him if He jumps, I didn’t realize that he was suggesting Jesus kill himself. This is the final lie the devil tells us in a season of discouragement: There is no hope.

Hopelessness is not just a symptom of depression but a warning sign that the depression is severe. We are more likely to be hopeless when we have tried to help ourselves and we have tried worldly prescriptions for getting what we need to no avail. Jesus hadn’t bought the devil’s first two lies and so answered with more truth: ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’

As discouraged believers we don’t put God to the test by jumping off a tall building, but we might be giving Him ultimatums: If this tutor doesn’t help; if my husband doesn’t get this job; if this medication doesn’t work… The unspoken end to that sentence is I am giving up hope.

When we are tempted by this lie, we can say Romans 5:5: “…and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Why would our loving God who lives in our hearts disappoint us? When I am wondering why God isn’t giving me what I ask, I remember Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” The only reasons we refuse to give gifts to our children is because the thing they’ve asked for is not good or we have something better in mind.

When we are tempted to give up hope, we can list the unanswered prayers we are grateful for. This current prayer of ours may one day be added to the list. As we wait, we can know for certain that God will either answer our prayer as requested or He will give us the grace to accept His will. I love the song “Sometimes He Calms the Storm” for reassurance of this.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to point out that Luke Chapter 4 begins this way: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” If you’re in a season of temptation to discouragement and you’ve been tempted with the lies of there is no help, Holy One, or hope, it is not punishment but preparation. You cannot guide your children through a similar season if you have not been in the wilderness. You cannot mentor other homeschool moms in the future as I am now doing if you have not been in the wilderness. I don’t think we can even fully serve God if we have not been in the wildnerness. Another favorite book I want to commend to you for this season is Sidetracked in the Wilderness by Michael Wells.

If this podcast encouraged you, please share it with others. Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Homeschooling Through A Season Of Discouragement appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

In 2019, I started a monthly podcast series I called the Trust Project. I wanted us to focus on how to trust God in multiple areas of our lives.

Today, though, I’d like to check in with you–not by asking whether you’re trusting God in your homeschool, for your kids, for your health, and so on–but by asking you WHAT you’re trusting in. Life can be very difficult when we trust in something other than God. We may live in constant fear. We don’t have peace or joy. And we are unlikely to be successful in what we undertake.

I want to begin our discussion of trusting God with the account of King Asa from 2 Chronicles 15. If you end up believing that you’re like Asa and not putting your trust in God, I’ll have a suggestion for changing that.

Sponsor: NOW Programs

https://www.nowprograms.com

2 Chronicles 15:1 reads, “The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. ² He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. ³ For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.”

The Israelites were not following God at this time. Homeschooling also became popular again at a time when fewer people were following God. Certainly fewer were following God in public education. And parents like me were distressed about it.

2 Chronicles 15 continues…⁴ But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. ⁵ In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. ⁶ One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. ⁷ But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

When we first begin homeschooling, we need that encouragement to be strong and not to give up because it rarely goes the way we hope and expect. Those of us who persevere believe that our work will ultimately be rewarded.

Continuing with 2 Chronicles 15:

⁸ When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of^[a] Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple. ¹⁵ All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. ¹⁷ Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. ¹⁸ He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated. ¹⁹ There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

When we made the decision to keep our kids home, where we could teach them God’s Word, I was relieved. Like Asa, I felt a lot more secure because of God’s blessing of our family. But as time went on, a temptation entered.

2 Chronicles 16 reads: In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. ² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ³ “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

King Asa had to deal with a rebellious king of Israel. Sometimes when we have a rebellious child or another challenge that God doesn’t seem to be handling, we think we have to take control. We need to lean on our own understanding. We are willing to let go of what should be sacred in our homes. Continuing with 2 Chronicles 16:

⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. ⁵ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.

It seems like King Asa succeeded in his efforts. And often when we rely on something other than God to help us, we see initial success. But what’s the long-term implication? We read in 2 Chronicles 16, beginning in verse 7.

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[b] and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen^[c]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

Uh-oh. It honestly didn’t seem like a foolish thing at first, did it? And so often our choices in response to trouble seem wise. But if we aren’t trusting in the Lord, we will likely live to regret it.

Like Asa, we may trust in political power rather than God. We may put our trust in our country’s bill of rights, our state’s favorable homeschool laws, or a pro-homeschooling leader. But even though these are blessings we want to support, they are not what we want to put our trust in. This election season, we want to remember that God is ultimately in control. Romans 13:1-2 reminds us: “There is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” and Proverbs 21:1 explains, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”

Politics aren’t the only foolish choice for our trust. We can place our trust in classes in curriculum. We may believe if we just choose the right ones, our kids will be sure to succeed. We want to consider the options and pray over them, of course, but there is no class, curriculum, or college that will guarantee our kids’ success. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

We may also trust our alternative healthcare approach, our money, or our prepping for our health and safety in these tumultuous times. Yet Psalm 4:8 encourages us: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Despite the truth that we should trust God with every aspect of our lives, we are constantly being tempted to trust in other things. From the beginning, our enemy Satan has questioned whether we can trust God. Now we are bombarded by media with the same message.

When what we are truly trusting in is gone, we may panic as Asa did. That’s how we know we were trusting in it. Ask yourself what besides God gives you security for the future. Of course, we don’t have to eliminate these things! But we do need to put more trust in the One who can truly deliver us from any disaster.

How can we do that? My number one tip is what I’ve already demonstrated in this episode: spend time in God’s Word. Asa quickly forgot how the Lord had delivered him despite being outnumbered. Had he often reviewed God’s character and actions, he likely would have sought the Lord first and avoided war in the future.

How much time do we need to hear from God? Consider the ratio. How often are you hearing from the enemy? I know for me it’s constantly. Here are some practical tips for increasing your time in the Word.

1. 1. Read or listen to the Bible in short sessions throughout the day. Start by reading Titus 3. It’s a wonderful reminder for such a time as this.

1. 1. Meditate on and memorize Scripture as you drive or drift off to sleep.

1. 1. Write out Scripture with your kids for handwriting practice.

1. 1. Follow social accounts that share Scriptures.

1. 1. Sing hymns and Scriptural songs.

1. 1. Read devotionals as a break after completing a task.

1. 1. Do Bible studies online or with family and friends.

1. 1. Listen to sermons and biblical podcasts as you cook, clean, or exercise.

1. 1. Attend church regularly.

1. 1. Tell others about God’s faithfulness in your life. I always want you to know that every blessing I’ve had in my homeschooling life is from the Lord. It’s certainly not my doing.

This single approach of spending more time in God’s Word is simple to implement, but we will experience resistance to it. We will be interrupted, too tired, or just bored. But at these times, pick up a dollar bill and read our country’s motto that is still In God We Trust. We must fight the good fight to keep living that motto out.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: What Are You Trusting In? appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! How to help an anxious, frustrated, or bored child is the most common question I get. In this episode, I’ll share a three-step approach you can use to help your child manage any negative emotion.

Summary

In this episode, Melanie Wilson addresses the common concern of homeschooling parents regarding their child’s ability to manage emotions. She emphasizes that emotional struggles should be seen as skill deficits rather than character flaws. Melanie highlights the lack of emotional management education in schools and the need for explicit teaching in this area. She introduces a three-step framework for teaching emotional skills: prevention, recognition, and substitution. The chapters cover topics such as the importance of sleep, diet, and environment in preventing negative emotions, teaching children to recognize signs of frustration, and finding constructive responses to boredom. Melanie encourages parents to provide practice and grace as children learn to manage their emotions and emphasizes the role of prayer and faith in this process.

Previous Episodes on Emotions

Helping the Anxious Child

Helping the Frustrated Child

How to Deal with a Troublemaking Child

Homeschooling a Child with ADHD

The post Special Replay: How To Help Your Child Manage Emotions appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

SPONSOR: NOW Programs

Before I share more, I want to thank NOW Programs for sponsoring the podcast. Be sure to check out their resources if you have a student with a learning difference. Watch on YouTube

What Overwhelm Really Is

To begin, let’s clarify what we mean by overwhelm. First, it’s not a true crisis. If you’ve just been in a car accident or your parent just had a heart attack, your response to that is stress and shock that may feel overwhelming, but that’s not the kind of overwhelm I’m talking about. Plus, if you’re in a true crisis, I doubt you’re listening to me now!

Instead, overwhelm is when we respond to life circumstances as though they were a true crisis. Our kid hates the Spanish class we signed them up for. The kids keep arguing. We didn’t get through the 20 different curricula we thought we could cover in a day. We forgot to put dinner in the crockpot and the dog just rolled in mud.

Overwhelm feels like everything is going wrong, but it is really garden-variety anxiety. I didn’t realize that overwhelm is just anxiety until I felt overwhelmed myself this week. But I am well aware of how we tend to respond to anxiety. When we’re anxious, we avoid. If crowds make us anxious, we avoid them. Elevators, avoid. Algebra, avoid. Obvious, right? So what does that look like with overwhelm?

We avoid the anxiety of overwhelm in multiple ways. First, we distract ourselves. We doomscroll, watch a show, or eat chocolate. If you’re like me, you do all three. Next, we try something new to avoid the anxiety of overwhelm. We research new curriculum. New curriculum will fix everything, we are sure. We may think that a whole new approach to homeschooling is the answer, so we start reading and watching YouTube videos. Or we decide that now is the pefect time to start a business and we spend time working on that. When the anxiety of overwhelm is severe, we may decide that we have to stop something. We may think we aren’t cut out for homeschooling. We start looking into other options. We may consider dropping out of a co-op or leadership role.

And it’s possible that some of these avoidance responses could create positive change, but they are all reactions to anxiety and not carefully considered. I finally understand why I start a new hobby, dive head first into a new business idea, or try a new productivity approach when I’m already overwhelmed. It’s my way of avoiding anxiety.

If you’ve ever heard me talk about anxiety, you know what I always say: avoiding makes anxiety worse, not better. If crowds make you anxious and you avoid them, pretty soon you’ll consider your in-laws and even your church a crowd that you need to avoid. Fortunately, there is another way out of overwhelm.

Step 1. Do the next thing.

You’ve likely heard the poem by the same title made popular by Elisabeth Elliott. I’m going to read it for you again so we can truly take it in.

From an old English parsonage down by the sea There came in the twilight a message to me; Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven, Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven. And on through the doors the quiet words ring Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear, Many a doubt, hath its quieting here. Moment by moment, let down from Heaven, Time, opportunity, and guidance are given. Fear not tomorrows, child of the King, Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing. Do it immediately, do it with prayer; Do it reliantly, casting all care; Do it with reverence, tracing His hand Who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing, Leave all results, do the next thing. Looking for Jesus, ever serener, Working or suffering, be thy demeanor; In His dear presence, the rest of His calm, The light of His countenance be thy psalm, Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing. Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

Ah. I feel better just saying it. I hope you feel better hearing it.

Many times the next thing is obvious. The baby needs changing. It’s time to make lunch. Trash pick up is this morning, so we have to get the cans out.

Other times, we aren’t sure. I have some suggestions for the other times.

First, take a walk. When I was overwhelmed recently, walking outside, getting some exercise, and listening to praise music via my earbuds. Many homeschool days when I was overwhelmed, I would get the kids outside to walk with me and I felt better. The kids are less likely to argue and fuss if they’re outside walking. That’s a bonus.

My next suggestion for do the next thing is clean up. A cluttered environment contributes to the feeling of overwhelm. Every misplaced object seems to cry for our attention. Set a timer for five minutes and have the kids race to see if you can get the whole room picked up before the timer goes off. Play some upbeat music while you work. An uncluttered space will help you feel more in control.

Finally, doing the next thing may be to rest. Like our kids, we often struggle with overstimulation. If you haven’t gotten enough quality sleep, if you’re hormonal, or if you’ve had lots of stress, rest is key to getting out of overwhelm. Mercifully, short naps are even more effective than longer ones. If you can’t nap, give the whole family a quiet time. If you need to use an electronic babysitter for a short time, do it. Your mental well being is worth it.

Step 1 is do the next thing.

Step 2 is do what you know to do.

When I’m overwhelmed I start thinking about all the things I’m confused about. In my homeschool years, I wondered what to do about foreign language, whether I should teach a speech class, and whether or not I should be blogging. I would be paralyzed by my indecision.

Many years ago our pastor shared our church’s philosophy on the Bible: “We focus on the parts of the Bible that are clear, not the parts that aren’t.” That made so much sense to me.

In the same way, we can focus on the things in our homeschool lives that are clearly something we should be doing. Practically speaking, here’s what we can do.

First, stick with your routine. I wasn’t clear about foreign language, teaching a class, or blogging. But the rest of our routine of Bible, memory work, read alouds, etc. was clearly on point. Not only that, but staying on routine as much as possible makes me feel less overwhelmed. The anxiety may tell us that we need to stop everything until we make decisions, but we will feel worse, not better. Continue using your workable routine.

Second, stay with your calling. There were many frustrating days when I felt that I was failing. But one thing I knew for sure: God had called me to homeschool. But that’s not all. I wasn’t sure about teaching a class or blogging, but at the time, I knew God had called me to write for a parachurch ministry and to speak for women’s retreats. I wanted a five-year plan, but God wasn’t ready to reveal the future to me. And truthfully, I wasn’t ready to hear it. Continue in your current calling and you will feel less overwhelmed.

A third way to do what you know to do is to do what you did at first. This admonition is straight out of Revelation. Whether you had a practice that worked when you first began homeschooling or worked when you began the new school year, return to it. Often we don’t have a good reason for abandoning a positive practice. We may have gotten distracted, lazy, or bored, but when we are overwhelmed, we are well served to return to what we did well at first instead of researching a perfect alternative for hours. Consider the schedule, habits, or ideas that you were excited about early on and use them again.

Planning my day the night before was working for me. I then got out of the habit, leaving me overwhelmed by a vague list of tasks in the morning. I’m recommitting to this practice now. What will you do that worked for you at first?

Do What Jesus Is Doing

After doing the next thing and doing what you did at first, the third step out of overwhelm is to do what Jesus is doing. I’ve been reflecting on the overwhelm that Jesus’ disciples must have experienced. They left their occupations and families, dealt with large, demanding crowds, and were then tasked with being traveling missionaries. Instead of looking for a different Savior, researching good recipes to feed a crowd, or checking napsack reviews on Amazon, these men dealt with overwhelm by following Jesus and doing what He did.

Whenever they stopped following and imitating, they were right back in overwhelm. Of course, we can’t see Jesus the way they could. But we can do what Jesus is doing first, by staying in the present. The disciples wanted to know the future. And while Jesus often gave glimpses of what to expect, He was crystal clear in saying we weren’t to worry about tomorrow.

If worry is overwhelming you, I recommend the book Stop Worrying; Start Living by Dale Carnegie. I also recommend a practice that helps me. I ask myself, “Am I okay right now?” If the answer is yes, I know my overwhelm is based in the future. If the answer is no, I know I need to ask for help.

Stay focused on the present to do as Jesus did. Next, welcome the unexpected. We all feel more secure in routine. We even have less of a tendency to be overwhelmed. But we also have a need for something new. Fortunately, God is a fan of new too. Often we think the knock on the door, our child’s insistence that we watch a particular video, or the power outage are distractions from our real life. I have learned that these interruptions are often God’s way of spicing up my life. We chatted with an interesting person at the door, laughed until our stomachs hurt at the video, and made memories reading by the window during the power outage.

Imagine the disciples trying to keep Jesus on a schedule. It’s laughable! Instead, they could be open to experiencing what He did each day. We can be the same.

After staying present and welcoming the unexpected to get out of overwhelm, we can stay connected to the Father as Jesus did. When overwhelmed, the tendency is to think that we don’t have time for relationships. Unfortunately, our relationship with our Heavenly Father is one of the first to be sidelined.

In the Garden, Jesus dealt with overwhelm by spending even more time in prayer. We probably don’t have the bandwidth for formal prayer. The Bible says that at these times the Holy Spirit will pray for us without words. What that often looks like for me is just to sit quietly. It’s a struggle not to pick up my phone. Avoidance, remember? But if I stick with it, I will often feel the tears come–a release of stress hormones. I make myself present and vulnerable to my Father, who already knows I am struggling. In fact, at one of these times recently, I told God that I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t manage the overwhelm. I was out of tricks.

You won’t be surprised that I immediately felt better. I pray that when you do the next thing, do what you know to do, and do what Jesus is doing that you too will come out of overwhelm to feel His peace.

If this episode spoke to you, I would love to hear from you. Email me, message me, or tag me on social media.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Out Of Overwhelm: 3 Steps For Homeschool Moms appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

How to Have a Better Homeschool Year

Want a better homeschool year—but without buying a new curriculum, rebuilding your schedule, or starting over from scratch?

Sometimes the biggest homeschool changes don’t begin with a planner or a new routine. They begin with a mindset shift.

In this episode of the Homeschool Sanity Show, Melanie Wilson shares a simple but powerful strategy called “What’s Better” to help homeschool moms improve self-image, reset negative thinking, and move through challenges with more peace and perspective. If your homeschool year has felt heavy, frustrating, or just not quite what you hoped, this encouragement may be exactly

Listen to This Episode

Want encouragement you can listen to while you fold laundry, prep lunch, or reset your homeschool mindset?

Listen to How to Have a Better Homeschool Year from the Homeschool Sanity Show and discover how one simple question can shift the tone of your homeschool days.

what you need.

Enjoy this Episode? Keep 

• Why You Don’t Have to Homeschool the Best Way
• Out of Overwhelm: 3 Steps for Homeschool Moms
• The Best Homeschool Curriculum

Why So Many Homeschool Moms Feel Discouraged

It doesn’t take much for homeschool moms to start feeling like they’re falling behind.

A hard day can quickly turn into a hard week. A rough subject, a resistant child, or a plan that isn’t working can make it feel like the whole year is off track.

But what if a better homeschool year didn’t require a full reset?

What if one simple shift in perspective could help you move forward with more peace and confidence?

That’s exactly what Melanie Wilson shares in this encouraging episode.

What Is the “What’s Better” Strategy?

The “What’s Better” strategy is a simple mindset tool that helps you look for improvement instead of perfection.

Instead of asking:

• Why is this still hard?
• Why aren’t we farther along?
• Why can’t I get this right?

You begin asking:

• What’s better than it used to be?
• What’s going better than last week?
• What is working, even if it’s small?

That question changes everything.

It helps you notice growth, progress, and small wins that are easy to miss when you’re overwhelmed or discouraged.

How This Mindset Can Improve Your Year

A better homeschool year often begins with a better lens.

When homeschool moms focus only on what is lacking, it becomes easy to feel defeated. But when we begin noticing what’s improving, even slowly, we create room for hope.

This strategy can help improve:

• your self-image as a homeschool parent
• your mood and emotional resilience
• your response to difficult days
• your family’s overall homeschool atmosphere

And the best part? It doesn’t require adding anything new to your plate.

Examples of the “What’s Better” Strategy

Here are a few simple ways to use this mindset in real homeschool life:

Instead of:

“We’re always behind.”

Try:
“We finished more this week than we did last week.”

Instead of:

“My child hates writing.”

Try:
“She wrote two sentences today without tears. That’s better.”

Instead of:

“This year is a mess.”

Try:
“We’ve found a rhythm in the mornings that is working better.”

Instead of:

“I’m not doing enough.”

Try:
“I’m showing up, adjusting, and growing. That’s better.”

These small reframes can have a powerful effect over time.

How to Start Using This in Your Homeschool Today

You can begin using the “What’s Better” strategy today by creating a short list at the end of each homeschool day or week.

Ask yourself:

• What went better today?
• What is easier now than it used to be?
• What has improved in my child?
• What has improved in me?

You may be surprised by how much progress is happening—even in a season that feels messy.

A Better Homeschool Year Doesn’t Require a Perfect Plan

If you’ve been tempted to scrap everything and start over, this is your reminder:

You may not need a brand-new homeschool year.
You may just need a better way to see the one you already have.

Growth doesn’t always look dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like patience.
Sometimes it looks like consistency.
Sometimes it looks like noticing what’s better.

And that is worth celebrating.

Resources

How to Make Your Dreams Come True by Mark Forster

Grammar Galaxy, Training Aliens, The Organized Homeschool Life, A Year of Living Productively

Great Homeschool Conventions

Watch on YouTube

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: How To Have A Better Homeschool Year appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! Will you have a preschooler this year or next? Do you know someone who wonders how to homeschool a preschooler? If so, this episode is for you or your friend. I’ll be sharing how I started teaching preschool, how I changed my approach with experience, and what I would do if I were homeschooling my preschool grandchildren.

Sponsor: CTC Math

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). CTC Math uses a multi-sensory approach, having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

__________________________________

How I Taught Preschool at First

Homeschool preschool has a special place in my heart because that’s where I started. I thought it was a perfect testing ground for determining if homeschooling would work for me. The short answer to that question was a resounding no. It didn’t work for me! I thought I just wasn’t cut out for it, but the real problem was I had no routine. I went to bed at different times, got up at different times, and wasn’t getting any homeschooling done. That wasn’t because I had such a clean home or because I was working from home; I wasn’t. Instead, I had grand plans for teaching my preschooler that all fell flat.

Granted, I had a baby and a toddler in addition to my preschooler. But all I was able to do at that point in my life was keep them alive.

Let’s talk about my preschool plans at the beginning. I had a preschool curriculum book that focused on a letter at a time. So far, so good. I do think that teaching kids letters and numbers is a great foundation for later learning. I also bought a preschool craft book. Because of my all-or-nothing craving for complete preparation, I literally bought every craft supply needed to complete every craft in the book. You heard that right. I had enough craft supplies to supply a neighborhood of preschoolers with activities. That’s because you can’t buy a couple of tongue depressors—you have to get a box of 500.

I was so excited to do the activities with my son, and this is where it gets silly. I don’t even really like doing crafts with kids. Kids are very messy with glue and especially with the the brainchild of Satan—glitter. When my child would begin using the watercolor paints I bought him and mixing colors without cleaning out his brush, my anxiety would build to the point that I needed a nap even if he didn’t.

Because I had this all-or-nothing mentality, I felt like I had failed if I didn’t do our lesson from the book or make one of the crafts early in the day. So I would delay our studies “until the next day” when I could do them perfectly. With three boys three and under, the perfect day never arrived.

It is true that I read to my preschooler constantly. But because I had been reading to him from birth, I didn’t give myself credit for actually homeschooling him. If you’re familiar with my story, you know that I felt like a failure at homeschooling and mothering. Neither my husband nor I thought that I could handle home educating our kids long-term or adding another child to the family.

That’s when someone recommended FlyLady to me. I began building routines that allowed me to get up at the same time roughly and do the same tasks in the same order. The best part of that was waking up to a clean kitchen. I had run the dishwasher the night before and washed the larger dishes, so I didn’t feel like a failure at the beginning of the day. I added other habits like laying my clothes out the night before, and preparing things for the day ahead.

Running my dishwasher the night before allowed me to have my preschooler unload the kid-friendly dishes. This became a chore routine that made my home and life feel manageable. It also taught my son an important life skill.

If you’d like to build an organizing routine, check out my guide The Organized Homeschool Life.

With the chore habit established, I was able to add preschool lessons to our routine. I was finally teaching! I also got the kids into preschool activities for homeschoolers and for the community. The boys went to playdates at the park, gymnastics, and swim lessons. And that leads me to how I taught preschool later on.

How I Taught Preschool Later

I continued to do chores at the beginning of the school day as we added more kids to the family. I would keep my youngest kids with me and help them do their chores while the older kids worked independently—or at least claimed to be working independently.

Once I had elementary students, I had to decide when to work with my preschoolers. I took the advice to spend time with my preschoolers first, then allow them to play in an adjacent room. This was effective; however, I had a long day to fill. This is when I started using the Managers of Their Homes scheduling approach. The idea that was most valuable to me from this approach was to pair a younger child with an older one for a short session. Usually this involved reading to them or playing with them.

I began to feel that I was shortchanging my preschoolers, however. I was focused on teaching more advanced skills to my older kids. That’s when I heard about creating preschool activity packs. The concept was that you would create multiple packs of a couple of different educational activities for preschoolers and would then exchange them with other moms who had made different activity packs. I thought this was brilliant!

However—and you knew that “however” was coming, didn’t you?—I barely used the activity packs. I wondered why on earth I had invested the time and money into creating them when there are so many inexpensive preschool activities that I already owned or could purchase. Things like letter puzzles and games that I already had.

I also heard Steve Demme’s excellent advice based on his notion that curriculum book time at back-to-school is a preschooler’s version of Christmas without me. I decided to purchase books for my preschoolers to spend time in while the older kids did their independent work. Most of them were activity books like Kumon books that help them learn to write.

The best curriculum I found for homeschoolers around this time was from a company called Dakota Publishing. As a South Dakota native, I loved that the company was headquartered there, but I loved the approach of Little Hands to Heaven even more. The preschool curriculum was broken up into little—what I call—missions. Short teachable moments that could be completed before the other kids were fighting or the dog escaped the yard. Even though I never finished a complete lesson, I felt successful because I had completed parts of it.

As my younger kids became preschoolers, though, I simply allowed them to participate in our reading and activities as their interest and ability allowed. To keep them engaged when I was working with the older kids, I tried rotating toys and books that were for school time only. But because the kids seemed to enjoy throwing small toys around the playroom more than using them as intended, I had limited success with this.

That leads me to how I would homeschool preschool with my grandkids.

How I Would Teach Preschool with My Grandkids

I survived homeschooling preschool for all six of my kids. Not one of them is in a mental institution because I failed to teach them their letters, numbers, or shoe-tying at the optimal time.

Given my experience and my 20/20 hindsight vision, here is how I would homeschool preschool now:

First, I would continue reading to them. I would read picture books with them and take them to the library as I did with my kids, treating it like the gift and adventure that it is. I would also have them raid Grandpa’s bookshelves. My husband is a sales rep for school library books, so we have a literature-rich home. We would read picture books to address social and emotional skills as well as academic topics. I would relish telling them about their parents’ bad behavior when they were little. Just kidding. Kind of.

Second, I would use a more by-the-way, unit study approach to teaching. For example, if there were a class or field trip that appealed to preschoolers, we would go and would then do reading and activities related to it. I would make ample use of the internet to find videos, recipes, experiments, and easy art projects that don’t involve glitter. The most important aspect for me would be not having an overly planned schedule that could make me feel behind.

Third, for curriculum, I would use a children’s Bible, Little Hands to Heaven, Color Me Mozart and other easy, engaging resources to teach specific topics. We would start off with these resources before reading and pursuing other activities.

Finally, I would use lots of board and active games to teach academics and social skills. I used the Phonics Game, Jr. to teach my kids to read and I would use it again. I would leave the computer games for the parents to use when they need down time. I would rely on lists of games that are easy to play and set up when I wanted to cover a particular subject like math or vocabulary or just to let the kids burn off steam.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I know I didn’t do a perfect job teaching preschool. But the good news is I didn’t have to. My kids enjoyed their early homeschool years and benefited from them. Yours will too. I hope my experience will help you create a realistic and enjoyable plan for educating your little learners.

Have a happy homeschool week!

Explore more guides in the Homeschool Help Hub →

The post Homeschooling Preschool While Keeping Your Sanity appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! If you’re not where you expected to be in your homeschool, I’ve got you. In this episode, you’ll learn why we find ourselves on a detour, how we can get even more off track, and 5 tips for reaching our destination quickly.

Watch on YouTube

First, let’s define a homeschool detour.

Detours for our purposes can be taking the same route we planned, but it’s taking far longer than we thought. This was the most common detour for me. I experienced a version of it every one of my 25 years of homeschooling. We didn’t get through the curriculum as quickly as we thought we would. Or we didn’t even start it. That happened more times than I’d like to admit, too. The character issues that I thought my kids would master right away were still being learned in high school.

A classic detour, though, is taking a different route to the destination because the intended route wasn’t available or workable. Homeschool detours can be anything new that you weren’t planning: classes, schedule, approach, baby, job, home.

Why do we find ourselves on these detours?

One obvious reason that applies in the wake of Hurricane Helene is events out of our control. Illness, a facility closure, a job loss.

Other detours are more the result of a family member’s choice: your spouse needs you to work, your teen wants to go to school, your child wants to compete at an elite level.

Finally, there are detours that are the result of our choices. I do think detours can have all three characteristics at once. Something happens that’s out of your control. Your spouse wants to do something about that. And your choice solidifies your direction.

Years ago, I was driving my family home from the beach, a 12-hour drive with stops. I entered our home address into my phone’s GPS and was on my way. My husband was in the back of our van, watching movies with the kids. After the movie was over, he said, “I don’t recognize this town.” I waved him off, telling him that I was taking the route the GPS told me. But the truth was I didn’t recognize it either. I figured I just hadn’t paid attention on our last trip or the GPS was taking me on a better, faster route.

The first reason we find ourselves on a detour of our own making is because we aren’t paying attention. I wasn’t looking at the surroundings as I drove. I also didn’t check my son’s math homework for weeks, only to realize he hadn’t been doing it. I wasn’t checking my son’s laundry, so I didn’t realize he’d been putting his clean laundry in his dirty clothes hamper just so he wouldn’t have to put it away.

I was on a coming-home-from-vacation detour primarily because I wasn’t paying attention. But the second reason we find ourselves on a detour of our own making is because we trusted but didn’t verify. I trusted my GPS to navigate me home but I didn’t verify that it was giving me the fastest route. I trusted my kids to do the right thing and didn’t verify. But I also trusted homeschool and parenting experts that if I did everything they said to do that my kids would be giants of the faith with full-ride scholarships. You won’t be surprised to hear that I haven’t yet arrived at that destination.

The third reason we find ourselves on a detour of our own making is our pride. “I know what I’m doing!” I thought, as my husband expressed doubt in our direction. He didn’t know what was going on, I thought. He’s too busy watching a movie! When someone questions our homeschooling or parenting, we may dig our heels in and do even more rather than admit to our weakness.

A few more hours went by on our drive home and my husband piped up again. “I don’t recognize this town either. Are you sure we’re on the right route?” Actually, I think he was a lot more forceful than that, but I’m giving him grace in the retelling of it.

“Uhhh,” I stammered. I couldn’t study the map as I was driving and my husband didn’t know how to use my app. I kept driving.

How can we get even more off track?

The first way we can get even more off track on a detour is avoidance. I got on a detour home by not paying attention. I got even further astray by avoiding the issue. I didn’t look at the route GPS had mapped out for us. When something in our homeschool isn’t working, it can be frightening to think about. So we may choose to do anything else but think about it. Meanwhile we’ve gone even further off track. You might avoid discussing a child’s learning disability or what you’ll do if a potential layoff happens. Meanwhile the fear gets bigger and the potential consequences worse. You want to avoid dealing with the issue even more than before.

The second way we can get even more off track is blaming others. In my mind, the only problem with our route home was my husband complaining about not recognizing it. He didn’t understand GPS like I did. If he wanted to drive, then he could choose the route! When the doctor, the co-op teacher, or your child is to blame for your detour, you can continue avoiding it. It’s someone else’s problem to solve. But if that person doesn’t act to get you back on track, the problem will grow.

The third way we can get even more off track is guilt. I secretly felt guilty that I had not looked at the route my GPS chose before I took off. I hadn’t verified it and to make matters worse, I had ignored my husband’s concerns. I worried about what it would mean if I was responsible for making our long ride home even longer. And even though I blamed the boys for their dishonesty with math and chores, I felt responsible. If I had allowed my guilt about it to make me fearful and avoid the issue, the problem would have continued and gotten worse.

Homeschool moms often feel guilt about every aspect of their family’s lives because they feel overly responsible. In addition to more avoidance, guilt can also lead to rash course correction. Turning around and heading back to the beach so I could take a better route would have been crazy, but so would dropping our math curriculum that had been working well and choosing to put away all my kids’ laundry myself.

I’ll share what happened when I finally admitted I was on a detour after this message from our sponsor: CTC Math.

Before we dig in, I want to thank our sponsor: CTC Math.

Sponsor: CTC Math

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit c-t-c-math.com today to start your free trial.

How to Get On Track After a Detour

I finally pulled over and studied the route GPS had me on. I couldn’t deny that I didn’t recognize the route any longer. The shocker was realizing that it had me go two hours out of our way on top of a 12-hour trip. I would love to say it was because of a road closure or an error in the app. But the truth was I wasn’t paying attention, blamed my husband out of pride, and avoided dealing with the issue out of guilt.

When you realize you’re on a homeschool detour, here’s what to do to get to your destination quicker.

• • Take stock of where you are. Sometimes it won’t be pretty. It certainly wasn’t for me. I had added two hours to an already long trip. But often it’s not as bad as you fear. You’ll never be able to course correct until you admit where you are. Get an assessment. Gather data. See how much has to be done to get up to speed. It can be painful but not as painful as continuing on the same path.

• • Determine the best way forward. Don’t look back. It was tempting for me to fantasize about going back in time to take a different route. Instead I looked at the map to see how we could get on the fastest route home. Given your current circumstances, what can you do to meet your goals in the quickest, most reasonable way?

• • Ask for help. The truth is I am directionally challenged. I can follow verbal directions from my app, but navigating from a map is much harder. I showed my husband the map and he gave me his advice for getting back on the best route. It’s humbling to ask for help, but it also builds the helper’s confidence. My husband doesn’t like not being tech savvy. He loved feeling smarter than the GPS. Talk to veteran homeschoolers, teachers with experience in a particular area, and homeschool-friendly professionals about the challenge. You’ll build them up and help yourself at the same time.

• • Trust God. God alone knows how natural disasters, other people’s choices, and our own weaknesses will interact to put us on a detour. What’s even more incredible is that He uses these circumstances to get us where He wants us. Was there a reason I ended up driving two hours out of our way? Maybe! But I know that He is my Guide and yours. He doesn’t want us to worry about our homeschool or our family. Trust in Him and follow His leading. Of course, we can and should ask Him for help in the first place. I did not pray for GPS guidance I’ll admit.

• • Finally, have a sense of humor. I was amazed that my husband and kids weren’t furious with me when I broke the news. I shouldn’t have been. Even at that time, I had a long history of them giving me grace and not thinking a thing of my failings that I imagine are so monumental. I apologized and took responsibility for it and it was over. Except we laugh about this detour often. I hope you can laugh at some of the minor detours you’ve taken in your homeschool journey, too.

Conclusion

We get on homeschool detours when we don’t pay attention, trust but don’t verify, and are prideful. We can get on an even longer detour when we avoid dealing with the issue, blame others, or feel guilty about it. The quickest way to get back on track after a detour is to take stock of where you are, determine the best way forward, ask for help, Trust God, and have a sense of humor.

I have a postscript to this. Last year I was driving four hours to visit a friend and then continuing on a couple hours to stay with my mom. I had driven more than three hours when my husband called. He asked me if I had seen the new bridge on the drive. “No,” I said. “You know I don’t pay attention to that stuff.” My ADD is in high gear when I’m driving. He asked me

I would love to hear about any funny detours you’ve taken. Screenshot this podcast and tag @homeschoolsanity on social media. Thanks again to CTC Math for their sponsorship. Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: How To Handle Homeschool Detours appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Do you lack confidence as a homeschool mom? A number of moms on the Homeschool Sanity Facebook page have commented that they do. This is The Homeschool Sanity Show, the episode where we discuss how we can have more confidence as homeschool moms this year.

Hey, homeschoolers! Before we dive into the topic of mom confidence, I’d like to thank CTC Math for sponsoring this episode.

Sponsor

Finding a math curriculum that works for your family can be a challenge! With CTCMath, all of your kids from K-12 can learn at their own pace with one family subscription. That’s right! With a CTCMath membership, you have access to all grades and lessons, which means your children can work at whatever level is best for them. Whether your kid needs to catch up, keep up, or move ahead, with CTCMath they can finally understand math and work at their own pace. CTCMath is offering listeners a half-price discount plus a bonus 6 months when you register for a 12-month membership. Yep. That means you have access to a complete online homeschool math curriculum for all your kids for 18 months!

Why We Lack Confidence

Before we can talk about building confidence, let’s talk about why we lack it in our homeschooling.

The first reason is fairly obvious: we haven’t homeschooled before. Even classroom teachers can be intimidated by the prospect of teaching all subjects to multiple students–especially their own. It’s normal to lack confidence without experience.

The second reason we lack confidence is we are aware of our shortcomings. I was keenly aware of my lack of organization–something I’ve written and spoken about extensively, and which troubles many a would-be homeschool mom. And it wasn’t just messiness I was worried about. I’d been excited about a lot of projects in the past that I’d lost interest in. What if I did that with homeschooling?

Many homeschooling moms didn’t get good grades in general or in particular subjects, causing them to worry about their ability to teach their own children.

The third reason we lack confidence is because of messaging from other people. We may have family members or friends who disapprove of homeschooling and tell us about homeschool horror stories. From childhood, we may have heard about our shortcomings repeatedly. Or we were mistreated, causing us to wonder who we are to take on this important responsibility. Finally, other homeschoolers can make us feel less than confident by presenting an unattainable picture of homeschooling. Engineers in your support group who lead a championship robotics team. Homeschoolers who pay for expensive private tutoring and classes to ensure their child’s success. Mothers with supportive family who have lots of time to plan and implement an enriched education. You may feel like you’re not qualified.

How to Homeschool with New Confidence This Year

Inexperience, shortcomings, and others’ messaging can make us feel ill-equipped to homeschool successfully. But here is how we can overcome and take on homeschooling with a new confidence this year.

First, we can begin seeing ourselves as co-learners rather than professors. I learned more about child development and education by homeschooling my kids than I ever did in school or my work as a psychologist. We don’t want to fail in our homeschooling and parenting, but failing is the only way we learn. There are no homeschooling parents who haven’t made mistakes. There are also no classroom teachers who have been perfect.

The only way to grow in confidence as a homeschool mom is to do it. If we are so terrified of making mistakes with our kids that we never try homeschooling or quit at the first sign of challenge, that is the real failure. I’m not saying that everyone is called to homeschool. But if you feel called and you don’t take that call because of fear of messing up your kids, I think you will live to regret it.

These are the things I was afraid of when I began homeschooling: being too disorganized to follow through; having a child who couldn’t read; having an impulsive, immature child who would get hurt; choosing the wrong discipline strategy; having a child behave inappropriately online; having a child who couldn’t write well; having a child rebel; having a child embarrass me. I experienced ALL of these things. And praise God that I did. I’m not afraid of them anymore. The Lord got me through every single one of them.

The second way we can grow in confidence is to focus on our strengths. Organization wasn’t my forte’, but making learning fun and exciting was. As long as our homeschool was reasonably organized, my kids would focus on the fun unit studies, field trips, and co-op activities we did. And that’s what my kids remember.

I disliked gathering the supplies needed to do experiments only to discover that something didn’t work. What I loved doing was teaching literature, writing, and speaking. So my friend and I swapped those responsibilities based on our strengths. She was organized with the labs and I was organized with language arts. Teach your kids from your strengths and share responsibilities with a friend or co-op in your weaker areas.

We also focus on our strengths when we pursue our passions. Teaching world history wasn’t my strength because I had no background in it. But that’s why I was so excited about the topic. I would have read the lessons even without my kids. Even if you’ve struggled with a subject in the past, you can be an exceptional teacher because you’re passionate about learning and teaching it now.

The third way we can grow in confidence is to make the right comparisons. You’ve probably heard that when we feel we are falling short, it’s because we are comparing the inside of our homeschool (and what’s really going on) to the outside of someone else’s homeschool (where it’s carefully curated to present the best image).

But don’t get me wrong. There will be areas that another homeschool mom is further ahead than you are. She’s been doing it longer, has different abilities, has a supportive family, or kids with different strengths. Before you wish you were her, realize that she has made choices that you wouldn’t make. I used to feel inadequate with a mom who was constantly planning fun outings for the kids down to healthy snacks for them to enjoy afterward. But I couldn’t be her and didn’t want to be her. I placed a higher priority on academics and cleaning at home. Yet, what a blessing it was to enjoy her gift for planning activities that my kids enjoyed!

The Bible describes the kinds of comparisons we make as being as foolish as a foot comparing itself to an eye in importance. We are all part of the same body. We can all help one another as homeschoolers so we can achieve our unique goals.

When a friend or family member who doesn’t approve of homeschooling questions your ability to homeschool because of some shortcoming, you can say, “Oh, there are bigger issues than that to prevent me from doing a good job at homeschooling.” You’re likely to surprise a homeschool hater that way.

We can stop worrying about what another mom we know or what a social media influencer is doing because that’s not our role. But we can also stop the comparisons by comparing ourselves to Jesus. Are we as loving and faithful and just as He is? No? Then we should give up. Really. We can stop trying to be great homeschool moms and realize that we can’t do it. Instead, we need Jesus to take over. We need Him to use our unique combination of weaknesses and strengths to be the homeschool mom He planned all along.

Instead of worrying about whether we are going to ruin our kids for life, we can give the responsibility back to Jesus, trusting that He will work everything together for their good and ours. In that sense, we can be confident as homeschool moms because we are confident in Him. What a relief it is for me to know even now that I don’t have to worry about what I did or didn’t do. God had it under control and He still does. Philippians 1:6 is a verse we can hold on to: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion

We can grow in confidence this year as we continue to homeschool, focusing on our strengths, and making the right comparisons. Ultimately, we can be confident that we don’t have what it takes to homeschool our children successfully, but Jesus working through us does. Amen?

I pray this episode has been a blessing to you. Thanks again to CTC Math!

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Special Replay: How To Have More Confidence As A Homeschool Mom This Year appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

We make a decision, shop for a meal, prepare it, and almost before the kitchen is cleaned, these family members of ours are back for more. For help with meal planning, you’ll want to listen to my discussion with guest Allison Schaaf.

Allison is the founder and CEO of Prep Dish, a meal-planning service that helps busy individuals and families save time while enjoying healthy, stress-free meals. As a registered dietitian and trained chef, Allison combines her expertise in nutrition and culinary arts to create practical, delicious meal plans designed for real life. With a passion for simplifying mealtime, she has helped thousands of subscribers reclaim their evenings and enjoy meal time. Allison and her husband have 4 kids and enjoy living in the Texas Hill Country with their chickens, goats, cats and bees.

We discuss meal planning with:

Special dietary needs

Batch cooking

Getting kids involved Ready to start meal planning for homeschool sanity? Listen, watch, or read now.

Sponsor: CTC Math

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). CTC Math uses a multi-sensory approach, having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

Melanie Wilson

__________________________________

//RESOURCES

https://prepdish.com/sanity

https://youtube.com/prepdish

https://instagram.com/prepdish

As a new homeschooling mom of three, I knew I would benefit from meal planning, but I found the process overwhelming. If you can relate, I encourage you to grab your copy of The Organized Homeschool Life. I break the challenge of meal planning up into four 15-minute missions that will get you started. In the Organized Homeschool Life Planner, you’ll find a weekly meal planning page and grocery list plus a space to remind yourself what you’re making on the daily page. You’ll have time to get your ingredients in the crock pot before you even start school. Best of all, you’ll have a ready answer for the dreaded question.

//WHAT TO LISTEN TO NEXT

~ Working and Homeschooling

~ Chicken Keeping in Your Homeschool

~Teaching Your Kids to Cook Independently

____________________________________

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Meal Planning For Homeschoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

But we can also use the media we consume as a family to deepen relationships and teach our values. This week my guests are Nathan and D’Lytha Myers. Nathan is a set designer for The Chosen, and D’Lytha is a trained musical theater performer. Together they have created a God-honoring kids’ film that combats today’s culture of confusion, rebellion, and moral drift—not with lectures, but through story, music, and truth. Aria Appleton Shines has already won a prestigious award from International Christian Visual Media.

We discuss several topics I am passionate about, including:

The significance of family movie nights

Using storytelling to teach values and lessons

The need for open conversations about difficult topics Ready to use movies to grow closer to your kids? Listen or watch now!

Sponsor: CTC Math

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). CTC Math uses a multi-sensory approach, having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.

Family Entertainment Resources

https://www.ariaappleton.com/

https://www.ariaappleton.com/trailer/

https://www.facebook.com/ariaappletonfilm/

https://www.instagram.com/ariaappleton/?hl=en

http://funtolearnbooks.com/shop Use code PRIME 7/8-7/11/25 to save 15%

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Family Entertainment appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Sponsor

Finding a math curriculum that works for your family can be a challenge! With CTCMath, all of your kids from K-12 can learn at their own pace with one family subscription. That’s right! With a CTCMath membership, you have access to all grades and lessons, which means your children can work at whatever level is best for them. Whether your kid needs to catch up, keep up, or move ahead, with CTCMath they can finally understand math and work at their own pace. CTCMath is offering listeners a half-price discount plus a bonus 6 months when you register for a 12-month membership. Yep. That means you have access to a complete online homeschool math curriculum for all your kids for 18 months!

Gameschooling

You might have heard of gameschooling. There are some excellent online influencers who share games for teaching just about every topic. I’ve shared games for teaching language arts as well as holiday games. I’m a huge fan of games as a break from traditional teaching. Kids love them and depending on the games, we parents do too. Not only are games fun learning, but they can create family memories you will cherish.

I incorporate games into Grammar Galaxy as well. I particularly like active games because they’re a welcome break for active kids. The fun involved in a game releases dopamine in the brain which aids in retention of the material.

Language Arts Board Games

Free Grammar Games

Free Vocabulary Games

Gameschooling: The Waldock Way

Gameschooling: My Little Poppies

Gameschooling: The Mulberry Journal

Gameschooling is great. But there is more to gamifying your homeschool than simply adding educational, fun games to your curriculum.

Gamifying Your Homeschool

Gamification means adding game principles to your homeschool life so that you and your family are more motivated.

Let me share an example to explain. Imagine that you were invited to play a card game. There are many rules: you must play certain cards for points but there are other cards that will cost you points. You begin trying to play to earn points. But you forget and play some cards that cost you points. There aren’t any written rules to refer to.

After some time goes by, you ask how you’re doing in the game. Are you ahead, behind, winning, or losing? You’re told to just keep playing the game and you’ll figure it out. New rules seem to be added to the game every turn that cost you points. When you make what you think is a play that will earn you lots of points, you’re told that you can’t make that play now.

My kids have had me play a card game just like this. I reminded them of this game over Thanksgiving and asked them for the name of it. They couldn’t remember. Maddening! I hated the game and never wanted to play it again.

Sometimes our homeschooling is just like this. Our kids do some schoolwork. They feel good about it. But they made some mistakes. They didn’t show their work. They didn’t put enough effort into it. And we let them know. We make them redo the work. We may even give them extra practice work if they didn’t understand a concept.

Or they did very well. They did the work so quickly that we worry we aren’t challenging them. So we ask them to do more advanced work. We ask them to read more or to move on to another subject. We might even add a curriculum to their workload.

The same process can happen with chores. Didn’t do them well enough? Do them again. Get extra chores added on. Do them well but fast? You can handle more chores.

Are you getting the picture? Our kids may feel like they’re playing a game where the rules aren’t clear but what is clear is that there’s no way to win. That isn’t motivating. For anyone.

So how can we fix this to properly gamify our homeschools?

First, the rules for winning at school and chores need to be limited, clear, and preferably posted. We aren’t motivated by a game that tells us to “play cards,” so our kids won’t be motivated to “do school.” They need to know exactly what must be done to earn credit.

If you’re worried that what I’m sharing contradicts with getting kids to take initiative, please don’t. When kids know exactly what is expected of them, they’ll be more likely to take initiative to learn or help more.

But for that to happen, the rules have to be limited and winning has to seem possible. If there are so many rules to remember that I don’t know who to do first, I’m going to want to quit the game before I even get started. If our students have so many assignments that they can’t remember them all, they will feel defeated before they begin.

In addition, winning has to seem achievable. I have started to play video games where the high scorers are listed as motivation for us to compete. I just have to play once and get a paltry score to realize that I will never reach that level, nor would I want to spend the time necessary.

When we have students who are underperforming, our tendency is to want to fill up their lesson plan with work to help them catch up. What happens instead is they feel hopeless and don’t want to even try. Instead, we want to help our kids see that they are winners in school and life. We want to do what we are good at–even if that thing requires time and effort.

In my How to Motivate Any Student class, I share that the first time I played on a part-3 golf course, I hit a flag with my ball on the drive. I was convinced I was a great golfer, and I wanted to keep playing. That was true even though golf is a time-consuming game. We see people spending consider time and effort developing skills in all sorts of areas of life, most likely because they initially believed they had some talent or ability in it.

We can give our kids that initial confidence by making the work easy enough and quick to complete. We know this when it comes to habits and life changes for ourselves. We know we can’t run a 5K without first walking and jogging short distances. We won’t be motivated to organize if it’s going to require weeks and hours of effort. That’s why we work in short, timed bursts.

To use that gamification strategy of making winning possible for our kids, we may have to do some experimenting. Keep cutting down the workload or reducing the level until your child is agreeable. Grammar Galaxy‘s mission steps take just 10-15 minutes each to complete. Some homeschool parents are concerned that this just isn’t enough time. But what happens when you require just 5 minutes of reading a day or 10-15 minutes of language arts a day is kids think it’s doable, so they’ll start. They’ll keep reading because they enoy it. They’ll want to do a second and even a third step in their mission because it was easier than they thought.

Third, a gamified homeschool requires visible progress. Imagine playing a board game where you can’t see how close you are to winning. You have no idea where your marker is. Sometimes our homeschooling is like that. We’re just “doing school” and not even a calendar date indicates the end of the work because Mom feels we need to continue into the summer. I am not suggesting there is a problem with schooling year-round. I AM saying that kids need a finish line to be motivated. I’ve mentioned before how my kids became super motivated to finish their work at the end of the school year when they had a list of everything needed to do before having a long break.

Quarterly Checklist

Have a chart posted in a visible spot (like on the refrigerator) that shows progress in books read, math lessons completed, or chores done. Research shows that without any rewards (even without praise), public progress charts improve performance.

Kids also need to know that their work is meaningful and can’t be minimized in an effort to get them to do more. Here’s what I mean. The games of Sorry and Candyland can be so frustrating to play specifically because all your forward progress can be wiped out in one turn. Homeschooling shouldn’t feel like that for our kids. To that end, we should avoid having them redo a whole curriculum. Instead, we might consider switching to a new curriculum or adding supplementary work to shore up the learning. The only reason I would ignore this advice is if your student is on board with redoing the curriculum. We also don’t want to add chores for a student who finishes work quickly and thoroughly.

The final thing a gamified homeschool requires that I’ll discuss today is the unexpected. If you knew you would never win or would win at Solitaire every time, you would not want to play. Variety is the spice of life and it’s what makes games fun. I’m a big believer in routine. We do our best work and are likely to be well rested with a predictable schedule.

But we all need some spontaneity too. Instead of having a regular game day, you could announce that you’re going to spend the afternoon playing board games. Cut your student’s workload in half after assigning it. Go on a surprise field trip. Watch educational movies instead of doing the scheduled lessons. Do fun science experiments. Invite friends over to play. Do your school routine backwards. Even have kids put their clothes on backwards if you like. Put one of your students in charge for the day. Use shopping and cooking as school. Turn your chore list into a randomized game. Roll the dice and do the chore with that number. List some topics your kids are interested. Roll the dice and study the subject that comes up for the day. Have slips of paper with surprise activities or breaks in a jar and let your child choose one when the mood strikes. You can also use a randomizer app on your phone for this purpose.

As long as these surprises don’t become routine, kids will feel like they are playing a game in being homeschooled. Of course, learning is its own reward. But some of our habits can minimize the natural motivation of homeschooling.

Conclusion

When we make the rules for winning clear; when winning seems achievable; when kids see visible progress; and when they regularly experience the unexpected, we have gamified our homeschools and will likely have more homeschool sanity.

Thanks again to CTC Math for sponsoring the podcast.

Have a happy homeschool week and a very merry Christmas to those listening this third week of December.

The post How to Gamify Your Homeschool (Special Replay) appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! So often I learn about great ideas that I wish I’d had when I was still homeschooling. Today’s topic of starting or joining a parent-child book club is no exception. If you’re using Grammar Galaxy or would like to, starting a Grammar Galaxy book club is a fantastic idea. Make sure you’re subscribed to FunToLearnBooks.com so you’re notified of our Prime Days sale for significant savings on Grammar Galaxy, July 8th-11th.

Today, my guests will tell us the many benefits of parent-child book clubs and how to make them work with creative ideas for multiple ages. Stefanie Hohl has been a guest on this podcast before. Along with her sister Meghan Voss, she is the author of Mother-Daughter Book Club Guide. They both join me for this inspiring and practical conversation.

Book Club Resources

Mother-Daughter Book Club Guide

https://amzn.to/44hVUcM

Stefanie’s reading website

http://abcseeheardo.com

Stefanie’s website

http://stefaniehohl.com

Stefanie’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/abcseeheardo

Meghan’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/meghanvossstudio

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post The Power Of Parent-Child Book Clubs appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey, homeschoolers! As we are solidly into the school year, you may be experiencing some challenges. I want to share the top five struggles I dealt with in my 25+ years of homeschooling and how I dealt with them or would deal with them today. My hope is that you will feel normal if a psychologist and mother of six had the same issues that you do. My hope is also to encourage you that you can overcome these difficulties. You absolutely can!

1. Keep the house in order

My first struggle, as most of you know, was keeping my house in order while actually homeschooling. When I started I was accomplishing neither. I cared for my three kids, but it seemed like that was all I could handle.

I knew I couldn’t homeschool or have any more children the way it was going. That’s when FLYLady changed the way I thought about routines. I thought they were enslaving when they were really liberating. Doing the same things in the same order in the morning and evening in particular helped me feel on top of my house and my homeschool. I’ll put links to some episodes on this topic in the show notes.

But today I want to stress one aspect of our routine that helped me keep our home in order over the years: kids doing chores. I don’t have a specific chore system to recommend to you. I tried them all–chore boards, badges, apps and various approaches. And they all worked for a while. What I learned was that it wasn’t the specifcs of the chore plan that mattered as much as expecting and needing my kids to help. Without their help, our house would have been a disaster and I would have been stressed out. But with their help, everything else in our homeschooling went more smoothly. I reminded them constantly that I needed their contribution.

Did they do the chores perfectly or even well every time? No. Did they ever complain about their chore assignments for the day? For sure. But having the kids help carry the load allowed me to overcome this challenge in my homeschooling life. It had other benefits including preparing my kids for a job, living with a roommate, and running their own home in the future.

A routine and having my kids do chores enabled me to focus on teaching. For help with this, I recommend the Organized Homeschool Life. After getting my home in order, I ran into another challenge:

2. Fit it all in

Trying to fit it all in. I wanted to teach everything in part because I wanted to learn everything. Learning along with your kids was one of the unexpected blessings of homeschooling for me. I wanted to learn how to make new kinds of bread. I wanted to learn how to code. I wanted to revisit calligraphy. And I wanted to learn all of these things on top of the core subjects this year. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fit it all in. Can you relate?

At first, I thought we had to do school longer. That was a separate challenge I’ll discuss in a minute. Loop scheduling was a big help. I could do multiple subjects by not trying to do them all every day. I had a block of time devoted to three subjects. We would do the next subject in line, rotating through them.

But I needed more than that. I couldn’t loop schedule 20 subjects! I had to accept that I couldn’t do everything this year. One thing that helped was realizing that some subjects like science and history don’t have to be explicity taught every year. You’ll always be learning science and history along the way, but you may not have to have a formal curriculum if you have other priorities this year.

Hindsight allows me to see that we only accomplished a fraction of what I wanted to do, but it was enough. With God as our Guide, it will be enough books read, enough skills practiced, enough experiences had. I’m still accepting that I won’t be able to learn all the things, but as I grow in this area, I have more peace and joy.

One way to fit math in to your school day is using CTC Math, the sponsor of this podcast.

Sponsor: CTC Math

Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?

CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!

The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.

Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.

Visit c-t-c-math.com today to start your free trial.

3. School in the afternoons

As I tried to fit more school and activities in, I tried extending our school hours. With more kids in our family and more commitments, we would just have to add more to our afternoon schedule, I thought. When I was homeschooling two kids with a little one who napped, I could fit a science experiment or a craft in the afternoon. But as our family grew, I found I was able to do less and less formal schooling after lunch.

On days we had outside classes in the mornings, I would be determined to get afternoon lessons in, and it just never happened. I would tell myself it was because I was pregnant or it had been a particularly busy morning or because I was lazy. I would surely fit afternoon school in the next time. But it rarely worked.

I finally realized that with young students in particular, we needed to get our critical work done in the morning. Our attention and energy didn’t support doing book work in the afternoons. What we could do in the afternoons was co-op. The social energy kept the kids motivated. We could also do field trips and educational videos.

When my kids became independent learners, they chose to do more work in the afternoons. Even with my own work today, I find that if I keep hitting resistance to working in the afternoon, I need to make a change. I now do my creative work in the mornings and leave easier tasks for afternoons.

Instead of berating yourself and trying harder, my advice is to experiment with different schedules. Be curious about how you and your children respond and you’ll achieve more with less stress. For help with this, I recommend A Year of Living Productively.

4. Deal with sibling squabbles

Getting chores and school done was often impeded by my children’s arguing over whose turn it was to have the easy chore or get the preferred blanket for school time. Precious time was taken discussing this, which in hindsight I see was probably my children’s attempt to delay work.

I not only struggled with the lost time but I found it demoralizing. I wanted an orderly home and educated kids, but even more than that, I wanted them to love one another. Their squabbles were evidence that I was failing in this most important goal.

I used practical approaches to deal with these issues and they were successful in large part. I either rotated sets of chores through all the kids or randomly assigned them to stop the “it’s not fair” grumbling. Of course, the kids would complain that one child wasn’t really doing their chore which I will discuss as a next challenge. The other thing I did was assign my kids a day of the week to have as their priority day. That meant they got to choose a seat, a blanket, and even a restaurant if we were going out. One of my favorite memories is of my daughter as a preschooler. When she woke up on Friday, she would gleefully announce, “It’s ma day.” If I were doing this again, choice of restaurant would not have been part of a child’s day. Too often we went out on the same day of the week.

Next, a child’s day was when I spent special time with them in an activity of their choice. We often played a game. One child loved having me play a racing video game with him because I was so bad at it. Another wanted me to play Typer shark because I’m a fast typist. He just enjoyed watching me win! Having time alone with me during which we could discuss how things were going with siblings was a big help to reducing sibling rivalry.

But the most important way I dealt with this particular challenge was to surrender to it. I wanted to get to our Bible time, our math, our history. But my children obviously needed social, emotional, and character training instead. We would discuss it, air grievances, and brainstorm possible solutions. And while I know I was not perfect in this area, I also don’t regret focusing our school time on these skills when the situation called for it. I do wish I had had a curriculum like Training Aliens as an organized approach to teaching them. But you can grab a free sibling rivalry sample of it at FunToLearnBooks.com/siblingrivalry.

5. Review kids’ work

Another challenge for me in homeschooling was my reluctance to review my kids’ work. I did not like going over their homework with the exception of their writing. To me it was boring busywork. So I put it off. You heard me describe in previous episodes how not checking resulted in my son not doing his math for months.

Homework wasn’t the only thing I didn’t review. I absolutely hated checking the kids’ chores. In this case it wasn’t just because I felt it was boring. The truth is I didn’t want to be unhappy when I saw that chores were skipped or not done well. If they were, I would have had to take more time to supervise my child and train him or her to do it correctly.

I tried using willpower to get myself to review their work and sometimes I was successful. Making it a part of my routine worked even better. But this is a challenge that I would handle differently if I could. Here’s how. I would have rewarded my kids for coming to me to have their work reviewed. I used an app on my phone to give kids a spin for a randomized reward. You can set this up too, using a randomizer app. That would have been very effective. It would have had two positive effects. First, the kids would have pestered me to check to get the reward, so I would have been prompted to do it. Second, they would not have asked me to check unless the work had been done and done well. I could have made this more rewarding for myself by giving myself points every time I checked a child’s work. What I wanted most at this time in my life was personal time to do what I enjoyed. The added advantage of this is my personal time would have been guilt-free because I knew I had checked my kids’ work.

Conclusion

Today I discussed five challenges I had in homeschooling: keeping the house in order, fitting it all in, school in the afternoons, sibling squabbles, and reviewing kids’ work. I shared with you how I dealt with those challenges or would deal with them now. What I didn’t share is that I’m thankful for these challenges. They taught me to be more organized and productive. They grew my character, my parenting skills, and my dependence on God. And they also allowed me how to serve homeschoolers like you. Do you have a challenge I didn’t mention? Screenshot this podcast episode and tag me at homeschoolsanity on social media. I’d love to chat about it.

To find the links to CTC Math and the resources I mentioned, visit the show notes page at homeschoolsanity.com/5challenges.

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post My Top 5 Homeschool Challenges appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

As a passionate youth group leader and curriculum writer/editor, she serves 400+ teens each week, infusing biblical truth and relational discipleship into everything she does. Through Like Minded Musings, she also empowers moms with Christ-centered encouragement and practical tools to navigate the beautiful, messy, meaningful work of imperfect parenting.

Lee and I discussed:

The critical mindset shift you need to make

The impact of technology and social media on your tween

Why hiding your parenting challenges isn’t a good idea

Sponsor: Harper Collins NIV Application Bible

Your next Bible is the Harper Collins NIV Application Bible. Learn more here.

Parenting Tween Resources

Whether you’re growing a business or raising the next generation, Lee’s mission is simple: to help you build what truly lasts. Ready to create a life or business filled with purpose? Explore her free resources for clear steps, practical tools, and inspiring encouragement.

• • Visit her Private Imperfect Moms Facebook Community

• • Get access to her FREEBIES Hub of Biblical Resources

• • Connect on Social Media! Facebook I Pinterest I Twitter I Instagram

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Christian Parenting Of Tweens: What You Need To Know appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Hey homeschoolers! I knew that reading the Bible in the context of its Hebrew roots could make it come alive. But I was still surprised by my reaction to what I learned from my guest on this topic. If you long for you and your kids to be more engaged with scripture, you’ll want to hear from him too. David Necruitman is the founder of Biblical Excavations.and an advisor to The Chosen. He is a renowned speaker, author, and teacher, bringing a fresh and insightful perspective on the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith.

Resources for Hebraic Bible Study

Bible Excavations

Free Bible Study

David @ theIsaiahProject.com

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Hebraic Bible Study For Homeschoolers appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Grandparent Podcast Guest: Isabel Tom

Isabel is a mother of three, the author of The Value of Wrinkles, and a professional serving the older adult population.  She was raised in an intergenerational home and is passionate about improving these family relationships.

I loved our chat and wished I had met Isabel when my kids were younger. I hope you enjoy it.

Sponsor: Judson College

Thank you to Judson College for sponsoring this episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show. If your student is interested in a biblical college education, click to learn more.

Grandparent Resources

Grandparent Investigator Kit

Grandparent Kit & Opt-in for Free Mission

Isabel on Instagram

Isabel on Facebook

The post Children Grandparent Relationships appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

One approach that I was interested in (and I know many of you are too) is homeschooling along the way, less dependent on curriculum. If you are interested in unschooling, I know you’ll enjoy hearing from my guest, Danielle Papageorgiou.

Podcast Guest: Danielle Papageorgiou

Danielle is married to Jon and together they have two homeschool graduates and a 13-year-old. She has been homeschooling, or “lifeschooling,” for 23 years and has a passion for helping other moms learn how to homeschool in a way that enhances rather than competes with family life. Through her Lifeschooling book, blog (www.LifeAsALifeschooler.com), resources, and community, she helps parents see the educational value in everyday life and focus on developing their child’s God-given gifts, so they can raise world-changers. You can find her book, Lifeschooling: Learning to Think Outside the Curriculum Box, at www.LifeschoolingBook.com. Here’s our chat.

Podcast Sponsor: Judson College

Have your student prepare for their calling in biblical community at Judson College.

Summary of Discussion of Homeschooling As Life

In this episode of the Homeschool Sanity Show, Melanie Wilson interviews Danielle Papagiorgio about her approach to homeschooling known as life schooling. Danielle shares her journey into homeschooling, the philosophy behind life schooling, and how it differs from traditional educational models. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing children’s God-given gifts and nurturing them through real-life experiences. The conversation also addresses common critiques of unschooling and offers practical advice for parents looking to adopt a life schooling approach. Danielle shares personal stories and insights, encouraging parents to embrace flexibility and faith in their homeschooling journey.

Homeschooling As Life Resources

Lifeschooling Book

Lifeschooling Blog

Lifeschooling Group

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post Homeschooling As Life appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

     

Sponsor

Thank you to NOW programs for sponsoring this episode of the Homeschool Sanity Show.

Hey homeschoolers, you can homeschool apart from a community, but why would you want to? Although online communities have helped connect homeschoolers around the world, most of us desire a local community.

Local communities can answer our questions about activities and services, and they provide a source of friendships for us and our kids. My guest today is Morgan Bergstrom, founder of BaseCampEd, a new app that is helping homeschool parents make connections in their area. We have an interesting discussion of how community building has changed in homeschooling and how families like yours can connect today, even if you aren’t an extrovert. Here’s our chat.

Morgan on Facebook

Morgan on Instagram

Have a happy homeschool week!

The post New Homeschool Community appeared first on Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.