Hey, homeschoolers! Have you considered learning robotics in your homeschool? I don’t have an engineering brain so I enrolled my kids in in-person and online classes. My youngest is now majoring in computer science in college. His classes had a major impact on his career direction. Today on the podcast, you’ll hear about the advantages of including robotics and programming in your homeschool from my guest, Francie Black.  I met Francie at the Great Homeschool Convention last year. She is the founder of HomeHackerCamp.com and is passionate about teaching. She and I are traveling to the IDE ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers, we know we aren't weird and unsocialized as a popular blog implies, but you might wonder if we are weirder than kids in public school. I was relieved when my oldest son, after having been in a public high school for a few weeks, told me that he thought that the public school kids were just as weird as homeschoolers. We know that our kids can benefit from having good social skills. Here's why we should teach social skills directly in our homeschool and here are some practical tips for doing just that. Listen to the podcast Watch on YouTube Summary In this conversation, Mel ..read more

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. Listen to the podcast Watch on YouTube 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 expli ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers! I had the opportunity to talk with my good friend, Dr. Carl Werner, for this episode. He is an expert in evolution who has devoted decades of his life to examining the evidence for evolution. His most recent book is about human evolution. The evidence he has amassed is stunning. Now more than ever I believe we have to share his work with our kids. Here's my chat with Carl. Listen to the podcast Watch on YouTube There is a tale over 4,000 years old, preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Many thought it was only a myth, but evidence suppo ..read more

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 inspir ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers! You've been there. You've blown it with your kids. Maybe you lost your temper or disciplined in a way that you're not proud of. In this episode, my guest and I will discuss how to redeem those parenting failures. Before I introduce Andee Martineau, I want to be clear about my perspective on discipline. It is first of all grounded in God's Word. But whether families share my faith or not, I believe they have to determine which discipline approach is right for them. I do think there are challenges that come with extremes in discipline — too hard and too soft. But there is a l ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers! I was a stay-at-home mom when I started homeschooling. I did freelance writing and speaking and premarital counseling at my church. But I wasn't spending even twenty hours a week on work until my last two kids were teens. Because of that, I assumed that it simply wasn't possible to work and homeschool too. My guest Dr. Celia Zamora changed my mind. Dr. Zamora has a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and was a teacher for 15 years before homeschooling her son. She is now a full-time director of a nonprofit who is also passionate about multilingual education and encouraging the Lat ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers! Any time a teacher uses story to teach children, I am all for it. Story is not only the most enjoyable way to learn something but the most powerful. When former guest Elizabeth Urbanowicz told me she had created a picture book to help children discern what truth is, I asked her to join me on the podcast again. In a culture obsessed with identifying misinformation, we want to equip our kids to separate truth from falsehood, using a Christian worldview. Elizabeth has such a beautiful spirit. I know you'll appreciate hearing her teaching tips. Listen to the podcast Watch on Y ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers! As parents we often feel ill-equipped to talk to others who are grieving. I've discussed this in a previous episode that I will link to the in show notes. When our teens are grieving, we can feel particularly helpless in knowing what to say or do. I'm thankful that my guest, Sarah Arthur, has practical advice for us. Sarah Arthur is a fun-loving speaker and the author of a dozen books for teens and adults, including Once a Queen and the bestselling Walking with Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through The Lord of the Rings. Among other nerdy adventures, she h ..read more

Hey, homeschoolers! If you've ever considered raising chickens, you'll love this episode. I live in a suburb where chickens aren't allowed, but we had chickens for several years when I was in elementary school. I absolutely loved what my guest, Dalia Monterroso had to say about raising chickens as a homeschool family. Dalia Monterroso is a chicken keeper and a popular teacher on the basics of backyard chicken keeping. She speaks and teaches classes on the joys of chicken keeping. She is the creator of the website and YouTube channel “Welcome to Chickenlandia”, podcast “Bawk Tawk”, and an ..read more