Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids

In this insightful episode I am joined by the hosts of Homeschool Unrefined, Angela and Maren. We dive deep into their personal journeys transitioning from homeschooling to public schooling with their children. As seasoned homeschoolers with a combined experience of over a decade, they share the challenges, surprises, and rewards that have come with this significant shift. Episode Highlights: Introduction to Homeschool Unrefined: Meet Angela and Maren, the voices behind Homeschool Unrefined. A brief history of their homeschooling journey and how they transitioned into podcasting. Angela's Journey: Life in Minnesota with three teens: 19, 17, and 15. Reflecting on 10 years of homeschooling and the decision to move her children into public high school. Maren's Journey: From teaching in a classroom to homeschooling her four children: 17, 15, 15, and 13. Navigating the complexities of homeschooling with neurodiverse children and how that influenced their learning styles. Homeschooling to Public School Transition: The decision-making process behind the shift from homeschool to public school. The importance of empowering children to take ownership of their education and advocate for their needs. Challenges and Lessons Learned: The mental shift required for parents when moving from a structured classroom environment to a more flexible homeschooling approach. How their children adapted academically and socially in the public school system. Reflections on Teaching and Education: Insights from their experiences as former classroom teachers and how that influenced their homeschooling approach. Discussing the balance between academic rigor and fostering a love of learning. Maintaining Core Values: How their family values and educational philosophies have remained intact despite the shift to public schooling. The ongoing role of homeschooling principles in their children's education and personal growth. Practical Advice for Families: Tips for parents considering a similar transition from homeschooling to traditional schooling. The importance of flexibility, understanding your child's unique learning needs, and maintaining a focus on holistic development. Reassuring advice on the long-term benefits of homeschooling and how it sets children up for success. Final Thoughts: Embrace Variety: It's okay to have multiple interests and hobbies. Trying

Am I Doing Enough?  This is a question that plagues all homeschoolers from time to time.  In this episode, Robyn Robertson of Honey! I’m Homeschooling the Kids and Kelly Edwards of 90-Minute School Day conclude their 4-part “How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler” summer conversation series.   What is ‘enough’?  How do we define it?  How do we know if we are falling behind?  What is ‘behind’? Listen-in as this topic is broken down into three steps to debunk the fears or to notice an area that needs change.  Then we share the 4 ingredients to include in your homeschool to enact that move.   This conversation guides you in shifting from wondering if you’re doing enough to feeling contentment and peace, knowing “I am enough” in my homeschooling. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: “Escape” (Pina Colada Song)    Dino Spiral Reel - Am I Doing Enough?   Assault Bike   Get your Certified Awesome Homeschool Parent Card Freebie!   Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids podcast   Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids patreon   90-Minute School Day podcast   90-Minute School Day in the Life community - Open House + Workshop Tuesday, July 23rd at 11 AM.  Join the waitlist for the workshop link.   Will you take a moment and rate the podcast?  Go to the show in your feed and scroll down to leave a 5 star review with one-click.  If you have a minute longer to support the podcast, would you write a review?  That is such a great way to say “thank you” if you enjoy the content we prepare and publish!  Thank you for your support and listening.   Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:52 Beach Days and Pina Coladas 00:08:37 Shifting Perspectives on Standards 00:10:38 Learning from Life's Lessons 00:14:46 Model Positive Behaviors 00:17:07 Finding Abundance in Homeschooling 00:20:23 Learning Even When Plans Fail 00:24:29 Speaking to Ourselves with Compassion 00:27:32 Aligning Actions with Why and Values 00:28:32 Acknowledging Common Challenges 00:28:48 Fear of Letting Go in Academics 00:30:21 Importance of Rest and Rhythms 00:31:02 Assessing and Recognizing Seasonality 00:32:23 Embracing Community for Support 00:33:41 Changes in Children Through Ages 00:38:26 Finding White Space in Life 00:40:43 Redefining Wh

This episode is part 2 of 3 of our LIVE summer conversation series on "How to Be an Awesome Homeschooler."  Kelly Edwards from “90-Minute School Day” and Robyn Robertson of “Honey! I’m Homeschooling the Kids” dive into the complexities of choosing and using curriculum in homeschooling or not using curriculum at all! They discuss the myths and expectations surrounding curriculum, the importance of understanding your family's unique needs, and how to balance structure with the freedom of learning. They also explore ways to make curriculum work for you, rather than feeling controlled by it. Tune-in to hear insights for both new and seasoned homeschoolers, emphasizing the importance of connection, communication, and flexibility in education. Would you like to join the next conversation LIVE? Sign-up here to join our Summer Conversation Series! Save the date for our upcoming final conversation, hosted LIVE at 11 AM EDT: July 16th - How Do I Know If I'm Doing Enough? Other Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Wild + Free conference in Sept.   Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids podcast   Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids patreon   90-Minute School Day podcast   90-Minute School Day in the Life community   Wild Math   Will you take a moment and rate the podcast?  Go to the show in your feed and scroll down to leave a 5 star review with one-click.  If you have a minute longer to support the podcast, would you write a review?  That is such a great way to say “thank you” if you enjoy the content we prepare and publish!  Thank you for your support and listening.   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:43 Live Convo 38:45 Conclusion 40:10 Join Us Next Week 41:00 Outro See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to "How to Be an Awesome Homeschooler!”  In this episode, we dive into the joys and challenges of homeschooling. We ask the following questions:  What does it mean to be successful in homeschooling? How does that definition vary for each family? What are you afraid of (in homeschooling)? What does control have to do with it? What can we do to help ourselves? Robyn and Kelly share personal stories and insights on maintaining connection, open communication, and understanding family values. They emphasize the importance of reflecting on your homeschooling journey, addressing fears, and ensuring that your goals align with your family's needs. The significance of autonomy and self-advocacy for children is also discussed, especially as they grow older. Join us for a heartfelt and enlightening discussion, and don't forget to sign-up to join us LIVE for this continuing discussion. Sign-up here to join our Summer Conversation Series! Upcoming Conversations, hosted LIVE at 11 AM EDT: July 9th - Curriculum Conundrum: Dispelling Myths, Embracing Freedom July 16th - How Do I Know If I'm Doing Enough? Whether you're a seasoned homeschooler or just starting out, this episode offers valuable perspectives and practical advice to help you navigate your homeschooling path successfully. Other Resources: Wild + Free conference in Sept.   Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids podcast   Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids patreon   90-Minute School Day podcast   90-Minute School Day in the Life community   Time Stamps   00:00  Introduction to How to Be An Awesome Homeschooler   01:35  Building Community and Introductions   02:02  Understanding Success in Homeschooling   02:54  Defining Success and Self-Evaluation   05:50  Realigning Goals with Why We Homeschool   09:31  Evolving Expectations and High Standards   12:40  Facing Fears and High Expectations   15:10  Overcoming Fear of Failure in Homeschooling   17:43  The Fear of Failing as a Parent   20:03  Reflecting on Homeschooling and its Values   22:36  Reflection and Reevaluation in Homeschooling   25:16  Navigating Teenage Challenges and Communication   27:25  Reanchoring Our Homeschool G

Welcome to How to Be an Awesome Homeschooler! Join hosts Kelly Edwards, creator of The 90-Minute School Day, and Robyn Robertson, creator of Honey! I'm Homeschooling the Kids, as they introduce and dive into their exciting summer conversation series for 2024. In this special episode, Kelly and Robyn pull back the curtain on their friendship, families, and homeschools. They share updates from their independent lives and, most importantly, announce what’s coming up for How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler! They discuss their upcoming 2024 Summer Conversation series and how they’ve reimagined their popular summit into a three-part live conversation across three Tuesdays in July, focusing on big homeschooling questions.  The best part?  YOU!  This is a free and LIVE offering for everyone, so come and join us! Reserve your seat here.  All you have to do now is to save the dates to join the fun LIVE. Here’s the schedule: "How Do I Not Screw This Up?" on July 2nd, 2024 at 11am EDT “Curriculum Conundrum: Dispelling Myths, Embracing Freedom” on July 9th, 2024 at 11 am EDT "How Do I Know if I'm Doing ‘Enough’?" on July 16th, 2024 at 11 am EDT We can’t wait to be with you in the How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summer Conversation Series, where we will learn from one another’s personal homeschooling experiences, challenges faced, and the valuable lessons we’ve all learned along the way. Don't miss out on the opportunity to connect, share, and grow with fellow homeschoolers.  Tune-in and get inspired!  Save your seat here. Also inside this episode, Robyn and Kelly discuss: Why is homeschooling so scary for parents?   Where do parents get stuck?   What does school have to do with our understanding of education and learning?   What about going back to school?   How does unschooling look everyday? Other resources mentioned in this episode: That Canadian Citizenship Reel How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Recordings Save Your Seat for Summer Conversation Series! HSLDA.ORG Homeschool Laws - United States  HSLDA.ORG Homeschool Laws - International <a hr

Homeschool and Unschool Q&A Are you considering taking this homeschooling or unschooling path but you've come to a standstill? Are you having doubts about your ability to homeschool or a lack of confidence in unschooling?  How do you juggle homeschool and work? What about working full time? How can we best support reading and writing skills?  I invited a few of my homeschool mama friends to join me on this Homeschool and Unschool Q&A episode. Liana Francisco is a grown Unschooler that now Unschools her son. She is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who was unschooled from birth to 16 when she started college full time. She is 40 years old, so she was unschooled way back in the day when you still got the evil eye from the mail man and grocery store clerks. Liana Francisco has a vegan wholesale food business, a consulting business, and a YouTube channel where she teaches moms with young kids how to make plant-based eating EASY with a system. She also teaches moms how to hack homemaking for more freedom AND an organized family. Kelly Edwards is the creator of the 90-Minute School Day. The 90-Minute School Day method connects children with learning in their natural environment: at home with their family.  Kelly is passionate about home education, connecting families through attachment, learning as a lifestyle and helping children (and parents) identify their purpose.  Kelly is entering her 9th year as a homeschool mom. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of WV with her husband and 3 girls ages 13, 6, and 3.  She is a licensed foster parent, successful entrepreneur, and community citizen.  She uses her personal and professional experience to guide the homeschooling parent with a framework and system to overcome the overwhelm that affects each of us.  You can learn more about her by visiting www.90minuteschoolday.com or follow her on Instagram at @90minuteschoolday. In This Episode- We Came For You-And Your Questions This episode is dedicated to answering your questions. Although we did not get to all of the questions, we did our best answering and offering examples, and sharing our personal experiences. Our answers reflected our lives in neurodiversity, infancy to adulthood, homeschooling and unschooling. These are the questions we answered: 1. My kids don't engage in reading...how could I support him to feel confident to start?  2. My son learns skills, for example, reading when it becomes useful to him. I worry that he may no

The Impacts of Technology on Learning The world of learning today looks a lot different from the learning world that I grew up in. When my kids were younger they loved the story I told of a memorable day in my first grade class when my teacher rolled a large machine into our classroom. As we sat there in silence, she announced that the contraption she had brought in was called a.... computer! And the entire class would get a chance to use it. You can imagine our excitement. The computer produced questions on the screen and we each took turns typing the answers. It was the first and only time we had access to a computer that year and for years to come. By the time I was in junior high school we had computer labs and classes using computers. By high school I even ventured to take a rudimentary programming class.  Fast forward to today and my home educated children can travel to countries they are interested in visiting via Virtual Reality.  They can take a University level class from an Ivy League school from the couch, for free.  They can get help refining their resume through a chat generative pre-trained transformer.  They can learn a new skill or technique for an infinite number of things via YouTube. They have access to the world at their finger tips.   Technology has brought major shifts in learning.  Should we be excited about what the future holds for our learners?  Will homeschoolers and unschoolers have more access to opportunities previously held by education gatekeepers?  Do our technological tools bring dangers that we should be wary of?  How can we best support and protect our children from pitfalls? Or do we need to? How can we create and foster educational programs and environments that will prepare our children for the future?  In This Episode- Technology, Digital Learning and Impacts on Learners In this episode I spoke with Josh Davidson. Josh is a dad and founder of an award winning online learning program, Night Zookeeper. As the Managing Director of a digital platform that services families and in particular kids under the age of 12, I wanted to hear his insight on the influence of technology and digital learning on education, the job market and the future.  Technology has brought major shifts in learning. We explored a few of those shifts and shared our ideas on the good and bad. Should we be excited about what the future holds for our learners?  Do our technological tools bring dangers that we should be wary of?  How can we best support or protect our children from dangers? Or do we need to? How can we create and foster educational programs and environments that will prepare our

Overcoming Fears and Doubts Homeschooling fears got you down? Parenting doubts keeping you paralyzed? Does the worry and fear wear you down?  Erica Kesilman joined me on this episode to talk about the fears and doubts we face as homeschoolers and parents and how we can overcome them.  Erica helps parents grow strong family relationships without yelling, guilt or overwhelm. She utilizes trauma-sensitive, somatic, body-centered therapies for nervous system healing of complex developmental, psychological, neurological, or emotional challenges so you can realize inner security, safety, and optimal health and wellness. She does this through workshops, group programs or one-on-ones.  She has over 20 years of experience working with families in a wide range of capacities. Erica holds two M.Ed. degrees in Educational Administrations & Leadership, a B.A. in Clinical Psychology with Certifications in Trauma Coaching, Conscious Parenting, Somatic Attachment Therapies, EFT and Breathwork.  She is a homeschooling mom to 3.  In This Episode In this episode Erica shares her own experiences of the fear of imperfections. From the classroom to unschooling wasn't as easy for her as you may think. Just because Erica has the education credentials doesn't mean it was a breeze. She's been working through the demands of perfectionism. Demands that compromised what is most important to her- the integrity of the relationship with her kids. We talk about: The fear of imperfections and making mistakes and what to do when we were never modelled that for ourselves. How we can begin to go through the repair process with our kids Looking at how our child responds and how you respond when there is challenging behaviour Focusing on the "glimmers" Building in academics by working with the child Creating rhythms or patterns that can build the skills  Inner Resources Soft Structure Conscious Parenting Going from automatic to intentional Self Forgiveness Practice Resources To Share If you would like to connect with Erica you can find her at https://ericakesilman.com/ Instagram @erica_kesilman  Facebook  Mentioned in the episode Peter Gray Book- Free To Learn Listen to my interview with Dr. Peter Gray HERE.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Unschooling Journey- From Childhood To Adulthood with Missy Willis Missy is a mom to two, writer, and self-directed education advocate.  As a trained teacher, she imagined a life devoted to traditional education, but in 2007 she moved away from the standardized schooling model with her own kids and hasn’t looked back.    Let ‘em go Barefoot is the community and podcast she created to share stories, insights and research on conscious parenting and education. Her work has reached hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. What has emerged is a felt sense that we are in the midst of a Great Educational Awakening.   Missy is currently collaborating with another veteran unschooling mom, Ann Hansen of Inner Parent Coaching, to create a supportive community for the next generation of unschooling parents.    A foundational principle of their work is: The Future of Education is not in the Classroom   Find out more or to get involved at www.letemgobarefoot.com or on Instagram @letemgobarefoot  In This Episode This is the second time Missy has been featured on my podcast. (She has also co-hosted excellent conversations in my Homeschool Club)  I wanted to bring her back on the show to hear her perspective on unschooling through the years. Her oldest is now an adult and her youngest is in her teens. (I suggest you listen to her first interview to hear more about her background in education and their unschooling beginning).  In this episode we explored the many layers of unschooling, learning and parenting.  Peaceful Parenting and open communication in unschooling  How she has has approached academics in unschooling What helped their family to continue unschooling in the later years- getting clear on the why  Recognizing the ups and downs and the challenges Unschooling into Post Secondary- creating portfolios, dual enrolment, college entry and career tracks Building experiences, adventures and engaging with the world The research- Self Determination Theory: Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness  Resources You can reach Missy through Let Em Go Barefoot on social media and her website.  Website- Let Em Go Barefoot Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/letemgobarefoot Instagram- Instagram @letemgobarefoot  Self Determination Theory

This community conversation was all about risk taking.  My friends Kelly Edwards and Tira Hunter joined me to lead this this community conversation on the importance of allowing our kids (and teens) to take risks and what that looks like in our lives. In This Episode Kelly Edwards is the founder of the 90 Minute School Day. She is a homeschooling mom to her 3 daughters, ages 15, 8 and 5. Tira Hunter unschooled her daughter Zoi who is now grown, runs a business and is a mom to Zoi, a professional artist. This conversation brought our community of parents that come from different backgrounds, places, ages, races and circumstances to share their ideas, and ask questions.  Here's what we explored in this conversation: What is risk taking? Risky play- the benefits, examples and balancing safety  Risk taking at different ages Trust- the element that makes risk okay Parent Fears Why are some parents more risk-adverse?  Tools, knives, guns and independent experiences Risk and Race And let's not forget, risk taking in choosing to homeschool! Resources We shared some fantastic resources- podcasts, books and articles throughout this discussion. Books Teen Mind, Teen Brain-What Parents Need To Know To Survive The Adolescent Years by Dr. Ron Clavier Free To Learn- Why Unleashing The Instinct To Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self Reliant, and Better Students For Life by Dr. Peter Gray Articles and Research The Nature Of Things- Risky Play For Children- Why We Should Let Kids Go Outside And Then Get Out Of The Way National Library of Medicine- Risky Play and Children's Safety: Balancing Priorities For Optimal Child Development outsideplay.ca -Helping Caregivers and Educators Gain The Confidence and Skills To Support Children's Outdoor Play Podcast Episodes Free To Learn with Dr. Peter Gray Supporting Passions and Unschooling To Adulthood with Tira and Zoi Hunter Finding Freedom Within Structure with Kelly Edwa

Evgenia is a homeschooling mama of one boy and the founder of Fit Mama Method. She was born in the Soviet Union and lived in Russia until 29 years old. She holds 2 Master Degrees in Journalism and Sports. Evgenia came to Canada to complete a college program and decided to stay. She was the head coach of an Acrobatic Gymnastics Program and a personal trainer until she decided to stay home with her son.  Evgenia is a homeschool mom and entrepreneur. Her Nourished Motherhood Program has helped many homeschooling mamas to beat burn-out with a holistic approach to wellbeing, motherhood and homeschooling.  In This Episode​ Often, my podcast interviews offer perspective into different points of view, circumstances and the rest of the world. It can be easy to live our life and assume that everyone shares similar thoughts, ideals and circumstances. But that is not always the case. I personally enjoy hearing the stories from others that have grown up and lived a learning life quite different from my own, or the one that I know. It gives me a better understanding of the world.  In this episode Evgenia shares about life growing up in the Soviet Union and how that reflects on childhood and parenting. What does a life shaped by living behind the Iron Curtain look like? We talked about: The school system (a day in the life of the school day, and class in the Soviet Union) Raising children (the expectations on both kids and parents)  Family and community purpose (How differently they varied from life in the western world today) Homeschooling  This was a wonderful discussion on not only how we are shaped, but the changes that we go through in our lives that begin to change our world, values and parenting. And of course...lead us to homeschooling. Resources Connect with Evgenia on her website- fitmamamethod.com Instagram- @fit.mama.method If you want to learn more about getting started in homeschooling, listen to my episode 7 Steps To Begin Homeschooling Thank you Sponsors Sponsor support allows me to continue to create this podcast and allow it to be easily accessible for you.  This episode was brought to you by <a href="https://imhomeschooling.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c32b5971b92f74ce4b786f640&id=f1ddbba0df&e=01fcb608c1" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://imhomeschooling.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc32b5971b92f74ce4b786f640%26id%3Df1ddbba0df%26e%3D01fcb608c1&source=gmail&ust=1677783148716000&usg=AOvVaw31

How Do You Know If Online Learning Is The Right Option?  Technology has become a powerful tool in learning, transforming education in numerous ways. It has increased access to education, information and resources. Learning opportunities are now, quite literally, right at our finger tips.  Technology has not only increased our access to information, but it has also broadened our access to where and how we want to learn and who we choose to learn with.  One format that has grown is online learning. It seems like at if we are looking for a class, or school, most likely we can find an online class that will teach it. But with all of this choice now on offer, how can we know if we are choosing right? How do you know if online learning is the right option?  Invited 2 experienced educators in the online learning space to explore this question with me. Anjilee Ferguson and Sara Busalacchi have over a decade of experience in online learning, working in the field since its inception.  They have a passion for helping students succeed which led them to co-found Mountain Point Academy, an online school for grades 6-12.  Their mission is to help provide students with a personalized approach to online learning, with 1:1 support for students to find joy in learning and citizenship.   In This Episode Anjilee and Sara take the time to answer my questions about online learning. How do you know if online learning is the right learning option? How do you find out of the online learning option aligns with your needs and values? What options are available?  How can we best support our kids in their online learning experience? What are points to look for when choosing an online learning community?  Can online learning be relationship based?  What is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning?  Resources Connect with Mountain Point Academy onInstagram: @mtnpointacademy Facebook: Mountain Point Academy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/40950537  If you aren’t sure if online learning is a good fit for you, you can schedule a FREE consultation call to talk with the Mountain Point Academy team: www.mountainpointacademy.com/letschat  If

Free To Learn and PLAY with Dr. Peter Gray Peter Gray is an American psychologist, author and research professor. He has conducted and published research in neuroendocrinology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. His research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves, through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He has expanded on these ideas in his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books). He has been a regular contributor to Psychology Today magazine and is a founding member and president of the nonprofit Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE) and a founding board director of the nonprofit Let Grow.  He earned his undergraduate degree at Columbia College and Ph.D. in biological sciences at the Rockefeller University many years ago. His own current play includes kayaking, long-distance bicycling, backwoods skiing, and vegetable gardening.  In This Episode: The Importance Of Free Play​ This episode is a re-release of an earlier episode with Peter Gray. (episode 47)  It is such a wonderful and important discussion that I want to make sure it stays accessible.  In this episode we talk about:  The importance of FREE PLAY Self Directed Learning and the key parts of the self directed learning environment The lack of free play in our world today and what the absence of it has led to Parents Fears around self directed education Resources Research studies: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/experts/peter-gray-phd Observational study Jay Feldman https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED453128 Study of Grown Unschoolers https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/Published%20Grown%20Unschoolers%20I.pdf https://www.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/Published%20Grown%20Unschooles%20II.pdf Brian Sutton Smith Play Scholar Play Theory Democratic Schools Sudbury Valley School Peter Gray’s Book</em

How Unschooling Affected My Life: Liana Francisco Has anyone ever said to you that this whole idea of Unschooling does not end well? That kids will never be self directed? That there is no evidence that self directed learning actually works?  Have they listened to my podcast? Have the heard the interviews I and countless others have shared? Well, here is more to add to the list. This is part of a series I am exploring on grown homeschoolers and Self Directed Teens.  In This Episode~ Living As If School Doesn't Exist This episode is filled with so much insight and information on growing up without school, without any of the expectations of school. Liana shares what it was like living as if school doesn't exist. Liana Francisco is a grown Unschooler that now Unschools her son. She is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who was unschooled from birth to 16 when she started college full time. She is 40 years old, so she was unschooled way back in the day when you still got the evil eye from the mail man and grocery store clerks. Liana has a vegan wholesale food business, a consulting business, and a YouTube channel where she teaches moms with young kids how to make plant-based eating EASY with a system. She also teaches moms how to hack homemaking for more freedom AND an organized family. Liana also shares important advice for parents that are considering this path or are uncertain about unschooling as their children grow older.  We talked about: Creating Environments That Are Right For Learning How Did They Learn To Read Without Direct Instruction? The Order Of Natural Learning (heads up- it doesn't resemble the order of school based learning) How Will Unschoolers Succeed If Their Life Never Resembles School?  Does Hard Work, Independence and Study Skills Happen With Unschooling?  The Unreal Expectations Of Unschooling Resources You can connect with Liana on Instagram ~ @liana_francisco You Tube- @HomeschoolMomLife Clubhouse~ https://www.clubhouse.com/@lianafrancisco Her website~ https://www.lianafrancisco.com/ If you want to hear more of Liana's story, then check out the first interview we ever did on this show~ Growing Up Unschooled. I also recommend these other interviews; Amanda Schenkenberger~How Homeschooling Affected My Life, To Adulthood with Sue Patterson and Play, Purpose

How Homeschooling Affected My Life with Amanda Schenkenberger Amanda Schenkenberger is a grown homeschooler that now homeschools her own 4 children. She is also a homeschool coach and mentor to moms that are busy trying to find more joy and less anxiety in homeschooling. You can connect with Amanda and access her support through her website, moms.heartsmarthomeschool.com You can also connect with her through Instagram @homeschoolcoachingmama In this episode Amanda took time out to share her reflections, triumphs and struggles through homeschooling.  "How homeschooling affected my life and how it translated to her homeschool now." In This Episode with Amanda I often get the question, this seems great for a few years when they are young, but how do homeschoolers really turn out over the long run? What about: Socialization? How Will They Live In The "Real World" If They Are Never Told What To Do? What Will They Learn If They Don't Go To School? If They Do Go To School, Won't They Be Too Far Behind?  In this episode Amanda answers these questions and talks about how her experiences have shaped her as an adult. She shares the strengths; the work ethic that she built even though her life was filled with a large amount of play and freedom. Amanda shares the notable experiences that question what we think are set parameters of learning; like learning how to read from her deaf parent. And the life shifts that brought change; her homeschooling days coming to an end as her parents went through a divorce. As well as how she prepared going to school for the first time ever.  If you are a parent that is curious about homeschooling, or are questioning what your homeschool choice will turn out to look like, then listen to this episode.  Resources and Connection Amanda has chosen to continue to homeschool her own children. She also runs a business that support others homeschool moms through coaching and community. She understands that Homeschooling can be a beautiful, joy-filled experience—or it can be a stressful, overwhelming routine. That's why she created Heart Smart Moms. You can connect with Amanda and access her support through her website, moms.heartsmarthomeschool.com You can also connect with her through Instagram

How Can We Build FEARLESS Learners?​ Kohila Sivas is the founder of Fearless Learners by SuccessCodes, where all children can learn and grow fearless with a Learning Success Coach by their side. Kohila's certified Learning Success coaches make learning easy with their proven holistic coaching methodology which is a unique and superior alternative to tutoring and teaching. Kohila Sivas is also the creator of the revolutionary MathCodes Method™ and Meta-Learning DeStress Method™, a unique system designed to recover learning loss and demystify learning. These methods are grounded in brain science and neurolinguistics. She developed these systems over 24 years working one on one with over 1600 struggling students. Kohila was once a struggling math student herself and is now a Learning Success Coach, Holobody coach by Mindvalley, Master NLP Practitioner, and Certified Hypnotherapist. She is the host of the Alternative Education Summit, coming next Sept 2023, #1 Best-Selling author and host of From Fear to Fearless Show. Kohila is the winner of 2022 Outstanding Leadership Award for the Contribution to the Field of Education and Learning and winner of Outstanding Organization Award. She is also a fearless entrepreneur, parent, lifelong fighter, and learner. Since March 2022, she has trained over 50+ passionate educators to launch and grow their independent Learning Success Coaching practices using her methods, with a mission to serve 1.5 million or more students by 2035.   Learning Success Coaching is a proven holistic coaching methodology that is a unique and superior alternative to tutoring and teaching in all subjects. In This Episode If you are a parent that is at an impasse because there is too much information, too many important decisions to make and you want more tangible support to help your children feel success in their learning, then this episode is for you. Kohila defines and explains learning in a way that makes it simple to access as a homeschooling parent. At the same time she offers useful applications and tools to help us be a greater support to our kids. She shows us a way to build fearless learners.  In this episode we explore: How we can build fearless learners What do we need to do to build the right learning environment? Is there a difference between education and learning? And if there is, why is it important as parents and educators to understand what that difference is? How can we connect with the best outside learning supports for our kids?  Mindset, Action Sets and Skillsets- the key elements that make learning easy.  Resources <

Build Your Community~How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler  Have you ever felt  disconnected from community? Even more so now that you homeschool?  Are there times when you feel like your ideas on learning and living your family life are too different from others around you?  Do you want to connect wth others that "get you"? Do you want to build your community? Kelly Edwards and I have been in your shoes. As homeschool parents we have felt like taking the leap to home educate has isolated us at times. It has also connected us to others who we may have not ever considered as community otherwise.   In this episode Kelly and I talk about our origin stories as homeschooling parents. We also share how we connected as friends in need of community.  We also share: What community can look like for homeschoolers  How community can challenge us Ways to build community And we talk about one of our favourite communities of all~ How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler 2023~Purpose.Persist.Play Purpose. Persist. Play. This is the third year of our homeschool summit, How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler. We are bringing the powerful "P"'s.  Join us March 24th for Purpose. Persist. Play. If you are looking to learn more about homeschooling, unschooling, self directed learning, parenting, self improvement and just being awesome in general- we've got you :) This year's summit is another impactful day of community, inspiration and learning. Join Kelly Edwards of the 90 Minute School Day as we gather, learn and reflect on supporting our Neurodiverse children in her workshop on Neurodiversity in our Home Education. Connect with the iconic Julie Bogart of Bravewriter on how and what we choose to PERSIST.  Get clarity and comfort from Leah Boden of Modern Miss Mason when we guide with PURPOSE.  Be inspired on the value of PLAY with parent educator Mr. Chazz. Then spend time with me and some really awesome self directed teens in my workshop on Self Directed Teens.  Resources How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler~ register on our website for the FREE summit and receive a wonderful digital Swagbag filled with goodies and resources for your home learning journey.  You can also purchase tickets of the summit recordings, keynote pdf's and extra VIP goodies. (Early bird sale on now) Connect with my community on C

Unschooling Q&A How do I talk about Unschooling with my family and friends? In Unschooling we can focus on following my children's interests but what happens when my child is not interested in anything and they are doing nothing all day? How do we go from the structure of school to freedom? What is the transition to independence?  We Unschool but I have a child that wants to do workbooks. What do I do because this doesn't seem like Unschooling!? How do we know when to trust, when to guide from a distance and when to intervene?  Am I enough to do this homeschooling or unschooling thing?  Have any of these questions crossed your mind? I am sure that at-least one of these has come up for you when it comes to unschooling, or homeschooling.  Answers In This Episode This episode is a recording of a wonderful LIVE discussion that Liana Francisco and I hosted in my club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling on the Clubhouse app. We asked for questions from families that needed support or wanted to just learn more about Unschooling and we devoted a month within the club to deep dive and answer as many questions as we could.  We received so much positive feedback from this conversation that I decided it was time to share it on the podcast.  Who is this episode for?  This episode is for you if you are looking at the unschooling world and like what you see, but are just not sure if it will fit.  This episode is for you if you have begun the unschooling journey but need more confidence or encouragement. This episode is for you if you recognize you need to do something different with your family learning life, but are just not sure what yet. Could unschooling be something to consider?  This episode is for you if you have been loving your unschooling journey so far, but feel like you are the only one and need to hear from others that are living it. (It takes a village or a community, doesn't it?) Resources​ How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler- March 24th  Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse app Enjoyed my conversation with Liana? Then listen to her first interview on my show~ Growing Up Unschooled I mentioned my interview with Roya Dedeaux in this episode. You can listen to that wonderful episode HERE.  Thank You To Our Sponsor! Our podcast sponsors allow us to continue to offer information, insight and encouragement to you for free!  Thank you to our sponsor, Storitopia. <a href="https://

Building Joy~The Power of Play & Partnership  Shannon Loucks considers herself a fierce defender of childhoods. Ever since her first job, she has sought out opportunities to be in the presence of children as they explore the world around them. From babysitter, to camp counselor, to a Degree in Education, to finally landing as a full time witness of fun to two boys who have become her greatest teachers. Each of these opportunities led Shannon to believe in the power of play and partnership as a way to bring about more joy with a by-product of love into the lives of those who hold the biggest spaces in our hearts. Shannon joined me on this episode to talk about raising self directed people (she's a mom to grown unschoolers), play and partnership in parenting and the ways that we can build joy into childhood.  In This Episode Fear and worry seem to be our constant companions as parents. Especially for those of us homeschoolers that feel that also carry the extra responsobility of educating our children without school. But before she came on my show, I had recently read Shannon's book, Love More~ 50+ way to build joy into childhood. It's a beautiful yet simple read that shows how it doesn't have to be fear and worry but love, fun and joyful by the simple everyday things we can do with our kids.  So in this episode, I wanted to find out more from Shannon about what this looked like in her family's life and how they were able to stay connected through the years.  We talked about: Why homeschooling or unschooling does not guarantee you'll get the perfect relationship with your child How To Stay Connected To Our Kids What it means to partner instead of have "power over" The fear of unschooling- permissive parenting and the difference between permissive parenting vs present parenting Reflections from her kids as young adults that grew up in a self directed learning home~ what would the change, keep and their transitions to college Their Family Mission Statement and how they build it Her book, Love More~ 50 + Ways To Build Joy Into Childhood Resources Shannon's website~ https://breakingdaylight.org/ Shannon's Book Love More~ 50 + Ways To Build Joy Into Childhood Life Is Good Unschooling Conference Sir Ken Robinson Ted Talk~ Do Schools Kill Creativity?  If you would like to hear from parents with grown unschoolers, listen to my interview with Pam Laricchia ~ Exp

Welcome to Season 7! Season 6 was a focus on Deschooling. It was a look back and reflection on our beliefs, expectations and what's most important to us.  Season 7 is a shift. We are moving from pause and reflection to action.  Having our why lead our way. You may know that I often reference the learning journey to being on a family road trip. We are on this adventure together and everyone has a different reason for taking a family road trip. Some may have a specific destination that they want to reach. Others may just want to enjoy the journey and experiences together. The road can be smooth sailing for a while. But we may also encounter a few bumps in the road. We may get lost along the way. We may take longer to reach a destination than we originally planned. We may even want to get out the car and take a break from each other.  So in this season of our road trip, we are taking our road map back out and checking to see if we are still on track. Is the destination or reason why we are travelling still meaningful to us? Have it shifted and do we need to make any shifts?  Is there a new path to take, or are we continuing on the road we have been on the past year? What about our children? What are their reflections as to where they are on this "road trip". Resources Season 7 will be a shift for my family and this podcast in many ways as well. I will be stepping back a little more this season. I share a little bit on this episode about making greater space and time for my most important priority, my family.  But I am still providing an abundant amount of resources for you to access, learn from and be inspired by. Clubhouse- A large volume of recorded discussions and interviews. Go HERE to listen for FREE or join Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club. Patreon~ My Patreon community offers resources, videos, downloads and Live Q&A with me each month.  One-on-One Homeschool Coaching with me Masterclass~ Message me to get on the waitlist How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler SummitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Modern Miss Mason: Leah Boden​ Leah Boden is a mom to 4 kids and a long time home educator. She is a speaker, a podcast host, homeschool coach and runs workshops sharing the beauty of a Charlotte Mason approach to childhood, motherhood and education. She and her family live in the West Midlands, England. Leah's new book, Modern Miss Mason is your invitation into an adventure where Leah shows you the fresh face of an age-old perspective on motherhood, childhood and education. And no, you do not have to be a follower of Charlotte Mason to read her book. No matter what educational and learning path you prescribe to, this book and Leah's ideas are universal. It will breath life and beauty back into childhood and your home education.  In This Episode As a young mother and new home educator, Leah was overwhelmed by the breadth of available resources. How to know which to choose? Curriculum or no curriculum? What would best guide and inspire her children? Whose voices should she trust?  That's when she discovered the timeless work and words of Charlotte Mason. Leah knew that Charlotte Mason's approach and method fit what their family was looking for in the learning journey ahead.  In this episode Leah shares with me how and why she continues to find joy, wonder and curiosity in their learning life. We discuss their learning life today, her wonderful book and "how our internal work affects our external world".  As in her book, Modern Miss Mason, we break it down into:  Reframing Motherhood-the correlation between how refreshed mothers are and their ability to trust childhood. If mothers can learn to do for ourselves  what we do for our children. We discuss tools to avoid or come out of burnout and overwhelm. Reframing Childhood- Children are born persons. Building rhythms. Reframing Education- Sifting through the countless curriculums, information and resources. Knowing what your why. Education is the science of relations. RELATIONSHIPS are key.  If you are new to Charlotte Mason, Leah offers a few recommendations on how to slowly dive into the Charlotte Mason world. Resources​ Leah's book, Modern Miss Mason is well worth the read. You can find it HERE.  Find out more about Leah and her work on her website. Leah's workshops and courses. Listen to my first interview with Leah HERE (Homeschooling Styles: Charlotte Mason with

Reflections For The Homeschooling Year As we get closer to the end of season 6, I invite you to take a moment of pause and reflection. Season 6 began as a time and place to step further into Deschooling and growing without school or the easily recognized beliefs and structure of school. We explored  Deschooling and Growing Without School Conscious Parenting Teens and Unschooling~What that can look like Minimalism Defining Success Resilience Supporting Passions Natural Learning Resources Critical Thinking  Preparing For Adulthood And MORE In This Episode And Season No matter where you live in the world, I find that December is a great time to pause, check our "roadmap", reset our personal and family compass and open our hearts to the relationships around us.  In this episode I share a favourite short story as a way to look at what we do, the choices we make and the challenges that we face in our daily lives. It's called, Who's Packing Your Parachute? It's a true story about a retired US Army Pilot who was a prisoner of war. His story is not one of heartbreak, but of reflection, appreciation and support. We all have people in our lives that helped us or "packed our parachutes" along the way. We do this daily as homeschooling and unschooling parents. Our children's parachutes are not built on academics. Everyone, including the learners in our home requires mental, physical, emotional and spiritual "parachutes". We call on all of these to help us reach safety. I ask you to take a little time this end of season to reflect and consider your personal needs as a parent and who can possibly help support these needs.  And I also ask that you take time to pause, reflect and appreciate. Which people in our lives have we possibly overlooked or failed to notice have been packing important parachutes for us?  Resources Here are a few resources and recommendations~ Podcasts, Books and other Support Look For The Helpers~Parenting And Being Human- Podcast episode with Dr. David Irvine Look For The Helpers~ Mothering The Mother with Amanda Curmi Empowering Families with Yolonda Coles Jones Have you checked out my club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling on the clubhouse app? I have a large collection of interviews and replays of specific topics and conversation on homeschooling, unschoo

The Landmark Study: Parents Want Independent Meaningful Learning What do parents want in their child’s learning experiences? Self-Directed Education: Landmark Research on Family and Student Interests and Needs, the first US national study of its kind, provides key insight into what parents want, suggesting that millions are open to and desire expanding  ways of learning. In fact, this study shows that nearly 19 million families are searching for a better learning experience for their children. More than ever, families across the nation are open to exploring alternatives to their current choice in education.  We Are Born To Learn~ Self Directed Education Mosaic is a global digital platform and community that supports independent, meaningful learning. Th goal of Mosaic is to empower individuals, families and communities through shared resources, thought leadership, and relationships. One of the recent resources that Mosaic launched was a large national study that delved into what parents want in their child's learning experiences. The answer was overwhelming. The biggest interest was in Self Directed Education  Parents are looking for their kids to be more actively engaged in the learning process.  In this episode I speak with Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, the Interim Executive Director of Mosaic and Bill Vesneski, Head Researcher on the study.  We explore: The research What parents want and  what parents don't want Why a study like this is so needed How it means to be actively engaged in the learning process The top goals that parents share or want to see If you would like to learn more about the study, go to weareborntolearn.org The National Survey On Self Direction Executive Summary can be found HERE.  Resources​ If you would like additional resources and information on Self Directed Education, then check out Dr. Peter Gray and Dr. Gina Riley.  Dr. Gray and Dr. Riley have worked together to survey, research and write about self directed education and unschooling.  The Journal Of Unschooling and Alternative Learning  Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond The Classroom is the first academic publication on Unschooling.  Connect with community and join us on Patreon! See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/list

How Are You Able To Work And Homeschool? With Erika Brown “How are you able to work AND homeschool your boys?” Erika Brown is asked this question at least once a week as they are out and about meeting people. Unfortunately, society pushes the idea that women must either work outside of the home or stay at home. The idea of doing both seems to be a foreign concept. Erika chooses to reject that ideology while being a part of a generation that blazes new trails and refuses to settle. Erika Brown leveraged her lucrative career in Real Estate to create the financial opportunity to unschool her boys. This journey has come with its share of difficulties, yet those times are trumped by the experiences and knowledge her boys are gaining. Erika invites you to follow her family as they use their businesses to assist in the unschooling process and educational journeys of their boys. In This Episode If you want to hear both practical tips and deep reflections on how we choose to live and learn, then you will love this interview. In this episode Erika and I talked about the Joys and Challenges of unschooling and being a full time working parent and entrepreneur.  We talked about: Teens and Social Needs The Continual Deschooling Process The Values that overlap in Unschooling and Entrepreneurship~ Questioning the standard and wanting to solve it.  How she uses 3 month rotating routines to help balance work days and having 3 kids at home unschooling Mindset and Communicating Needs Erika breaks down what a week looks like in a 3 month season for their family  The power of intentional conversations and teamwork Unschooling With Teens Self Directed Learning, Connection and Confidence Erika leaves us with wonderful advice to the parents that want to homeschool and work or build a business. Her experience and knowledge in this life is worth learning from.  Resources Connect with Erika through Instagram @erikabinvestor Erika’s Blog~ https://www.erikab.co/blog Follow Erika’s sons bakery on Instagram~Brown Brothers Bakery  Want to hear more about Unschooling and Entrepreneurship? Check out my episode with Stacey Piercey~Unschooling And Entrepreneurship or my episode with Unschooled Entrepreneur Isabelle Robledo~Homeschooling and Mindfulness Listen to Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club Replays on Challenges~ <a href="https://www.clubhouse.com/room/M6GLkzpE?utm_medium=ch_room_xerc&utm_campaign=OpqYHfBFSfvDPFL___InRg-458427

Will Unschooling leave my kids unprepared for the adult world?  This is a question or fear that weighs on the minds of parents that are considering unschooling or are even possibly already involved in living an unschooled life.Parents always want the best for their kids. They want the most for their kids and the thought that our choices will cause detriment to their futures can be a heavy burden to carry.  But this is a question that I have also heard from parents sending their kids to school! Will sending my children to school in this fast changing world leave them unprepared for the adulthood?  So in this episode I tackle this question from the perspective of~ What do our children really need in order to be prepared for adulthood? If they are to be successful in their careers, in the job world and as human beings, what is required?  What Do They Need To Be Prepared For Adulthood? When I define the term "unschooling" or answer questions about it, I usually base it on definitions around how it applies to learning within a framework of school defined learning and work produced from it. A definition I usually refer to is that unschooling is the learner choosing the how, what, where and when of their own learning. And the why is their own.  But this definition misses a big part of what unschooling is based on. (And the detailed, more involved explanation) Unschooling is so much more than how it can be or cannot be like school style learning. Unschooling is based on a foundation of trust and safety. It is based on supporting and helping to build the capacity to work on some of our most complex problems~Relationships. Relationships with others and with ourselves.  Unschooling is creating an environment where the learner feels part of a positive relationship where they feel safe to explore, be curious, ask questions, try new things, make mistakes, backtrack and pivot. It is working within a framework that allows space and time to practice competence in something that is meaningful to the learning, even if that thing may not be as meaningful to the parent.  As I was reading about the skills, knowledge and competencies that our world requires and will continue to require I see a common thread.  The work force, employers and industry are seeing a lack of skills from young people. These skills are not math facts or essay writing. They are not dates in history or or other hard knowledge.  They are what many term the 'soft" skills that are not as easily quantifiable for data like grades and scores can be. Skills and Social Emotional Learning 79% of employers say social-emotional skills are the most important qualities for job success.  Employers are citing skills such as adaptability, collaboration, independence, life skills and self regulation as needed.  And it's not just employers that requ

CoLearn~Bridging Unconventional Education Approaches  In this podcast I want to share unique learning journeys. These learning journeys don't fit the mold of the classroom and challenge the idea of what is possible in life learning.  This is important because if we don't hear about these experiences, then how will we ever know that they are possible? Not only that, we are in a new era of remote and hybrid work and learning. Our working life looks different, so why wouldn't our learning life? In this episode, I speak with Michael Staton, founder of CoLearn. Michael is a former classroom educator turned EdTech Guru. Michael understands from his experience in education that the ideals and big ideas that we often come to school with cannot match the reality of school.  Michael and I talked about the future of education, the impact of technology and the goals of CoLearn to support flexibility, accessibility, offer support and resources and connect families in the homeschooling community.  CoLearn~Let's Redesign Education With The Family At The Center CoLearn is bridging conventional education approaches to create a new learning experience with FAMILY at the heart of it all.  This is how CoLearn plans to make an impact in the world of education and entrepreneurship.  Founder, Michael Staton heard this from homeschooling families when he was invited to attend a conference a few years back. Families spoke to the fact they are not "schooling" at home but living a learning life together. Parents are learning right alongside their children. In effect, it's not homeschooling, it's COLEARNING.  Michael and I explored how CoLearn is committed to: working with tech tools to help build active, flourishing learning communities (Many of the tech tools offered are FREE)  Building a community of fully engaged parents  Making resource discovery easier for homeschooling families Offering the ability to re-mix your learning Providing not only interaction and direct support but also jobs to home educating parents, no matter where they are in the world! Help CoLearn Through Feedback, Help Yourself Through Work Opportunities With Them CoLearn is continuing to build and as they do, they want to make sure they continue to offer the best support and connection to the homeschooling and self directed learning community. To do that, they are asking for feedback from you on what they offer. One of the free tools that they have designed and offer is their CoLearn Planner. They would love you to check it out and offer feedback on how it works for you, what can be improved and more. You can check it out HERE.  CoLearn is also hiring! If you are looking to add to your i

Setting Up Your Homeschool Space I get it. As a homeschooling or unschooling parent we want to create the best learning environment ever. We don't want to just replace school. We want to be better than school.  So what do we do?  We plan, we purchase, we organize and we create a space that will offer as much as possible to our children's learning life.  Some families create a separate space. A "school room" where homeschooling takes place.   Other families create or use learning spaces throughout their home or in different environments. They utilize the outside environment, community spaces like libraries and museums, or create comfortable spaces in the home to read, write, design and learn in many forms.  In this episode I share a few tips on how we can build the best learning environment for our family learning life by reducing overwhelm and making a space (inside and out) that is conducive to learning and living. Building The Learning Environment & Setting Up Your Spaces What steps can we take to build a learning environment that supports our learning life best? Is having a separate learning space, better than not having a designated space?  Here are a few areas that can help us in deciding what will work best for our family and how to go about it: Understand your values and guiding purpose. Why are you homschooling? Why are you unschooling? What motivated your family to choose this learning life? If the reasons WHY are because your values do not line up with how school is set up, then I urge you to consider that before you recreate a space at home that is modelled after the school classroom. This is your chance to create something different that better aligns to your children and family. Deschool. The deschooling process is not a cut and dry, simple formula. It's a long process of reflection and self understanding. It's about slowing down and getting to know yourself and each family member. It means stepping away from the expectations of others, especially when those expectations centre around measuring worth by success in a school framework. (Check out my episode on Deschooling to learn more). Taking the time to deschool, reflect and observe gives us space to get clear on our values and begin to see our children as who they are, instead of through the lenses of school measurements. When you do that, can you imagine what kind of learning life and space you could build? Add less instead of more. We don't need to have everything in a homeschool space. Having too much can actually create a sense of overload. Keeping your space simple will not only help our kids to feel more free, but it can also decrease our worry as parents. You don't have to spend a ton on supplies and curriculum. And by not buying it all, there is less to clean up and organize! If keeping your space neat and clean is a priority for you, try not to

Learning, Partnering and Parenting With Teens~Lainie Liberti Did your homeschool see a major shift once your children became teens? Or are you looking ahead as to how you can best navigate the teen years to come? Want to stay connected to your teen and support their positive mental health? Lainie Liberti joined me on this episode to talk about Parenting and Partnering with our teens. Lainie is a best selling author, international speaker, teen mentor,  worldschooler, partnership parenting paradigm advocate and mother. In 2012 Lainie co-founded Project World School with her son and has  lived in community with over a 100 teens in over 20 international locations.  Lainie founded Transformative Mentoring for Teens in 2020 in response to the growing need to support teen's mental health. Lainie just released her first book, ">Seen, Heard "%20marginwidth="0"%20marginheight="0"%20scrolling="no"%20frameborder="0"%20src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=honeyimhome02-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B0B1XKB1WN&asins=B0B1XK

Why We Need To Get Rid of The Math Worksheets and Use Problem Solving and Board Games Instead Math. What feelings does that word bring up for you? Are they warm and fuzzy? Does it put a big smile on your face remembering all of the fun math lessons, problems and homework that you did? Or does the word MATH bring about feelings of anxiety? Worry? Fear? It is surprising how much weight a 4 letter word like MATH can hold. Often it's not actually the word MATH, but the memories associated with it. And if those memories are not kind or good but disheartening and shameful, then how do you approach MATH with your kids? Homeschooling Math. Unschooling Math. I get questions about this often. How should I approach Math in our home learning environment, especially if I don't feel comfortable in the subject? Or even excited about it. That's why I invited Gord Hamilton to the podcast. Gord Hamilton is a father of two teenagers—professionally best known for his board games like Santorini and as the director of MathPickle.com (A fantastic Math resource) The puzzles that he creates are easy to understand for elementary school students, but educators and mathematicians will find them engaging as well. In This Episode I have had the pleasure of hearing Gord speak about the absolute joy and fun he has with math. In fact, it's hard not to become excited about Math just listening to him. Gord's honest, kind and passionate approach to learning Math needs to be heard more. "There is no need for math to be boring. So why even go there with our kids?" In this episode we explore: What is great mathematics? Why Math should be hard Board Games and Problem Solving~Throw out the curriculum, don't kill yourself over the boring stuff and focus on Board Games, a celebration of problem solving Why we should abolish math in elementary school and replace it with problem solving Getting away from the emphasis on memorization Gord is here to support the homeschooling community. He encourages us to reach out to him! You can find him at his website https://mathpickle.com/ which is filled with games, puzzles and board game recommendations. So before you go out and spend countless dollars on a boring memorization heavy Math Curriculum with a ton of worksheets- I encourage you to try to get your family in to a MATH PICKLE instead. Looking for more support in yo

Reading and now it was her turn to walk the path of learning to read and write as a struggler. She now knows just how hard it is to learn to read and write as a learner with processing challenges. In this episode Carina and I talk about learning to read using phonics and what that means. We explore the importance of incorporating strategies that are fun and connecting. The negative connotation that phonics carries and the real, applicable meaning Why their program works so well for homeschoolers, hearing impaired learners, English language learners, as well as fluent, verbal speakers. Why a learner must "see it, hear it, feel it and move with it." (The multi-sensory approach)<

The Right Side Of Normal and Honouring Our Individual Learners Have you ever met someone at a time in your life and you wish your paths had crossed at an earlier time? You say to them, "I wish you were here to share this with me when".... Well, that's Cindy Gaddis to me. Actually, it's more like- "why are we just meeting each other now???" I need more of you in my life. Now that I do have Cindy in my life, I am sharing more of her knowledge and experience with you. Because I know you need it too! Cindy Gaddis is a 30-year home education veteran and mother of seven right-brained children, ages 21-35, and grandmother to two sweet babies, ages 5 and 2 months. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they live in a log house on 15 acres in beautiful central North Carolina. A passionate advocate for understanding and honoring the natural learning path for creative, right-brained children, Cindy is a popular conference speaker and writer on the subject. Cindy wrote her book, The Right Side of Normal, in order to reach more parents and teachers who want to benefit from strengths-based learning for right-brained children. Cindy fulfilled her dream goal of opening a creative learning center in 2017 in a 1920s farmhouse on 18 acres and primarily mentors middle-high school attendees in collaborative education. You can find her at https://www.therightsideofnormal.com/ where she offers homeschooling consultations and relevant content for supporting creative, right-brained learners. In This Episode Both Cindy and her husband loved school, did well in school and were excited to have their first child start his first day. But after a first day orientation that left her very uncomfortable she decided to research other options. She found her way to homeschooling and eventually unschooling. Cindy says that in that first year, she learned so many lessons just through observation of her children and the natural learning process. In this episode we explored those lessons as we dove into the BIG unschooling and learning questions: Reading and Learning To Read  Our fears around learning to read Children that read early and read later (Her children were early and later readers, from ages 4-15) Autism and reading How she supported each of her unique learners to build a "positive relationship with print" When children are spatial learners as opposed to word based learners Right Brain and Left Brain Learners and Supporting Neurodivergence What it means to be Right or left brain dominant Why the school fits left brain learners What happens when learning activities and environments only reflect left brain learners The Right Side Of Normal- Deschooling on Crack <

Math- How We Learn Kohila Sivas is the creator of the revolutionary MathCodes Method™ a unique system designed to recover learning loss in math. Kohila blended the math hacks she discovered to demystify math and merged them with a coaching methodology that can transform any struggling student.   She also created the Meta-Learning DeStress Method™, a method grounded in brain science and neurolinguistics. This method helps the stressed-out learners to destress themselves by talking to their brains and teaches them how to learn to learn.   She developed these systems over 23 years working one on one with over 1600 struggling students.   Kohila was once a struggling math student herself and is now a Math and Learning Success Coach, reformed tutor, ex-teacher, BI and Math Interventionist, #1 Best Selling Author, Master NLP Practitioner, and Certified Hypnotherapist   She is also a fearless entrepreneur, parent, and a lifelong fighter and learner.   Since 2018, she and her partner Rod Bellamy have trained passionate educators to launch and grow independent Learning Success Coaching practices using her methods. In This Episode In this episode Kohila and I talk about how to learn and the brain science of learning.   The difference between coaching and tutoring Learning how to learn When the environment is right, all things thrive and that's what our children need for learning Looking at our individual children and the power of knowing our WHY Math fear and anxiety Approaching math as a language Why Kohila does not recommend worksheets and timers and what parents can do instead As a learning success coach - the foundation is about building the relationship, not the academics   Kohila believes that the best way to support our children is by helping them to become life long learners. We can do this by creating the right encouraging environment, looking at our individual children and knowing our why. Resources Kohila provides a wealth of support for both learners. You can learn more or reach her through her websites https://www.fearlesslearners.coach/ and https://www.mathcodes.com/   Facebook   Listen to my interview on MATH with Kohila   Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve got you! Check out my<a href="https://www.patre

Literacy- Games and Storytelling Michael Low is a writing teacher and curriculum developer with over two decades of experience.  He's also a tabletop game designer who designs and runs story-telling games for kids from 7-13 that use the inspirational, collaborative nature of role-playing to get kids writing page after page for the sheer joy of it.  You can find his writing classes (homeschool accredited) at LuckOfLegends.com, and his print to play at home monthly games and podcast at StoriesRPG.com.   If you are a regular listener to the show, receive my email newsletter, follow me on social media or are part of the community through Patreon or Clubhouse you will probably know a few things about my beliefs around learning;   1. That learners need to have agency in their lives and learning. Yes, that includes our children.   2. I am a big believer in games and the gamification of learning. In fact Gameschooling is something that I think everyone can incorporate into their homeschool at some point.   3. Learning should be joyful and meaningful. Sure, it can be challenging. But it doesn't have to to be rigorous just to prove it's good or worthy. Learning is not meant to be shameful. It's meant to be fun.   Michael Low also believes in the power of games, (role playing games especially), learner agency and meaning in learning. He also believes in the power of story. That's why he is dedicated to helping young learners write, speak, think, collaborate, think critically and fall in love with storytelling. In This Episode I love hearing insight from educators that have chosen to create and support learners in diverse ways that look nothing like what happens within the classroom walls. Learning to write through play? Looking for fun and collaboration in the writing process? Games and stories that engage our children from start to finish? Then listen to this episode. In this episode Michael and I dive into:   The power of learner agency Why School is a badly designed game The gaps in the education institution and how we'd like it to shift His measurement of success~ teaching the skills learners need to learn on their own You can't learn if you don't trust Deschooling The amazing gifts and joys of role playing games Learning to write through play and games Collaborative Story Telling Engagement Resources For Parents and Homeschoolers Michael's games and classes are Homeschool Accredited.   Learning To Write Through Play- <a href="https://www.luckoflegends.com/games" aria-label="undefined

It's Called Unschooling I don’t like labels. I feel that as learners outside of the institution of school we don’t have to rush putting ourselves into a new box or label.  Or that our learning life (unschooling life) is how we choose to define it. But as a friend recently shared with me (as we had a very interesting conversation about unschooling, control, trust and partnership), that having parameters around a word (or label) can be helpful. And I think that when it comes to unschooling, the waters are becoming muddied.  What Is Unschooling Let’s start with the definition of Unschooling. John Holt originally coined the termed unschooling. Here’s an excerpt from The Foundations of Unschooling, a Keynote given by Pat Farenga and found on the John Holt GWS website: “Holt never felt the word “homeschooling” was adequate to describe the learning he was talking about—learning that didn’t need to take place at home nor look like school learning. John knew that many children want to be out in the world, to be in the community and learn the lay of the neighborhood because, like most healthy humans, they are social beings—it is in our nature to be social, curious, and to learn. So John used the word “unschooling” to describe this type of learning—after already trying out the word “deschooling,” coined by John’s friend Ivan Illich, and found to be too harsh by the public. Unschooling didn’t fare any better and John himself, by 1981, was using the word homeschooling interchangeably with unschooling.” Here are two different explanations or definitions that I think describe it best: “Before I talk about what I think unschool­ing is, I must talk about what it isn't. Unschooling isn't a recipe, and therefore it can't be explained in recipe terms. It is impossible to give unschooling directions for people to follow so that it can be tried for a week or so to see if it works. Unschooling isn't a method, it is a way of looking at children and at life. It is based on trust that parents and children will find the paths that work best for them - without depending on educational institutions, publishing companies, or experts to tell them what to do. Earl Stevens (The Natural Child Project) “Unschooling is when the learner chooses the how, what, where, when and why of their learning”. Judy Arnall Unschooling Isn't.. Unschooling

Literacy and Digital Tech Josh Davidson was one of the first students in the United Kingdom to complete an MA in Digital Art. In every professional role he has had, he has tried to retain his creativity and enthusiasm for new approaches and ideas. It is this willingness to experiment in his work that led to him being recognised with several industry awards. He is the creator and Managing Director of Night Zookeeper; a magical, inspirational brand where children discover and create their own imaginative animals. These animals join an interactive world, which encourages children to learn to read and write. Their unique creations can feature in storybooks, an animated series on Sky Kids and even in a collectable card game. The TV series was the first in the world to be co-created alongside children and had 150,000 entries.  Josh is a passionate public speaker on games, literacy education and creativity. He has spoken at many international conferences including MipJunior, Apps World, Future Book, Kidscreen, the Children's Media Conference, Edinburgh Book Festival, London Book Fair and the Sharjah International Book Fair. Additionally, he has been interviewed across BBC stations in the United Kingdom and has given keynotes at Creative Mornings London and many more. His storybooks have been published by Oxford University Press and translated into several languages.  In This Episode  In this episode we spoke about the value of holding on to creativity and gamification in our learning world. As a child with dyslexia, Josh understands what it's like to have numerous stories in your head but getting them out is what is difficult. Creating a digital platform for reading and writing was his way to support the kids like himself that have all the stories in their heads, but have trouble getting them out. Josh and I we explored the importance of supporting learning in our quickly changing technological world through: Using the internet as a space to create, not just consume Learning through Gamifi

Untigering, Unschooling & Deconstructing Success Iris Chen is an author, unschooling mom, deconstructing tiger parent, and founder of the Untigering movement. She joins me on this episode to talk about their unschooling journey, Tiger Moms, Untigering, and Deconstructing Success and Expectations. We Explored... "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it." Maya Angelou Iris describes herself as a deconstructing, recovering Tiger Parent. The process of Untigering and Deschooling has been a gradual change. In this episode we explored: The definition of a Tiger Mom Achievement, Expectations, Trauma and Tiger Parenting Why she is Untigering Unschooling and deschooling Children of Immigrant Parents- Finding compassion, empathy, truth and seeking to do better Fear and Scarcity Mindset in Parenting Success and Decolonizing our ideas of success How we can sit back a little, observe, support, encourage and allow our kids to figure things out for themselves Unschooling and Boundaries Burnout and Deschooling The importance of community Resources and Community Iris offers wonderful resources and community support for parents that are on the journey of deschooling, deconstructing and decolonizing. Check out: Untigering Book Untigering Website Facebook Facebook Group Instagram Membership Mentioned in the episode- Battle Hymn of The Tiger Mom If you are looking for more support in your homeschool journey- I’ve also got you! Check out my Patreon Community where I offer monthly Live Q&A on all your homeschool, unschool and self directed learning questions. For the summer of 2022- this live support is open to ALL Patron levels. You also have access to my downloads, special videos, insights and interviews with my family! https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discus

7 Steps To Begin Homeschooling Thinking about homeschooling? Or are you ready for a homeschool refresh? Here are 7 steps to help you begin homeschooling. 1. Get clear on your WHY. What are your deeper reasons for homeschooling? How is this connected to your family's core values and purpose? When we are clear on our reasons to homeschool and opt out of the main system, the decisions we make in the future will be in integrity with our family and our children. (Check out my episode: https://imhomeschooling.com/getting-started-101-values-and-guiding-purpose/ For example, if our reason to homeschool is because our child is struggling at school because of an unsafe environment, (possibly because of a bullying issue), then our main "why" is safety. But going deeper, bringing our child back into an environment built on love, trust and building connection is our true focus. With a focus on love, trust and re-connection our choices in our homeschooling environment should first be all the ways we can build that. 2. Take the time to become a student yourself. Learn more about homeschooling styles, how the brain works, parenting, childhood and learning. Take in podcasts, books, webinars, chat with other homeschoolers and learn other points of view. Better yet, take this time to get to know your child better. What do they love? What are they curious about? The most important part about taking this time to learn is that you will begin to model life learning to your children. (My interview with Dr. Peter Gray is a wonderful place to begin) 3. Learn Your Local Regulations. Homeschooling is not legal in every country. Check out your local education regulations and requirements. This website lists international homeschool laws: https://hslda.org/legal/international. I also recommend you check out local homeschool advocacy groups. 4. Visualize your ideal homeschool. Have your children visualize and map out their ideal homeschool year. Does their vision match yours? What about your partner's vision? Does your vision look like hours bent over workbooks and the rest of your family's look like adventure, play and creative pursuits? Use whatever works for you to lay out your vision; A poster, video reel, journal. What would it take to start building toward this vision? This is also a good time to learn about and begin DESCHOOLING. (I explain Deschooling more in this episode but I also recommend checking this episode on <a href="https://imhomeschooling.com/desch

Defining Success As A Homeschooler & Unschooler Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids is a platform to share the stories of families living their own unique learning life. This learning life more often than not does not resemble the school classroom. Our community is a place to hear and share these stories and engage in a deeper discussion around the many layers that make up this learning journey. Deschooling. Childhood. Play. Learning. Parenting. Relationships. In this Episode This episode is a discussion from my Clubhouse community. Liana Francisco and I explore the idea of success. We explore our definitions and expectations around success and how that influences our homeschool. Have you thought about that? How does your ideas of what a successful person is influences your homeschool choices? We further explore: The pressures of "success" for our children- being above grade level, the praise we give or do not give, learning expectations Dealing with Naysayers Society Expectations- what do we take on and what can we let go of? Parenting What does it mean to be a successful homeschooler or unschooler? Values & Purpose Looking forward   Success holds personal meaning. Just remember that what you judge as successful may mean nothing to something else. Resources I'd love to have you join me for further conversations on success in my private community. We meet once a month on Zoom. You can go to https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids to join. For the summer, I am offering access to all levels for our monthly meet ups. Check out my episode with Liana Francisco, grown unschooler https://imhomeschooling.com/growing-up-unschooled/    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Making Learning Meaningful Did you know that the best learning environment is the one where we feel safe? The relationship has to be more important in education than the content. Monica Cochran and I explore this idea and all about making learning meaningful. Monica is passionate about nurturing the love of learning and has vast experience helping learners of all ages enjoy learning. She has been active in alternative education since 1978, home-educated two of her children, and worked with other home-educating families both on the ground and virtually for the past 25 years. Her private practice serves families with kids who learn non-traditionally for various reasons using strength-based approaches and partners with others to facilitate workshops and courses on strength-based learning and resilience.  Monica earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh in a multi-disciplinary program in child development, social work, and early childhood education and a Master’s Degree from Eastern Michigan University in special education. She also earned a Primary Montessori Certification from the American Montessori Society and is an Advanced DIR practitioner and a provider of SSP (Safe and Sound Protocol) and the iLs Focus System of Integrated Listening Systems. She holds a K-12 Michigan teaching certificate in learning disabilities and emotional impairment. Since 1997, following her youngest son’s auto accident, she has also been active in working with survivors of traumatic brain injuries and learners with other health issues, as they redesign their lives. In This Episode Are you just beginning your homeschooling journey or are you looking for a refresh in your learning journey? This episode is for you. Monica and I explore what learning means, the numerous ways we learn and the learning environments we build. We dive into: Making Learning Meaningful and Fun Spelling & Grammar (Did you know there are over 40 ways we can support learning to spell that are not direct instruction?) Supporting talents and what it means to hold space for our kids Observing children's learning- not looking to fix things but observing what they already know Curriculum- "Curriculum is everything a child is learning. In its broadest sense. We have to enlarge our notions of what learning looks like and our baggage around it." Polyvagal Theory - The Science of Feeling Safe When we bring our personal expectations into our learning environments How and when learning flourishes How do we help our children feel safe? Tools we can use as a parent. Dealing With Meltdowns Tips For When We Are Beginning Our Homeschool Journey Resources Monica shared a ton of fantastic resources and references on this episode! Monica's Website- <a href="https://le

Declutter Your Homeschool "We all have a clutter story. Physical Clutter Emotional Clutter Relationship Clutter Time Clutter Digital Clutter We all have some form of clutter in our lives. Because as life happens, we take things in, we build stories and relationships with these items and then there comes a time when it runs its course and we are moving to a new faze in life...and so we have to learn how to let things go. Sometimes that's difficult." Jaycel Murphy This episode was originally recorded in my club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling on the Clubhouse app. Jaycel Murphy is a former social worker, Neurolinguistic programming coach and Elite Declutter Coach. She supports people in decluttering their homes and their lives. Her goal is to normalize the conversation around clutter to address the stigmas associated, and lessen feelings of shame, guilt and overwhelm. Decluttering and Deschooling Jaycel joined Tira Hunter and myself for a discussion on decluttering our homeschool. This conversation brought us deep into the idea that decluttering is not just about our physical space. Decluttering, like Deschooling, is tied to our mental and emotional space. The lines of decluttering and deschooling are interwoven with the idea of letting go of beliefs that have served us for a certain time or purpose but that may no longer fit with our core values. These two practices are deeply tied to society and cultural expectations and the narratives we carry. We stress that there is no right and wrong. It's all a part of the journey. In This Episode In this episode our wonderful conversation explores: Decluttering and Values- Our values informs everything that we bring into our lives and what we hold on to. The first step to decluttering (and deschooling) begins with our core values and belief system Are you a homeschool resource hoarder? Why is it so hard to let go of our kids old artwork? Why is it so hard to let go of clutter. How do we know what is meaningful and what to let go of? Tips on organizing and decluttering your space Defining Clutter The relationship between overconsumption, procrastination and clutter Large family? So Many things? Overwhelmed? Will the family be part of the process? What are the tools to make it easier. Setting Physical and Emotional Boundaries Maintaining emotional ground zero with other peoples stuff The difference between hoarding and collecting What's Your Clutter Story? So what's your clutter story? What practices and expectations not longer match your core values? What are your core values

Skills Homeschoolers Need For The Future Do you think that the way to gain the skills you need for the future is only by attending College or University? And what if you don't attend? What opportunities will you have? What kind of jobs can my kids get if they homeschool or unschool? How can I help them prepare for the world and every changing future? What if University or College is not the option that my children want to pursue? What other choices do they have without traditional school experience? In This Episode In this episode I'm joined by Cameron Sorsby, CEO of Praxis. Cameron and I talk about the skills of the future and how young people can access the opportunities that are out there. We begin with the ways that Praxis works as alternative to College and how it is not like any education you would see in a college. Praxis offers a 12 month long business apprenticeship program; 6 months professional development bootcamp and job placement process and a 6 month apprenticeship experience inside a growing business.The goal is to help individuals get their professional lives started. Then we explore the skills and experiences that are needed for today's world and the future. Skills Homeschoolers Need For The Future What are the top skills that homeschoolers need for the future? Where can they create and bring value to the world? What is accessible to them right now? Cam shares the insight he has gained from working with numerous graduates (and homeschoolers) that enter the Praxis program and what he has seen and heard from employers that are looking for capable people that stand out. We talk about: Why teens are more qualified than adults for most marketing jobs The value of Deep Work Top Skills that come from Attitude, Mindset and Learning From Mistakes Communication skills, Problem Solving and Self Direction Why having good energy, strong work ethic and zero entitlement issues stand out in today's world Personal and Professional Development Success and what it looks like in the business and career world today Creating value and clarity on what you want to do Why having different life experiences are invaluable The top 5 ways to gather information How we as parents can help our children If you are a parent that is looking towards preparing your children for the future, then this episode is for you. If you are a parent of a teen that is self directed, homeschooled or unschooled and is ready for an alternative to College that offers hands on, real world experience and connections, then check

Educators Turned Unschoolers Do you like the idea of homeschooling but have a few doubts? Not sure if you are up to the task? Feeling under-qualified? Or maybe you are hoping that a progressive education will equate to the same thing. Now if only you can find the right school...... My episode guest, has many years of experience working in progressive education. Lesley Jones-Sessler is an educator and a former school administrator now turned unschooler. You can find her on her blog, Watch Monkey Mama to learn more about her family's unschooling journey. When it came time for Lesley to begin looking for a school for her son, she was saddened by the lack of schools that fit the bill for progressive education in the state of Indiana. After a visit with their local public school, Lesley was also dismayed by the lack of diversity in the staff of the local school system. And then, Covid hit. Lesley decided that homeschool was now the most viable option. Little did she know she would find herself down the beginning of a rabbit hole of life learning. After hours researching various homeschooling methods and philosophies, Lesley stumbled across the match for her family: the self directed learning community. In This Episode In This Episode Lesley and I explore the lines of school, homeschool and unschool. We break down: Vocabulary terms in education- What is the difference between traditional vs progressive schooling? We discuss the Traditional viewpoint of - Authority, Lack of choice, Teaching to the test and drill and kill. Versus Progressive Education- Multi-age teaching, flexibility, hands on and child directed. Child Led Learning vs Self Directed Learning within Progressive Schools- Are they one- in- the same or is there a difference? Do both happen in progressive education? Lesley shares examples of what learnings look like in their home The power of "letting go" in unschooling Is it harder for educators to let go and unschool? We discuss her Deschooling process and how she shuts down negative self talk- ( you know that little voice of doubt and fear that we can all experience, coming from within and the outside? ) The two types of naysayers- and why understanding those types helps us to choose our response or reactions (or lack of) to them Having an accountability partner and advocate- why her sister is the biggest gift to their unschooling experience Lesley's advice to educators that are considering homeschooling Resources Reach out to Lesley through her blog- Watch Monkey Mama or on Instagram- @

Natural Learning Resources If you are new to homeschooling, are thinking about homeschooling or need some fresh ideas, then this episode is for you! In this episode I'm sharing natural learning resources and ideas that we can use in our home education journey. This applies to all forms of Homeschooling and Unschooling. This episode is for the families that are looking to try something of the school box of learning. What I share in this episode is not expensive curriculum. There is no curriculum mentioned at all, actually! Instead, these are resources, activities and tools that are easy to find and accessible within our home or community. Where To Begin? Where to begin? First I go through important steps to consider when you are beginning your homeschooling journey or when your family needs a change. I offer questions and prompts to consider on your own and with your family. Here are a few examples:   What is important in your home learning journey? What does learning mean to you? Education? What do I value? My learning history. Where am I coming from? Do my past education and school experiences reflect my current reality? Are there things from my past learning experience that I would like to change? Why? What impact would that have? Engage with your children- What are they interested in? What would they like to see and do in their homeschool life? In their daily life? What would they like to create? To play? What would they like to Build? Envision your home learning journey together- What do we love to do? When do we feel safe? What core values do we want to carry through? Natural Learning Resources That My Family Has Loved I share activities and resources that have supported my family's learning journey in many ways. In this episode I break up the resources into "subjects" or learning outcomes that they fall into. Literacy: Family Read Alouds ~ All of the ways that it has enhanced our connection, the how, why and where it has added to our learning and suggestions Act It Out- Drama, Theatre, Dress Up & Make Believe~ Ways and resources we can enhance this at home and what it builds for our learning Audio~ Books and Podcasts Visual- Movies, Screen-time and Digital Media Math: Lego~The math foundations that it builds Maps~What we always have in our home, ways we incorporate maps and the math concepts and foundations maps build and support Natural Learning Resources and tools that support Measurement- Digital Scales, Tape Measures, Sticks and more Building~ The materials we can find around us Board Games~ Gameschooling and my favourite places to find affordable games Creating Surveys Science: Nature Jou

Homeschool, Adversity and Education with Dr. Carline Crevecoeur Dr. Carline Crevecoeur is a Haitian American board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, a wife, and a mother of five adult children.  She was raised in NY and attended St. John’s University as an undergraduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She did her medical school and residency training at SUNY Downstate.  After several years of medical service in New York and Pennsylvania, Carline gave up her career to raise and homeschool her five African American children. Her homeschool journey is told in her new memoir: Pressure Makes Diamonds: From Homeschooling to the Ivy League – A Parenting Story.  She has volunteered on education boards such as WPSU, a local public radio, and NAAHP (National Asso. for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals) and sponsored many public health programs.    Dr. Crevecoeur has recently won her school board election race, making her the first Black person in her school district to do so.  In This Episode "Education is about life. And life happens." In this episode Dr. Carline Crevecoeur and I explored our thoughts on parenting, learning, homeschooling, education and school. I know you will enjoy the warmth and heart that Carline brings to our conversations. In this episode you get to learn more about her work, homeschool life and the joy, adversity, grief and acceptance that came along with their experiences. This episode is not only for homeschool parents, but any parents that are looking to do better for their learning community. Listen in as we talk about honouring the individual child and why sometimes the best we can do for their learning is to get out of their way. We also explore the power of family and community and being a role model within those spaces. For some, it may not seem like we belong but our voices are actually powerful and important. We also talk about Carline's wonderful book, Pressure Makes Diamonds- From Homeschooling To The Ivy League: A Parenting Story Homeschool, Adversity and Education I love talking with Carline and here's why I know you will love listening to our conversation; Born in Haiti, Carline immigrated to New York and then raised her family (one a very few black families) in Pennsylvania. Through these experiences she brings diverse perspective. Dr. Carline Crevecoeur is a doctor that decided to leave her practice to homeschool her 5 children because that decision reflected their core values of family, connection and self confidence best. I know it was not an eas

Julie Bogart is a mother to 5 adult children that she homeschooled full time for 17 years. She is a writer and owner of Brave Writer, a company she started in January of 2000 with the hope to be able to raise children who see writing as a tool of self expression, not merely a subject to pass to get into college. Julie joined me in my Club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling to talk about her book, Raising Critical Thinkers. Raising Critical Thinkers This conversation was engaging, passionate and timely. We explored what it means to be a critical thinker and the ways that we can support critical thinking. So why this book, now? Starting with the dawn of the internet, Julie was flabbergasted with how cruel people could be to each other on line. It was almost opposite to how we interacted face to face. Julie wanted to know; Why do we believe we are right? Why do we double down so hard in the face of people we care about sharing a different belief system than us? What can we do to recapture civil discourse while growing and learning? Why do we think what we think? In this discussion we explore thinking critically in a world that offers unlimited information, interpretations, viewpoints and opinions. Julie asks, "Can we learn to tolerate our own discomfort while making room for a viewpoint that contradicts what we want to be true?" Will we make room to understand how beliefs function for other people? Within our Homes, With Our Children and Homeschooling Julie says that critical thinking starts with caring. The majority of my listeners are parents like me, that are dedicated to creating and supporting the best loving environment that we can offer our children. Because don't we as parents care the most? Julie shares that feeling, but asks us to reflect on the idea that we often want our children to uncritically accept our authority first. And when we do that, is that giving them a chance to think critically? You know the saying, "parents always know best"? Or "do as I say". When we believe this, what we are asking for is strict obedience. She calls it our "parental propaganda program". Julie asks that before we demand compliance we fist explore ideas with our kids. We challenge our own beliefs and value the perspective and story of each child. Ultimately, "We are trying to have capacity to hold more viewpoints, not fewer." Resources Brave Writer Julie'

Resilience This special recorded interview is from the March 2022 How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit. The summit theme was the 3 R's of learning which for us is not the traditional reading, wRiting, aRithmetic. The 3 R's are; Reclaim, Resist, Resilience. Leah McDermott, founder of Your Natural Learner was our keynote speakers to the theme of Resilience. Resilience for homeschool parents as well as our children. Leah joined me to close out the day with this special interview. Leah McDermott~ Mom, Grown Homeschooler, Educator, Unschooler First and foremost, Leah is a mom. She has three rambunctious little boys who love spending every single second that they can out in nature. Leah’s story begins as a homeschooled child. Her father was in the military, so her parents began homeschooling her in third grade out of necessity at first, but eventually because of a disappointment in the complete lack of engaging material found in the classrooms (keep in mind this was over 20 years ago!)  Sadly, not much has changed for the better. Her homeschool days were filled with family activities, independent learning, field trips, and worldwide adventures. She made it into her first choice for college with multiple scholarships. Leah received her Bachelors in Elementary Education, followed by a Masters of Education as a certified Reading Specialist, followed by a second Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. After three years of teaching in both rural and urban elementary schools, she decided to leave the profession after having her oldest son.  When her son turned two, and began to show interest in learning, Leah found that she naturally was providing exciting learning opportunities for him, and had many mothers begin asking her to share my experiences with them. And now..here she is… From Homeschool To School To No School Leah and I got into all of the ideas we hold onto around learning, children and development: The difference between the traditional system and what the data shows from neuroscience around development and learning. (How we learn best does not match what we do in the traditional education system) The Deschooling process and how it can be an even bigger for parents that come to homeschooling as trained educators. Learning to write Screens and time with screens Trusting the natural learning process How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit If you enjoyed this episode, the full day recordings are available on the website, <a href="https://howtobeanawesomehomeschooler.com/" aria-label="und

Supporting Passions and Unschooling to Adulthood The Hunter family began their unschooling journey over 9 years ago. Tira Hunter says that "the benefits of unschooling put her daughter on a path to have a career in art and the freedom to pursue her passions on her own terms." Zoi Hunter is now 19 years old and a full-time commissioned artist. Zoi and her mother, Tira joined me on this episode to talk about their path to unschooling. They also share what they were able to reclaim along the way. Supporting Passions and Unschooling to Adulthood- What You'll Hear In This Episode You'll probably notice as you listen to this episode that Tira is a friend of mine. We met online and became fast friends, sharing our fears, joys and continuous Deschooling with each other. As moms to Unschooled teens that are extremely focused on personal passions, we connected. Knowing Tira and Zoi's journey, I was excited that they came on the show. Their story is so real and inspiring that I know parents will appreciate hearing it. And to hear them share this story together makes it even more impactful. "I was a nervous wreck." Tira keeps it real. She is extremely honest about the struggles and fears she has had on this journey. As she says, the person in their family that had the hardest time Deschooling was.. her. In this episode you'll hear their story from Academic public school to unschooling. Actually, their path went from public school to "school at home" homeschooling to unschooling. Tira did what many of us do, repeat what we know, even if it is no longer serving us. What we know is usually school. It wasn't until they were absolutely miserable that Zoi's dad suggested a change. Tira scaled back, stepped back and tried this unschooling thing. Zoi was ready for change. You'll hear how and why self directed learning was the best match for her, how it shifted their family dynamic and helped Tira to let go of her "schoolish" ideas. But How Do Grown Unschoolers Actually Find A Job Or Get Into College? Tira shares a wonderful story in this episode of when Unschooling finally "clicked" for her. She saw her apply what she was doing to life. Zoi had a task to complete and found an ingenious solution to a problem on her own because of the time she had to experiment, research and test. (The Dish Soap Story ;) ) From there, the time and space Zoi had allowed her to explore art. And Zoi's interest in Art and creating took off. Art became Zoi's passion, her full circle unschooling journey. Zoi and Tira share how art has been Zoi's path to business and the broader world. We talk about the steps and mentors she has found along the way and the opportunities that opened up for her through unschooling. Zoi certainly did not follow a traditional

Supporting Passions & Unschooling In The Teen Years In unschooling, children learn through everyday life experiences. That is the path that our family has followed since we decided to Worldschool, when our oldest was halfway through grade 1. We made a choice to try our best to support our children in following their interests and passions. What that looked like many years later was our son, at age 14, leaving home to live and work in the Canadian wilderness for a wildlife outfitters. He worked many months trail cutting, horse wrangling and learning to guide. In This Episode~Unschooling In The Teen Years Want a a little peek into what it looks like to raise a teen Unschooler? In this episode, I interview my son, Ronan. We talk about supporting passions, his time away from home, what it is like growing up unschooled and our family experience. We also took time to answer questions sent in by listeners: What did he learn about himself while he was living and working away from home at age 14 & 15? What did he miss and not miss about home? How did unschooling help him prepare for his adventures and his return home? What was the hardest thing he had to face during his time away? How did you solve it? What are his future plans? What words of advice do I, as his mom, have for other parents that want to unschool in the teen years and support their children's passions? Support and Community for Parents that are looking to homeschool or unschool Our Second Homeschooling Summit begins March 18th! It is a day jam packed with resources, information, conversation and amazing guests. You will walk away inspired and ready to reclaim joy in learning, encouraged and ready to resist those naysayers and resilient with a wider community of support. How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit~ March 18th~Reclaim. Resist. Resilience. Join our amazing line up of speakers and connect with wonderful community. Reclaim Keynote: Ainsley Arment of Wild + Free Reclaim Keynote: Kelly Edwards of 90 Minute School Day and Robyn Robertson of Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids~ Reclaim The Teen Years Resist Keynote and Workshop~Worldschooling and Play: <a href="https://imhomeschooling.com/play-with-your-food-karen-ricks/" aria-label="undefined (opens

Reclaim. Resist. Resilience. Homeschooling shifts and changes with the season, doesn't it? Our homeschool seasons may follow a weather pattern, but more often than not, they follow development, physical cycles and the impact of our life experiences. In this episode Kelly Edwards and I talk about this newest season of homeschool that we face. Our kids are getting older, the world around us is shifting and our needs have become clearer. What we need is our 3 R's- Reclaim, Resists and Resilience. This March 18th, we are hosting another homeschooling summit~ How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler ~ based on the Three R's~ Reclaim, Resist, Resilience. We know through our own experience that we can't do this alone. Homeschooling works best in community. So we have decided to create one. You can join us at the summit. In This Episode.... Reclaim What does we need to reclaim in our homeschool? Kelly and I talk about how our homeschool can be impacted when we work at reclaiming childhood, motherhood, the teen years, freedom and independence. Resist Did you know that just the act of choosing to homeschool is resistance? Resistance can mean many things to different people, but in homeschooling the choice to resist is impactful. We talk about how choosing to resist things like parenting norms that no longer serve us, beliefs about children and the learning process can actually free us in our homeschool journey. Resilience The 3 R's actually tie together. When we choose to reclaim our core values, childhood and the natural learning process, we are resisting the beleifs and fears that are holding us back. And when we begin facing our fears and learning how to work through them, connect and find support, our resileince grows. Our children become more resilient and in turn, our family structure does too. Who doesn't want that? Join us March 18th in my Club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling on the Clubhouse app. The summit is a free all day event with a chance to learn, ask questions and connect. The summit features 6 keynote speakers for the themes of Reclaim.Resist.Resilience.  Here is a peek into what the day will look like:  Friday, March 18  Reclaim 10:00 am EsT: Ainsley Arment, Wild+Free Live Keynote+Q&A Friday, March 18  Reclaim 11:00 am EsT: Robyn Robertson, Honey! I’m Homeschooling Th

Ekanem Ebinne is a musical parenting coach with 15 years of experience as a kids and family music programmer, in a wide range of musical styles. She is trained in developmental musical psychology and certified to teach music for infants and young children by the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. Ekanem has worked with kids and adults from over 15 countries. Music has always been about connecting with other people "Music has always been about connecting with other people....but right now music is about connecting to what's stable and beautiful and hopeful for me from the past and hopefully going into the future". Ekanem and I explore the world of connection, communication, children and parenting through music. Music and communication. Have we lost our connection to music? Are we disconnected from the right to be musical? This is explored as part of the Deschooling theme this season. We discuss how we view music as a form of communication and relationship with others, particularly with our children and ourselves. In this episode In this episode we explore the power and history of music. "All behaviour is musical. Tone, intensity, rhythmic. Tuning in is a way of communicating and relating to each other." If all behaviour is musical, then why do we compartmentalize music in our learning and life? Ekanem takes me on an exploration of: Music and Communication The ways we have lost touch with our "music-ing" The words we use that discourage the musical process and musical communication in our everyday lives. "I can't sing", "tone deaf"...what that really means and how we can shift our words and perspective Two ways we can improve our basic "Musicman-ship" Using and introducing instruments to our young children- where and how do we start? Building an initial vocabulary of music from our children's infancy Finding and supporting our child's natural rhythm and musical tastes Ekanem's work focuses on mothers with young children and supporting music from those stages but she says that it is never too late. Even if we didn't start young. We can still bring music into the rhythms of our every day. Resources You can connect with Ekanem on Clubhouse @Ekanem Ebinne Instagram @singinghome Christopher Small Book- Musicking (making music into a verb and not a noun) The Gordon Institute For Music Learnin