Addicted to Brave Podcast

20 year homeschool veteran Chauncy Childs and her Co Creator Shane Eastman join me in a discussion about their new platform launching the summer of 2022, connecting home educators and resources! The first half of the interview we have a discussion on CRT.  Listen in! 

Steph Andrews has been a director of Classical Conversations in Minnesota for 4 years.  If you've ever wondered just what it's all about, here's a great rundown! If you're looking for a curriculum with a community, this might be what you're looking for.  

From owning an educational business with her husband in LA where they taught child actors and pre pro athletes, to a private school teacher and on to homeschooling, Christy Faith is a wealth of information and resource!  If you're looking for a passionate dialogue on preserving the family, you'll want to tune into this episode!

Today we celebrate the 50th episode! I wanted to gather my kids and have my family share their memories and insights about being homeschooled their whole life.  

This is an interview I just wasn't going to be able to have with just anyone! Dachelle  taught math in the private school system before she began to invest 10 years so far into homeschooling.  You will walk away with so much mindset and resource, you'll be amazed.  Listen in, and enjoy!

I absolutely love bringing resources to the table for homeschooling families! Brett Pike is a number 1 best selling author of conservative principled children's books.  Listen in to hear his journey! His children's book series "Cubs to Bears" is found on Amazon.  Enjoy!

With a family of 5 children, Vanessa Bryant is a mom of a blended family out of New Mexico.  When their then 4 year old (4th child) went to preschool, she was told all of the things her daughter was doing wrong.  Vanessa and her husband decided that public school just wasn't for their family anymore.  Now having  homeschooled for 10 years, she has so much to share in her details that will help every homeschooling mom! Listen in!

Do you ever wonder if you're good enough to homeschool? Do you ever wonder if maybe it's just you that is wanting something different for your family? Yes, you're good enough, and No, it's not just you.  Listen in and be encouraged.

It's tempting to think after two weeks of homeschooling that you're a failure! But I want to encourage you to gain a perspective that this is a marathon, and not a sprint! Listen in and take a deep breathe. :) 

One of the most popular homeschooling methods, the Classical Method often incorporates Greek and Latin as well as a Biblical Worldview training. Find out how you'll know if this is for you.

Charlotte Mason Methodology was created by Charlotte Mason in the 19th Century for Nannies and Tutors.  Listen in as you can find out quickly if it's for you! 

When I pulled my son out of Kindergarten, I chose the exact same curriculum he was already using at his small school so that I could SEND HIM BACK after 6 months when it didn't work.  HAHAHA! So, we started with traditional schooling and then moved on from there.  Listen in and see if this helps you make a move!

Have you ever heard this terminology before? I always wished that I had given myself more permission to be in an unschooler. However, I never researched it, had friends that I knew well around me that were doing it, and to be quite honest I was too scared! Now, having interviewed moms who have either been unschooled or do unschooling themselves, I see the vast benefits. Listen in and see if this is something that resonates with you.

So many moms ask me what curriculum should they use for Pre K and Kindergarten! I wanted to give mindset and the recommendation of starting with a unit study if you're looking for a less rigid way to school your child that can sometimes be heavy with textbooks for every subject, and instead just have some fun! Lots of reading of books and enjoying life. :) Listen in! 

My best girlfriend in the whole wide world has homeschooled 4 children, 2 of which are non verbal autistic.  She is a wealth of information because of her experience over the past 2 decades.  Grab a pen and be encouraged and get yourself resourced!

Mindset and resources to get your feet wet.  There is so much information out there, you have no reason to fret! Trust me.  If I can do this, so can you!

Nobody is going to ask you in 5 years how “that” decision to homeschool is working out for you.  Everyone is focused on their own journey.  Embrace YOUR journey, LOVE

The MOST frequently asked question! What about socialization? How will they ever learn how to be normal? Well, I'm super opinionated, so listen in.  HA!

Did you assess your child's learning style after the 2nd episode? How about your teaching style after episode 3? Now let's look at curriculum styles.  How do you want your day to day to look inside of your home? Listen in!

I know that this can feel like learning a NEW language! UGH! So, I have two resources from my own personal stash.  One is an online store, the other a wealth of information blog along with an incredible world history curriculum.  

How your kids learn is super important.  But how you teach, is important also! Your personality and the way you function is a huge piece to your puzzle. 

Season 2 Episode 2 #1 ~  Find out what your state requires for you to be able to homeschool. #2 ~ Do this for each of your children! What are their learning styles? 

The beginning of Season 2 ~ A series of consumable segments for you to binge on to help you get your homeschool up and running!

Diana is an absolute legend in the homeschooling industry!  She is a respected historian in the Christian education field.  You will love her experience that will set you free to enjoy your journey, think about how your child learns, and get resourced for learning styles and history! Tune in and enjoy!

Today's episode is with a great mom from Ohio! Victoria Carrington shares her family adventure where she homeschooled the whole way from K-12.  Enjoy!

Liana Francisco was unschooled homeschooled starting in the 80's when it wasn't very popular.  I guess that's an understatement.  :) Listen in on her story of how she loved her upbringing, has her master's degree, and is now homeschooling her own 4 year old.  Enjoy!

Betsy Harloff, author of "Not a Picture Perfect Parent: Unfiltered Motherhood from Birth to Adulthood" was my guest today.  What a great story.  You'll want to hear her story of being a high school drop out, a homeschooling mom, and then writing a book about all of her mistakes.  I just know you're going to love it!

Recently I asked our kids to share memories  from their homeschooling days. 

This is great connection with my husband Kerry's cousin.  Their family lives in North Dakota.  She has 7 children and has already graduated 3 of them.  You'll be so encouraged to know you can TOTALLY do this! 

Angie had a son who was not connecting the dots because of an auditory deficit.   She was told to homeschool him for a year or two.  It's now 28 years later, and 3 more kids.  I know this journey will help encourage and empower so many moms! 

Families are now starting to pull their kids from school in the midst of chaos or uncertainty.  I want to say "Good for you mom, you go!" But yet,  I know there are moms that are also scared to pull the trigger.  Let's chat about it.  I want to empower you in the best way I know how. Stories and honesty. 

Heidi Tonero currently lives in Delaware, but was raised in New Jersey.  One item to note about this interview is her experience with a child who was incorrectly diagnosed with ADD and had severe reactions to medication for 10 months.  As they then chose to homeschool, they hit the road for 4 years and have amazing stories to tell along their journey! Tune in.

This is part two of a two part series with Sandy Cosby.  Her story started with her being homeschooled in the 80's, to getting her 1st college degree at 20, becoming a spy in the army, and then on to homeschooling her child.  A great 2 part series for you to enjoy. Be encouraged!

This is part one of a two part series.  Sandy Cosby was homeschooled in the 80's when it was illegal in California.  Her story is a crazy journey you're going to want to hear.  Tune in!

Wendy Lukonen is a mom of 3 adult children in Michigan.  They homeschooled while running a business and the kids schooled right along side of that.  She and I were quite parallel in our thought processes and journey.  You'll love listening to her view on the truth that you're going to be afraid anyway, so you might as well just do it!

It's easy to look back and see how faithful God has been and just say to you, the homeschool mom, "Don't worry, be happy!" But the truth is that when you're in the thick of it, you may truly need someone to come along side of you and remind you that God really does have you on this journey, and it can be one big adventure if you choose it to be.  

It was so great to sit down with Madison! She was best friends to my daughter, Khayla, and second daughter to me.  She shares how much she loved homeschooling and how she plans on continuing the tradition with her now 4 year old.  Tune in! 

Short podcast answering the question about the difference between distance learning and homeschooling.  Share with someone who needs to know! There are a lot of decisions being made right now as we are in September. 

In this episode, I was able to sit and chat with my bestie, Stacy Lee, whose family homeschooled along side of ours for about 10 years.  It seriously makes me know that I know that I know that it was by far one of the best decisions we ever made.  Great memories while we were designing our families! I would do it all over again. 

Are you second guessing yourself? If you're like me, that's what I learned about myself over and over again over the last 3 years.  What I know now is that change is not only ok, it's inevitable.  So, if you're the one that needs this encouragement, tune in! If it's not for you, share with someone you know who needs to be encouraged to trust their gut!

In this episode I had the honor to sit and chat with my oldest son, Braden.  He found out he loves so many things. However, the one thing he absolutely hated? Tune in. I love having the opportunity for others to get a look inside of a family who did the thing.  The whole thing! LOL Enjoy! 

In this episode I answer questions that people have asked me about homeschooling.  I go over some of the styles of learning that are most often used.   I also discuss resources where you can find information on your state and where to purchase curriculum.  If you have future questions or would like to request my PDF on time management thought process, email me at addictedtobrave@gmail.com

I have a friend who has taught civics for over 20 years.  Her claims to fame are 1) Her students never know how she votes, and 2) She was nominated for the Minnesota teacher of the year award.  I wanted to take a week and let her share what she just launched as an adult refresher course, along with what's coming for the homeschool community.  You'll want to check out this episode and get a taste of her passion and zeal for the foundations of this country.  What a great way to start convos with your kiddos! Here's a link to her course that she is offering uber affordable!!  https://citizenship2day.com/two-step-orderl4wmbd5o

In this episode I was thrilled to interview a fellow Minnesota mom.   Kim previously taught 4th and 6th grade for 8 years in public and private schools.  She chats honestly about wanting her daughters to go to school so she could have "me" time. Living 2 hours from the Twin Cities, they capitalized on their daughter's musical gifts as they customized their homeschool. Her openess in wondering whether or not she was successful as she graduated them was so refreshing. Join us as we chat all things homeschooling!

In this episode I had the privilege of interviewing my daughter.  She talked about the one thing she would have done differently, all of the things that she loved, and the one thing that never happened to her.  Tune in and hear the perspective of a girl who was homeschooled from K-12 and is now 28.  Will she homeschool her kids? 

Mom of 5, 3 boys and 2 girls! Dawn Stanko from New Jersey joins me today.  When their parochial school closed down and the price of private school was way too high, they chose to homeschool.  The oldest at the time was in the 5th grade.  Most moms may think the 5th grade is too challenging to start with.  As her husband ran a business, they jumped in and never looked back.  Listen in as Dawn tells her story and experiences.  

Pat homeschooled her 6 kids to date over a span of 23 years.  She hadn't even heard of homeschooling when she walked into a teacher's supply store and it struck her creativity.  They have a great well rounded story that includes sports such as soccer, t -ball, high diving, volleyball, baseball, and basketball just to name a few.  Taking on family members that were ill or a grandparent that needed cancer treatment, they learned above and beyond academics by living life together.  You can find Pat on FB inside of a group called  Homeschooling 101 from Crisis to Clarity which serves entrepreneurs who homeschool.  

In this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Molly Christensen from Utah. She has a mechanical engineering degree and has been homeschooling her 7 children for 20 years! Her first son is blind in one eye, lacking depth perception.  Her second child, a daughter, had health issues in Kindergarten.  They discovered she was gluten intolerant. You can find information about her curriculum at buildingheroesacademy.com. She is also the author of the book "How to get everything done".  

Today's episode is an interview with Beth Swiger from Washington D.C. She has been homeschooling for 11 years with 4 children.  Her husband had ADD and dyslexia growing up in a traditional school setting which didn't work as well for him, so they chose to homeschool.  They originally thought they had to follow a normal school schedule, but soon found out they could travel and do school at the same time.  This took their family to Costa Rica, Hawaii, Florida, and now D.C. On their facebook page "Shape your Family", you can download their FREE 30 Day Family Peace Journal.

I had a great time interviewing Carrie Casey from Texas. At the time that they began, they were just trying to figure out schedules for 2 daughters in 2 different schools that would be necessary if they went to school.  Their intention was to homeschool for only 1 year. They ended up graduating both daughters from their own school! Carrie spoke to how they managed socialization along with creative rewards for the girls as they would get their work done.  Listen in as she shares how their family chose to fill their years with international travel! 

In this episode, I jump into the hot seat.  My husband of 32 years, Kerry, interviews me so we can relay our background story as to how we began homeschooling.  We homeschooled 3 children over the course of 20 years.  Our oldest son is 31, our daughter is 28, and our youngest son is now 25. Listen in as we share our story of how we never anticipated what so ever going the distance of 20 years, but so glad we did!