LIVE without Training Wheels

Sherri Lund is a Christian, veteran homeschool mom, and life coach. She has found the Enneagram to be particularly helpful in understanding her own healthy and unhealthy tendencies in relationship and how she can take those into consideration. She joined us to talk about how the Enneagram can be useful in our homeschools and families in recognizing that we are all different and might react differently to the same situations.

If you're homeschooling more than one child, and especially if you're homeschooling a crew, changes are good that there will be times when one child - because of learning or behavior struggles, metal or physical health challenges or other reasons - needs a lot more of your attention than the other kids. My dear friend Kendra Fletcher joined me to talk about this challenge - both how to navigate it and how to think about it. If you've ever struggled with balancing attention to multiple children, I think you'll find this episode encouraging!

Before she became a homeschool mom (unexpectedly) Shawna Wingert was a corporate consultant teaching big-league companies how to maximize employee productivity and boost morale by focusing on making the best use of employee strengths rather than trying to correct weaknesses. When Shawna began homeschooling, she wondered if these same science-based, researched-backed approaches could work with her children in her home as well. And now, with two nearly-grown sons of her own and loads of experience coaching other moms, she can confidently say, that yes, it does! Listen in as Shawna describes her experience and encourages us to teach to our children's strengths!

Do you feel overwhelmed teaching writing in your homeschool? Have you tried other methods or programs that left your kids believing they were bad at writing or that they hated writing? Julie Bogart joined us on the LIVE without Training Wheels show to talk about the Brave Writer program, how it's more mindset than method, and how it differs from other writing instruction or curriculum you may have tried!

Homeschooling multiple ages and wondering how to manage writing instruction? Let's chat about using Writer's Workshops from Layers of Learning! Sisters Karen and Michelle - sisters, homeschool moms, and creators of Layers of Learning are here to chat with us about how to teaching writing to multiple ages with their new Writer's Workshop resources!

It was my distinct pleasure to chat with my friend Pam Barnhill about managing life as a work-from-home mom as the creator of the popular Morning Time Plans and Plan Your Year homeschool resources. Pam shared how she manages her time, how she uses social media without getting sucked in to time-wasting and how she and her husband have made their unique set-up work!

We all have a lot to balance (or juggle?) but what about those moms who are working and homeschooling? Some of the best examples of this are those moms who are working to create homeschool resources for the rest of us while they labor in the trenches homeschooling right along side of us, like moms Karen and Michelle, sisters and creators of Layers of Learning!

During the "By Moms, For Moms" series, we're talking with moms who are both experienced in the homeschool trenches and are actively creating resources to bless and benefit homeschool families. What's it like to homeschool and run a business on the side? How do moms make that work? We'll chat with Julie Bogart, creator and owner of Brave Writer, about how her gift grew from hobby to business to household word for a homeschool lifestyle. Listen in to find out what it's like to manage the behind-the-scenes aspect of her work-life balance!

Maybe you've read a lot of books or articles on productivity. But if there really are good ways to be more productive, how come people have so many different ideas about the right way to do it? Join us as we chat with Melanie Wilson about her new book "A Year of Living Productively". She spent a year experimenting with various methods of productivity and sharing what she discovered. She'll share what she tried and what she recommends if you'd like to conduct your own experiments!

Online courses and websites can be a great way to supplement or outsources some of your homeschooling. But how do you evaluate the resources you use? And what about online safety? Screen time? And computer purchasing and sharing? We'll chat with Beth Napoli, the Techie Homeschool Mom, for some of her best tips for navigating online homeschooling options.

Everyone warned you about raising teens. Maybe you're nervous about it. Maybe you think you've got a fool-proof plan. But Connie Albers joined us to remind us that parenting teens isn't about rules - it's about relationships. Listen and be encouraged!

You expected challenges parenting teens. But were you caught off guard with the unexpected emotional reactions of your tweens? Let's talk about the 9-12s! Join us as we hear from Hal and Melanie Young of Raising Real Men and author of "No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope".

Julie Bogart, owner and creator of the popular Brave Writer program is now the author of The Brave Learner, a book that explores the way children learn and how to support that learning journey effectively and lovingly. Julie shares some about the writing journey as well as some of the big ideas in her book.

Homeschooling under any circumstances can be a challenge, both physically and emotionally. But what if you are dealing with depression - either postpartum or otherwise? Is it possible to keep homeschooling? Let's talk about some strategies and encouragements to keep you going, even when depression is dragging you down.

You've gotten into a groove with homeschooling, found your style and determined your comfort level with routines and academics. And then high school looms on the horizon. Does everything change? Are all bets of? Do you have to crank it up a notch? And what about preparing for SATs and college? Join guest Ann Karako as we chat about homeschooling high school!

Are you an extroverted homeschool mom? Then you're invited to a homeschool mom party with Mary Wilson of Not Before 7 and Amy Sloan of Humility and Doxology! What are the particular struggles that come with homeschooling when you're an extrovert. Let's chat about how extroverts can get peopled-out, too, and what it looks like for an extroverted homeschool mom to recharge!

This episode was originally aired around the holiday season, but it is applicable all year round. There are many good material gifts we can give our kids. But in this episode, I share three things that every child needs and that you can bless them with each day.

You want to connect with your kids. You want to ask good questions and be a good listener. But ... it doesn't always work. Despite your best attempts, you get one-word answers. Mary Wilson joins us to share her best tips for fostering great conversations with your kids - from littles to tweens and teens!

Are you homeschooling a child with dyslexia (or considering it)? Do you wonder if your struggling learner might be dyslexic? Or, do you just need some encouragement to embrace the beauty and purpose of homeschooling? All of these are great reasons to listen to Marianne Sunderland - veteran homeschool mom of eight, seven with dyslexia - share her wise words about homeschooling!

{Note: Audio from live-streaming video was rather rough for this episode.} Are you facing gatherings with family who don't exactly support your choice to homeschool? How do you answer the homeschool skeptics? How can you wisely protect your children from unnecessary scrutiny and also love your family well?

Are your teens on social media? How do you know when they are ready? Should you even allow them to have their own social media accounts? How will you know what guidance to offer or recognize the signs of online bullying? Let's chat with Leah Neiman as she shares wise words for moms about navigating the world of social media with our teens.

Have you added Morning Time to your homeschool? My friend Amy Sloan joins us with her take on morning time as well has her tips for making it workable for a wide range of ages and interests. Her approach was both refreshing and encouraging and re-reminded me of the original purpose of Morning Time!

Have you been burdened by expectations and obligations that are not requirements God places on his children? Have you struggled to regain your hold on the gospel while clearing away the cobwebs of legalistic thought and behavior? Kendra Fletcher, author of "Leaving Legalism" shares wise words of comfort and encouragement perfect for the weary homeschool mom looking for freedom!

In the homeschool, learning doesn't have to be divided up into separate-subject boxes. Sometimes combining skill practice can save time. On the other hand, sometimes you need to separate out concepts in order to determine mastery. How do you know which to do when? Listen in and learn some tips and strategies for implementing bundling and unbundling in skill training!

When Lynna asked moms what is the biggest obstacle to consistency in their homeschools, they often joke "the children"! It's funny, but there's some truth to it. You'll understand that especially if you've got an easily distractable child. They can't seem to stay focused on a task. They can't remember what it was they were sent to do. And you're left wondering if this is a character issue or just a developmental phase. Join Lynna as she explains the dilemma, suggests some diagnostic tools, and helps moms to have some strategies to implement in their homeschools.

Lynna Sutherland is the owner and author of Homeschooling without Training Wheels where she shows moms how to ditch what's slowing them down and look to Jesus, embracing the freedom and flexibility of the gospel. Every Tuesday night, Lynna hosts the LIVE without Training Wheels show on Crowdcast, Facebook, and YouTube. When the show is done, we grab the audio track and turn it into a podcast so you can listen on the go. Join us and start homeschooling and parenting without training wheels!