This podcast is for homeschoolers and anyone interested in homeschooling. If you're looking for encouragement, inspiration, and resources for homeschooling, welcome.
I'm starting something new. I will write, at least a weekly newsletter, but probably daily or thrice-weekly blog posts. I'm thinking I'll have a podcast, too. I've had a few of my own solo podcasts in the past (The Mastermind Podcast, The Call of Men podcast, and Unsocialized: The Homeschool Podcast). I'm not sure what […]
We have some new theme music for the show! It’s by my friends, Trent and Siobhan. You can find them at rvworshipleader.com. Along with the new music, I want to tweak the show a little. It’s still about homeschooling, but it occurs to me that this is about so much more than homeschooling. It’s about purposely […]
Perhaps like you, I’m dreading the election. By the time you read/listen to this, we may already know the results. For what it’s worth, I think we’re pretty well sunk as a nation no matter who wins. Don’t get me wrong. I believe the results should be markedly better one way, but I believe the […]
Are you just starting out on this homeschooling journey? Here are 10 things I wish I’d known when I was a new homeschooling dad: We can do this. Our kids will be different – and that’s good! It’s not about getting them into Harvard. My wife is going to need cheerleading. And lots of help. […]
This week, in the words of Dean Martin, “I’m just trying to have a little fun, folks.” Enjoy.
We took an awesome field trip with our son last week. It was a bit more than a normal field trip, at least the way I remember them from my school days. Those usually involved a bus ride downtown to the art museum or the zoo or something like that. Not this field trip! We […]
How much authority does a local superintendent have over your homeschool? Well, that depends on how much they think they have and how much you’ll let them take. We’ll talk a little about that today and about the upcoming election as it relates to homeschooling. In addition, I have a question for you. Are you […]
On today’s episode, a listener asks: I just listened to your latest “Unsocialized” podcast where you discussed how difficult homeschooling is. You also referenced an article about things homeschooling will not necessarily prevent. I agree with you completely. However, your kids seem to be fully on board with homeschooling, making your difficulties bearable. What about kids […]
It’s been a long summer. I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d return, but here we are. The kids are back at co-op and I’m back behind the microphone. There are lots of changes this year for my homeschool. My oldest is a senior! From top to bottom, we now have a senior, an 8th grader, […]
“No one said it would be easy, but no one said it’d be this hard.” – Sheryl Crow Don’t get me wrong. I expect it to be hard. There are just some days, some months, heck even some years, when I feel like I’m in a battle — and I’m losing. Between the bills piling […]
As a parent, I want my kids to follow the rules. But, should I? Would you rather have Mary or Martha as your daughter? (Luke 10:38-42) Would you rather have the elder son or the prodigal son? (Luke 15) Worshipping the rules leads to missing God. Living from your heart may lead you to some […]
You read that right. The government wants to randomly audit homeschoolers (Random Audits For Homeschoolers?). They’re also very concerned about homeschoolers who decide not to take government money (Take Government Money Or Else!). But, don’t worry. Once your kid gets to college, he or she (or it, etc.) will never have to be offended again […]
It’s summertime! Well, almost… Our homeschool co-op finished up their school year, so that’s good enough for me! Let’s have some fun! If we’re sneaky, we might even get our kids to learn some things during the summer, too.
Why would I expect my child, who I chose to keep out of the government-run factories called public schools because I didn’t want her to be a government-trained cog in a machine — why would I expect her to fit neatly into society’s mold after high school graduation? Universities can’t solve our skills gap problem, […]
In a nutshell, Target is committing retail suicide. Those of us protesting Target are not doing so to be mean to transgender people. This is about public safety — specifically, the safety of my daughters to use the bathrooms and dressing rooms without unnecessary fear of fat, hairy, disgusting perverts trying to watch them because […]
I actually recorded this episode a couple weeks ago. It’s been a hectic time. So, here you go. Not everyone has this time with their kids. We have worked hard to engineer our families so that we can be at home with our kids. Let’s not waste it! On today’s episode, I talk about an […]
In this episode, we talk about the challenge of raising boys to be manly men. No, I don’t mean the Charlie Sheen ‘Two and a Half Men’ version of a manly man. I mean a man of character, honor, and integrity — the kind of man written about by Theodore Roosevelt in “The American Boy”. […]
In this episode, we talk about some lessons learned by a veteran homeschool mom and some surprising benefits of homeschooling. Sometimes expectations can be wrong, and sometimes that’s good. My 17-year-old daughter and I discovered a hidden benefit of homeschooling when we watched a movie recently. The movie included a scene of some public school […]
By now, you’ve probably heard the term “microaggression”. If not, my heartiest apologies for dragging you into this brave new world, but apparently, microaggressions are here to stay, at least until the next generation finds new and more microscopic ways to be offended. microaggression: a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or […]
My wife was away last week. She went to Seattle to visit her sister who was having a baby. So, I stayed home with four kids for a week. The catch? They all started feeling sick right before my wife left. After several days of massive coughing fits and fevers that came and went, I […]
It’s easy to do this homeschool thing alone, if you’re not careful. Do you have a homeschooling community? I know homeschoolers have differing opinions about this, but here are my top five benefits of Homeschool Co-ops. It gives you at least one day a week to get out of the house. Friends! Messy Mondays video […]
There are many different styles of homeschooling. What’s your style? Here are some of the most common approaches to homeschooling: Traditional (aka, School-at-Home) Classical (the “We want our kids to go to Harvard” approach) Charlotte Mason (for naturalists and artsy readers) Unit Studies (The 3 R’s crammed into one subject – dinosaurs) Unschooling (aka, Free […]
Are homeschool teachers just “parents playing teacher” with their “stay-at-home kids”? That’s what one Chicago public school teacher thought, until he started teaching at the college level and found that his best students were homeschoolers. What changed this teacher’s mind about home schooling What does a real day in the life of a homeschooling family look […]
This episode is a little different. I recorded it while sitting in a Panera restaurant with my portable digital recorder, so it sounds quite a bit different than my studio-recorded episodes. Two of my kids were participating in a musical theatre camp in Dayton, Ohio, so I was killing time while they learned from the […]
Homeschooling is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds in America and around the world. It has become a trendy educational option in all sectors of society. It’s really not that hard to find information about homeschooling. A quick Google search and you’re on your way. I don’t have any data on this, but I’m […]
Are you planning on sending your child to college? I don’t know yet. Honestly, my children will be highly involved in the decision about what to do after they graduate high school, so it’s technically not up to me I suppose. However, I like to think they’ll follow my advice if for no other reason […]
It’s a little late, but Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year! The holidays were a little crazy at my house, but like the Whos down in Whoville, Christmas came. And it was awesome. Now, I’m a little stressed because I have a high school junior who keeps changing her mind. Can I get an ‘Amen’?
Have you ever wondered what all the fuss is about with Star Wars? Me neither. I know it’s awesome! But the writing is… less than stellar. The good news for homeschooling parents is that, since they’re never going to stop making Star Wars movies, even if your children aren’t that great at writing, they could […]
You know that one book? That one curriculum that was all-important? That one that was going to be the foundation for your child’s education? That one that’s still on the shelf — unopened… Throw it away. You heard me. Or give it away! Sell it! Get it out of your house so it stops haunting […]
You just pulled your kid out of school (for whatever reason) and you want someone to tell you how to homeschool them. You found a volunteer homeschool co-op and you think, “My problems are solved! Surely, they can help me (aka, do this for me).” “They said homeschooling would be easy!” The astonishing amount of […]
Does God have a plan for the education of children? The prevailing wisdom among the education gurus seems to be that the government should educate our children from 3 years old to well into their adult years. What do you think? Is Pre-K Broken? 5 Surprising Ways Homeschooling Prepared Me for College (Plus 5 Ways it […]
What do you need to homeschool successfully? A computer? A white board? A custom-made Homeschool sign on your house? Here are my five essentials for homeschooling successfully… Read a lot. Play a lot. Pray a lot. OK, pray some. Don’t Do a lot. Stay a lot. 10 Homeschool Essentials (Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers) My Top 10 […]
There are a variety of reasons people quit homeschooling – some good, some not so good. These are my top five. Fear – This is never a good reason to do or not do something. What fears? Fear of failure, fear that you’re not a good teacher, fear that you’re kids aren’t learning anything, etc. […]
Do you know your child’s learning style(s)? I have a couple children that fit fairly well into a category of learning style, though they sometimes overlap with the others. I also have a couple of children that seem to resist labels and defy boundaries of all kinds. And that’s okay. It’s helpful to know about […]
It’s back-to-school time! Are you ready? Here are my 3 tips for getting back to school without losing your mind: Allow for a do-over. Phone a friend. Field Trip! How do you get back to school without going crazy? The Frightening Power of the Home-Schooling Lobby 50 Fabulous electives for homeschooled high schoolers
A baby’s crying out, but no one hears her scream Left alone to die before she has a name When does it become a matter to address? Our silence is a sin that can’t just be confessed What about their choice? The ones without a voice Where’s your soul in all this noise? What about […]
My kids are bored — and that’s good! Why? I’ve noticed that my kids are becoming addicted to entertainment. I hesitate to use that word, “addicted,” because we seem to throw it around a lot nowadays, but it fits, at least in a small way. When I was a kid, I remember getting bored in […]
On today’s episode, I talk with Steve Demme about homeschool conventions and homeschooling in general. Steve is a pioneer of the modern homeschooling movement, as well as a great math teacher. He created the popular math program, Math-U-See through his family-owned company, Demme Learning. Check out the podcast Steve and I do together at BuildingFaithFamilies.org.
My daughter recently spent a week at a musical theater camp called “Defying Gravity” that was produced by the cast and crew of the Broadway touring company of Wicked. She had the time of her life and there’s no way we could have managed this opportunity were it not for homeschooling. One of the reasons […]
Did you know it’s Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Day!? Neither did I, but it’s okay. You can appreciate the homeschool teacher in your life every day. Furthermore, did you know that… Education is a “Non-Family Enterprise”? Again, neither did I. But, I take issue with this one.
Why are men afraid to homeschool their children? Or, in many cases, why are men afraid to let their wives homeschool their kids? It’s too expensive. Socialization What will everyone think? (parents, family, friends, etc.) Messy castle – My house is already a mess. I want it to be clean and nice when I get […]
Lately, we’ve been struggling with guiding our children in managing technology in their lives. It seems like teenagers today can’t relate to each other except on their smartphones over text or SnapChat. What’s a parent to do? I know some families choose to chuck it all – no internet, no email, no phone, no TV. […]
Are kids too expensive? Sometimes it feels that way, especially when you’re paying for their education (in addition to paying your share of the local school district you don’t use). Well, if you feel that way, maybe it’s time for a shift in perspective. Kids don’t need everything. They just need you. And a little […]
On today’s episode, I interview teen author and homeschool student (and my daughter), Abigail Moore! If you have a book in you or you have a student who wants to be an author, you don’t want to miss this episode. We talk about Abigail’s new, self-published novel, The Only Exception. We also talk about writer’s […]
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – FDR I am afraid. Lately, I’ve been confronted by my fears. And, I’m shocked at how much of my life is being controlled by fear. I wonder how many others live this way. I suspect a great many of us. It’s not crippling fear, […]
Are you having trouble getting back into the swing of things after Christmas break? Me, too. School Board Scraps Controversial Rule on Religious Homeschooling Police Raided Christian Parents’ Home Searching for ‘Miracle’ Substance. They Reportedly Left with Couple’s Seven Kids.
You have to hear this episode to believe what some are saying about homeschoolers. Governor implies parents incapable of educating kids Child’s injured toe warrants weekly unannounced homeschool investigation? KS judge: Homeschoolers prepped for life in the 15th century (Germany) Supreme Court: Homeschooling Criminal—Families Vow Resistance The $7,000 Master’s Degree Is Scaring Colleges
Do you long to go “home for the holidays”? So many people are stressed out about the holidays and the last thing they want is to open up old wounds with family members they don’t see often. Is that what you want for your children when they grow up? Not me. I want my kids […]
What to get your homeschool kids for Christmas? I have a few recommendations: Experiences – tickets to a ball game or concert, an overnight camping trip, etc. Classic toys like Legos, Tinker Toys, Rubik’s Cube A Treasure Box How about Christmas activities? The Nutcracker A Christmas Carol play Christmas lights A living Nativity Game or […]
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
