Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids

Honey, I’m Homeschooling the Kids patreon

Sign-up here to join our Summer Conversation Series!

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 What "Enough" Means

00:41:19 Finding Joy in Homeschooling

00:54:44 Building a Supportive Community

00:56:25 Upcoming Podcast Guests

00:58:01 Embracing the Process of Learning

01:01:18 Creating Inspiring Homeschool Environments

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S8E165: Curriculum Conundrum: Dispelling Myths, Embracing Freedom

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:02:10 +0000

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?

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 patreon

90-Minute School Day in the Life community

Wild Math

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.

S8E164: Homeschooling: How Do I Not Screw This Up?

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 08:02:00 +0000

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 patreon

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 Goals

30:10 Closing Remarks and Looking Ahead

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S8E163: Summer Series Sneak Peek: How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:33:06 +0000

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

Wild + Free conference in Sept.

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:18 How We Met

00:06:52 Life Changes

00:10:01 Reflections on Life

00:15:33 Learning is Life

00:20:25 Launching a Community

00:23:17 Reimagining the Summit

00:28:55 Getting Ready for the Podcast Series

00:30:05 Unpacking the Concept of Home Learning

00:32:47 Dealing with Challenges in Homeschooling

00:36:19 Navigating Challenges in Homeschooling

00:37:30 Understanding the Role of School in Education

00:41:25 Defining Education, Schooling, and Learning

00:42:59 Exploring Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation

00:44:21 Tailoring Education to Individual Needs

00:51:22 Reflecting on the Homeschooling Journey

00:52:06 Rethinking Education and Learning

00:55:06 Focusing on How to Succeed in Homeschooling

00:55:28 Embracing the Process of Learning

00:56:21 Looking Forward to Future Conversations

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E162: Homeschool and Unschool Q&A

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 09:02:00 +0000

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 not find a need to write because everything is typed these days. Should I worry?

3. How do you handle doubting yourself? I started out a Charlotte Mason purist a few years ago and found your podcast and unschooling 2 years ago. Have been loving and seeing so much growth and curiosity but I find myself wondering if I'm doing enough and fall back into doing structured Charlotte Mason when I feel in doubt. Any tips on staying confident in unschooling?

4. I want to homeschool my 4 kids (9,7,5,3) but I don't feel like the smartest person. Now it is fine, but later?

5. I have a 1 year old but I'm already thinking about homeschooling plans. Currently going back to work; worried if I'll be able to sustain that goal when the time comes if I'm still working full time.

Resources

You can connect with Liana, Kelly and I each week in our online community on the Clubhouse app-Honey! I'm Homeschooling

Learn more about our annual spring homeschool summit~ How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler

Connect with Kelly on her website www.90minuteschoolday.com or Instagram @90minuteschoolday

Learn more about Kelly's lifestyle approach to education in this episode- Finding Freedom Within Structure.

You can connect with Liana on Instagram ~ @liana_francisco

You Tube- @HomeschoolMomLife

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.

A Word From Our Sponsor

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 MEL Science.

MEL Science is a subscription service that offers a range of educational resources and hands-on experiments for homeschooling families.

From chemistry to physics, medicine to STEM, MEL Science subscription boxes are packed full of exciting experiments and activities that will inspire and educate. These boxes are a perfect way to give homeschooling kids a practice with the hands-on boxes and get them involved in science activities.

With MEL Science, you’ll get all the materials needed for each experiment, including detailed instructions and educational materials that explain the scientific concepts behind each experiment.

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to teach science, MEL Science is a great choice.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 60% discount for your first box, and start exploring the fascinating world of science with MEL Science today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E161: Technology, Digital Learning and The Impacts

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:02:00 +0000

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 children for the future?

What impacts will technology and Artificial Intelligence have on the job market?

I enjoyed Josh's viewpoint on technology and how it is shaping our future. His perspective is uplifting and pragmatic. He offers a good reminder that we are all really seeking solutions to problems. And as much as sometimes we may be drawn to worry about the bad, there is still a lot of good that we are contributing to the world.

Resources

Josh Davidson is the Founder and Managing Director of Night Zookeeper, the award-winning online language arts program designed to make learning fantastically fun for children ages 6-12. With a dedication to improving online education over the past 12 years, Josh has brought enthusiasm and passion to the field of education, offering an exciting learning experience beyond the confines of traditional classrooms.

Josh's pioneering spirit emerged during his MA in Digital Art, making him one of the trailblazers in the United Kingdom for this field of study. Leveraging his creative expertise, he has elevated online learning to new heights through Night Zookeeper. Every aspect of this innovative program reflects his commitment to fostering children's creativity, encouraging them to unleash their imagination by designing their own imaginative animals within an interactive world that ignites a love for reading and writing.

At the forefront of innovation and growth, Josh and the Night Zookeeper team have continuously pushed the boundaries of online education. Embracing the ever-evolving landscape of technology, they have seamlessly integrated cutting-edge solutions to keep up with the dynamic trends shaping the thriving world of technology and education. As a result, Night Zookeeper has emerged as a pioneer in its field, providing adaptable solutions that redefine the learning experience for children worldwide and encourages children to have fun whilst learning.

If you would like to learn more about the platform and program, go HERE. Josh referenced author Daniel Pink. https://www.danpink.com/I referenced Dr. Peter Gray and his work on the importance of kids playing modern day tools mentioned in his book Free To Learn.

Thank You To Our Sponsor

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 MEL Science.

MEL Science is a subscription service that offers a range of educational resources and hands-on experiments for homeschooling families.

With MEL Science, you’ll get all the materials needed for each experiment, including detailed instructions and educational materials that explain the scientific concepts behind each experiment.

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to teach science, MEL Science is a great choice.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 60% discount for your first box, and start exploring the fascinating world of science with MEL Science today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E160: Overcoming Fears and Doubts with Erica Kesilman

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 09:02:00 +0000

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

Self Determination Theory

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.

S7E159: The Unschooling Journey- From Childhood To Adulthood with Missy Willis

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 09:02:00 +0000

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

If you would like to hear additional conversations with Missy, I recommend her first interview- Conscious Educator. Or, her recorded Honey! I’m Homeschooling Co-Hosted Conversations- Veteran Unschooling Moms Q&A, and Conscious Parenting & Deschooling.

For Support on your homeschooling and Unschooling journey join my Honey! I’m Homeschooling Patreon Community. Or connect with me One-On-One HERE.

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 MEL Science.

MEL Science is a subscription service that offers a range of educational resources and hands-on experiments for homeschooling families.

With MEL Science, you’ll get all the materials needed for each experiment, including detailed instructions and educational materials that explain the scientific concepts behind each experiment.

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to teach science, MEL Science is a great choice.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 60% discount for your first box, and start exploring the fascinating world of science with MEL Science today.

The Nature Of Things- Risky Play For Children- Why We Should Let Kids Go Outside And Then Get Out Of The Way

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E158: Why We Want Our Kids To Take Risks

Thu, 25 May 2023 18:19:43 +0000

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

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 Edwards

Supporting Passions and Unschooling in the Teen Years

Homeschooling Support

Join Our Community

One on One Coaching Support

Clubhouse Community

OUR 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 Fearless Learners by Success Codes and MEL Science.

Fearless Learners by SuccessCodes;
Where all children can learn and grow fearless with a Learning Success Coach by their side. Their certified Learning Success coaches make learning easy with their proven holistic coaching methodology which is a unique and superior alternative to tutoring and teaching in all subjects.
All of their coaches are certified teachers as well as certified Learning Success Coaches, who have left the school system to create the ‘right’ environment to provide customized and personalized learning experiences.

*Kohila is offering a FREE 45 minute clarity coaching call to Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners. Just go to learningsuccessacademy.com

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila’s weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

MEL Science is a subscription service that offers a range of educational resources and hands-on experiments for homeschooling families.

With MEL Science, you’ll get all the materials needed for each experiment, including detailed instructions and educational materials that explain the scientific concepts behind each experiment.

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to teach science, MEL Science is a great choice.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 60% discount for your first box, and start exploring the fascinating world of science with MEL Science today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E157: From The Soviet Union To Homeschooling

Fri, 12 May 2023 09:02:00 +0000

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 Fearless Learners by Success Codes and MEL Science.

*Kohila is offering a FREE 45 minute clarity coaching call to Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners. Just go to learningsuccessacademy.com

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila’s weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

MEL Science is a subscription service that offers a range of educational resources and hands-on experiments for homeschooling families.

With MEL Science, you'll get all the materials needed for each experiment, including detailed instructions and educational materials that explain the scientific concepts behind each experiment.

If you're looking for a fun and exciting way to teach science, MEL Science is a great choice.

Don't forget to take advantage of the 60% discount for your first box, and start exploring the fascinating world of science with MEL Science today.

CoLearn~Bridging Unconventional Education Approaches

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E156: How Do You Know If Online Learning Is The Right Option?

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 09:02:00 +0000

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 you would like to learn about other alternative programs, both in person and online, listen to these episodes~Village Home Learning Community

Podcast Sponsor

This episode was brought to you by Fearless Learners by Success Codes

*Kohila is offering a FREE 45 minute clarity coaching call to Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners. Just go to learningsuccessacademy.com

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila’s weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E155: Free To Learn and PLAY with Dr. Peter Gray

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:27:33 +0000

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

Free To Learn: Why Unleashing The Instinct To Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students For Life

Life Is Good Unschooling Conference

Let Grow Project

Podcast Sponsor

This episode was brought to you by Fearless Learners by Success Codes

*Kohila is offering a FREE 45 minute clarity coaching call to Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners. Just go to learningsuccessacademy.com

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila’s weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler~ March 24th 2023

Grab your FREE or Full Access Pass ticket (only $37) ~ HOW TO BE AN AWESOME HOMESCHOOLER

The summit is open to all since we are hosting it as an audio only experience on the Clubhouse app. But if you register for your FREE TICKET through the website you also receive our Digital Swag Bag that gives you a ton of resource freebies for parents and kids (like my son’s Science Animal Journal, Kelly Edwards Creating Quiet Time packet, Free Conscious Parenting mini course, Discounts on our favourite books, Kids Entrepreneurship Course, Discounts to online resources and MORE.

If you cannot make the live event, we are also offering a FULL ACCESS package of the recordings, pdfs and post summit community gatherings which include a Movie Screening~ The amazing film MaidenTrip~ and Live Group Q&A and Coaching with Kelly Edwards of 90 Minute School Day and I.

We are able to create this summit and make it accessible because of our wonderful Sponsors. Night ZooKeeper, Learning Success Academy, Erica Kesilman~Conscious Parent Coach, Mel Science, Storitopia, Amanda Schenkenberger~ Homeschool Coach, Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids podcast and 90 Minute School Day.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E154: How Unschooling Affected My Life: Liana Francisco

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 10:02:00 +0000

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 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 and Unschooling.

Book Mentioned: The Power Of Now ~ Eckhart Tolle

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit

March 24th is our third How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit!

We are hosting this full day summit LIVE and our special guests are bringing the Powerful P’s to the table through interactive keynotes and workshops~ PURPOSE. PERSIST. PLAY.

We have Leah Boden laying the foundation for PURPOSE.

Julie Bogart showing the art of PERSIST.

Mr. Chazz is educating us all on the power of PLAY.

Kelly Edwards is guiding us through her workshop on Supporting Neurodiversity.

And you get ME, Robyn Roberston and a few special guests embracing the Self Directed Teen.

Go to the website HOW TO BE AN AWESOME HOMESCHOOLER to register for your FREE ticket and receive extra goodies. (Extra Goodies like our Digital Swag Bag that gives you resource freebies for parents and kids (like my son's Science Animal Journal, Kelly Edwards Creating Quiet Time packet, Free Conscious Parenting mini course, Discounts on our favourite books, Kids Entrepreneurship Course, Discounts to online resources and MORE)

If you cannot make the live event, we are also offering a package of the recordings, pdfs and post summit community gatherings which include a Movie Watch Party and Live Group Q&A and Coaching with Kelly Edwards of 90 Minute School Day and I.

We are able to create this summit and make it accessible because of our wonderful Sponsors. Night ZooKeeper, Learning Success Academy, Erica Kesilman~Conscious Parent Coach, Storitopia, Amanda Schenkenberger~ Homeschool Coach, Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids podcast and 90 Minute School Day.

Thank you To Our Podcast Sponsors

This episode was brought to you by Fearless Learners by Success Codes

*Kohila is offering a FREE 45 minute clarity coaching call to Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners. Just go to learningsuccessacademy.com

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila’s weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E153: How Homeschooling Affected My Life

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:50:00 +0000

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 @homeschoolcoachingmama

Heart Smart Homeschool Moms is also a sponsor for HOW TO BE AN AWESOME HOMESCHOOLER Summit! We are grateful for the sponsors that help our summit to happen and remain accessible to the community.

If you would like to hear more stories from grown homeschoolers and unschoolers, then check out my episode with Hannah Frankman, Liana Francisco and Zoi Hunter

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit

If you haven't already heard, March 24th is our third How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit!

We are hosting this full day summit LIVE and our special guests are bringing the Powerful P's to the table through interactive keynotes and workshops~ PURPOSE. PERSIST. PLAY.

We have Leah Boden laying the foundation for PURPOSE.

Julie Bogart showing the art of PERSIST.

Mr. Chazz is educating us all on the power of PLAY.

Kelly Edwards is guiding us through her workshop on Supporting Neurodiversity.

And you get ME, Robyn Roberston and a few special guests embracing the Self Directed Teen.

Go to the website HOW TO BE AN AWESOME HOMESCHOOLER to register for your FREE ticket and receive extra goodies. If you cannot make the live event, we are also offering a package of the recordings, pdfs and post event community goodies.

Shout Out To Our Podcast Sponsors!

This episode was brought to you by Fearless Learners by Success Codes

Fearless Learners by SuccessCodes;
Where all children can learn and grow fearless with a Learning Success Coach by their side. Their certified Learning Success coaches make learning easy with their proven holistic coaching methodology which is a unique and superior alternative to tutoring and teaching in all subjects.
All of their coaches are certified teachers as well as certified Learning Success Coaches, who have left the school system to create the 'right' environment to provide customized and personalized learning experiences.

*Kohila is offering a FREE 45 minute clarity coaching call to Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners. Just go to learningsuccessacademy.com

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila’s weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E152: How Can We Build FEARLESS Learners?

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 03:02:00 +0000

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

Connect with Kohila and the support she offers at Fearless Learners and Learning Success Academy~ learningsuccessacademy.com

Facebook~ https://www.facebook.com/learningsuccesscodes

Instagram~ https://www.instagram.com/fearless_learners_coach/

Listen to my previous interviews with Kohila on Math- How We Learn and Math Codes

Watch From Fear To Fearless, Kohila's weekly show on Wednesday, 11am Pacific Time at fearlesslearners.live

Kohila offers a FREE Clarity coaching call with her Learning Success Coach to help parents gain clarity on what steps to take with their kids. Go to learningsuccessacademy.com

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler~ Purpose. Persist. Play.

Our FREE Spring Summit for knowledge, community and inspiration in the homeschool and parenting community.

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit ~ March 24th

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E151: Build Your Community~How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 16:25:00 +0000

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 Clubhouse~ Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club to get in on the pre-summit action. (And meet over 2500 parents that are in the thick of homeschooling or learning more about it before they take the plunge)

Kelly Edwards~ 90 Minute School Day

Check out my interview with Shannon Loucks that I referenced in this episode.

Or listen to my interviews with previous summit keynotes~ Dr. Gina Riley, Rachel Rainbolt, Demetria Giles, Ainsley Arment, Leah McDermott, Karema Akilah, Karen Ricks, Julie Bogart, Leah Boden and my friend and summit co-creator, Kelly Edwards.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E150: Unschooling Q&A~ With Robyn Robertson & Liana Francisco

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:02:00 +0000

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.

STORITOPIA is a podcast app created for kids. It’s a space where parents, kids and caregivers can discover the best kids’ podcasts.

STORITOPIA is an incredible tool to help educate and entertain your curious kids. Discover wonderfully whimsical stories, uncover shocking science facts and learn the history of everything from Hypatia to hot dogs!

Discovery starts as soon as you download the STORITOPIA app. Find it in the apple app store or at storitopia.com

And this app is FREE. Talk about an affordable, accessible way to build your home learning resource library.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E149: Building Joy~The Power of Play & Partnership with Shannon Loucks

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 11:02:00 +0000

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

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 ~ Exploring Unschooling

Check out our Third How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit, March 24th 2023~ Purpose, Persist & Play

Thank you Sponsors!

Our podcast sponsors allow us to continue to offer information, insight and encouragement to you for free!

Thank you to our sponsor, Storitopia.

STORITOPIA is a podcast app created for kids. It's a space where parents, kids and caregivers can discover the best kids' podcasts.

STORITOPIA is an incredible tool to help educate and entertain your curious kids. Discover wonderfully whimisical stories, uncover shocking science facts and learn the history of everything from Hypatia to hot dogs!

Discover starts as soon as you download the STORITOPIA app. Find it in the apple app store or at storitopia.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S7E148: Season 7- Having Your WHY Lead Your WAY

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 11:02:00 +0000

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 Summit

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E147: Modern Miss Mason: Leah Boden

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 11:02:00 +0000

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 Leah Boden)

If you are looking for support from Honey! I'm Homeschooling community, join HERE or book a one-on-one private call with me HERE.

Thank you To Our Sponsor!

Sponsors are special to our podcast because it is through their contribution that we can continue to create and curate this podcast, resources and information free for our listeners.

Shout out to this episode's sponsor~ LOME

Lome is a digital family organizer that provides magical features to help you mange the chaos. It offers:

- An incredibly flexible planner that enables you and your family to establish healthy rhythms and communication
- Magic Import - overwhelmed from endless school and activity emails? Just send these to Lome and it will automatically extract the relevant events and add them to your calendar.
- Daily Agenda text - get a group text with your spouse that highlights the key events and reminders for the day
- Simple Meal Planner
- Chore Charts
- Routine Trackers - kids can walk through bedtime or morning routines in "Gameboard Mode"
- Voting - invite the family to decide whats for dinner, (or who would win - dad vs bear?)
- And of course Calendar integrations: sync Lome with your existing calendars
Alongside all these features, Lome offers practical inspiration for healthy household rhythms:
- A curated bank of ideas for shared fun activities, meaningful conversation topics, healthy habits and routines, and intentional downtime time together.
- Access this via any browser
- or just text Lome “convo” or “fun” for instant ideas when you’re feeling uninspired.
Lome also partners with experienced experts and families like yours to highlight compelling household routines that real families actually use. Ideas from these creators are featured in the Inspiration Bank and also accessible via a public author profile pages. (You can find Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids HERE )
Lome was built by Dads for families like yours.
For a limited time, sign up for Lome and secure a forever FREE account.
Head to withlome.com/planner to learn more and sign up

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E146: Reflections For The Homeschooling Year

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 08:02:00 +0000

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, unschooling, learning, education, family life and parenting. For FREE.

Still feeling overwhelmed? Receive one-on-one support through my homeschool coaching~ https://imhomeschooling.com/coaching/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E145: The Landmark Study: Parents Want Independent, Meaningful Learning

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 02:00:00 +0000

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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E144: How Are You Able To Work And Homeschool? With Erika Brown

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 10:02:00 +0000

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~ Unschooling Challenges & Connection Over Academics

Join our Patreon Community. This month our special Q&A guest is Cindy Gaddis

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E143: Will Unschooling Leave My Kids Unprepared For The Adult World?

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 16:04:27 +0000

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 require these skills for the job. These social-emotional skills are important to just begin navigating the job market and prepare for work that did not exist even a few years ago!

Here is an enlightening conclusion to another study:

There was a mismatch between the education sector's perception of skills demand and that of the work sector. What does that mean?

"While the education sector believes that it prepares students well for the labor market by focusing on basic cognitive and technical skills development, the study find that employers have a different view of the most important skills for labor market success and where the principle gaps are."

What Can We Do As Unschoolers And Self Directed Learners?

I know our concern can be focused on our children missing out if we don't get them to memorize their multiplication tables by a certain age or have every sign of the periodic table under their belt. Or be able to blast off an essay on the merits of - you fill in the blanks-.

But a lot of what we can do to help them be prepared for the adult world is love them for who they are. Not what they are producing. The measure of your parent worth is not on your children's grades or the awards that they receive.

Support your kids in experiencing life and demonstrating compassion.
Be part of community. Allow them to volunteer, work and gain a wider perspective of the world.
Build your positive relationships
Engage in not just discussion but also active listening with your kids
Listen to who they are and what they represent. What are they proud of? What are some things that they love about themselves?
Share in the joys of others
Have conversations about key social situations. In what ways can they ask for help? Or show gratitude?
Help connect our older children with mentors, professionals or organizations
Create a soft framework or rhythms in your home. Rhythms that create connection and allow our kids to feel capable on their own.
Let our children know that what they do and say is valuable

Resources

Studies Referenced on Social Emotional Learning

Employer Voices, Employer Demands, and Implications for Public Skills Development Policy Connecting the Labor and Education Sectors

The Economic Value Of Social and Emotional Learning

https://www.cfchildren.org/what-is-social-emotional-learning/work/

Podcast Episodes:

Skills Homeschoolers Need For The Future

The Right Side Of Normal And Honouring Our Individual Learners with Cindy Gaddis

Social Emotional Learning with Dr. Lorea Martinez

Learning, Partnering and Parenting With Teens with Lainie Liberti

Direct Homeschool Support and Community

Homeschool Coaching Support

Join Our Community

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E142: CoLearn~Bridging Unconventional Education Approaches with Michael Staton

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 income, support other homeschooling families and continue to homeschool, then this may be your place. Go to https://www.colearn.com/jobs

Resources

Find out more about CoLearn on their website~ https://www.colearn.com/

Their FREE Homeschool Planner~ https://www.colearn.com/planner

CoLearn Job Opportunities~ https://www.colearn.com/jobs

If you would like to learn about other organizations, start ups and centres that are redesigning education, then check out my episodes with Mara Linaberger, Micro School Builder, Mandy Spiczka of SHINE Together Holistic Learning Center, Gordy Bal of Xploration Center or Cameron Sorsby, CEO of Praxis, an alternative to college.

Are you enjoying the podcast? I would love to hear from you. Just head to my contact page and send me a message. If you would like to offer support, join my Patreon community ~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E141: Setting Up Your Homeschool Space

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 let that rule your homeschool. And with less to clean up, you can have more time with your kids instead of dictating to your kids.
Keep it fun. We may think that as homeschooling parents we need to keep things neat, organized and on schedule. But some of our best learning has been when things are not neat organized or on schedule. My suggestion is this- choose joy over scheduling. Connection over commandeering. And remember that this is not the classroom. This is our HOME. And our home should be a place where our family feels safe and secure.
Find out from your family- what do they really want their life to look like? What ideas do they have? How can you work together to create that? Often our children have better ideas than we do. Listen to them.

Resources

I'm curious to know, where are you in the learning journey? Are you just beginning homeschooling? Are you a year or two in? Are you looking to step into unschooling or self directed learning?

Here are a few resources that I recommend whether you are new or looking to "refresh" or "restart".

My episode with Monica Cochran~ Making Learning Meaningful. We talk about why the best learning environment is the one where we feel safe.

Social Emotional Learning with Dr. Lorea Martinez- we share social emotional learning tools and techniques that we can put into practice in our own homes; the HEART principals and framework that help us integrate emotions, build relationships and support a rich learning environment.

For direct support, connect with me for one-on-one homeschool coaching or join the waitlist for my Homeschooling With Purpose Master Class.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E140: Learning, Partnering and Parenting With Our Teens~Lainie Liberti

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 & Understood, Parenting and Partnering with Teens for Greater Mental Health. It is a number 1 best seller on Amazon in the Parenting New Releasees. Lainie is also a community leader and alternative education advocate. She is often credited with spearheading the thriving Worldschooling movement.

In This Episode

In this episode Lainie shares insights into their worldschooling journey, what it means to choose a life that reflects their values best and why they connect with radical unschooling.

She has me reflecting on my own parenting and practices around gentle parenting and unschooling.

We explored:

What it means to parent in partnership vs gentle or attachment parenting (Is gentle parenting just a really nice way to get our children to follow our orders? )
What Radical Unschooling means to her
Worldschooling for life
Radical Unschooling and Teens
Supporting Teens and Mental Health
Her book~ Seen, Heard & Understood, Parenting and Partnering with your Teen for Greater Mental Health! and why Lainie believes in the importance of supporting our teens

Resources

Lainie offers a wealth of resources, support and information to the parent that is looking to connect with and support their teen. And as a worldschooling mom and advocate of self directed learning, she has created a large community of support. Find her at:

Transformative Mentoring for TeensMentoring & Courses designed to transform teen's lives (and yours).
https://transformativementoringforteens.com/
The Partnership Parent Movement
Children need connection, not coercion. Together, we will change the world, one family at a time.https://partnershipparent.com/
Project World SchoolInspiring Temporary Learning Communities for Teens & Young Adultshttps://ProjectWorldSchool.com Project World School Family SummitBiannual community gatherings for worldschooling families interested in travel, education and wellness.https://worldschoolfamilysummit.com   We Are Worldschoolers

Gain access to exclusive supportive community, articles, interviews, worldschooling mini-courses, and resource lists! https://weareworldschoolers.org/

Watch our TEDx talk - Making The World Our Classroomhttps://youtu.be/bH-kQJ10WWo

Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids

Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve Got You!

My next Master Class, Homeschooling With Purpose begins October 2nd. Contact me with questions or to register. If you are already connected with me and are ready to be part of this wonderful group, go HERE to sign up.

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 (like my video interview with Gord!), insights and interviews with my family! https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E139: Why We Need To Get Rid of The Math Worksheets and Use Problem Solving and Board Games Instead ~Gord Hamilton

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 your homeschool and unschooling journey? I've Got You!

My next Master Class, Homeschooling With Purpose begins October 2nd. Contact me with questions or to get on the waitlist. If you are already connected with me and are ready to be part of this wonderful group, go HERE to sign up.

*This is a small group Master Class. I keep it intentionally small so that each person feels comfortable, safe and supported. Please note that this masterclass is not about the best ways to replicate school at home. It is not a strict checklist that you must follow rigorously in order to mold your child into a perfect being in 30 days, 4 months or by the end of the school year. It’s about helping you and your family to feel more confident, address the doubts and naysayers, build community and learn how to look at your child’s unique natural learning process and be able to support that throughout the year and years to come. It's laying the foundation for you to be able to lead your own self directed learning path.

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

If you would like to listen to additional episodes about MATH, try these~ Learning Math and Math~How We Learn and Unschooling & STEM

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E138: Reading & Writing With Phonics

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 09:02:00 +0000

Reading & Writing With Phonics

As a homeschooling parent, are your worries focused on your children learning to read? Are you unsure where to start? What to do? Or how can to make it fun and engaging, instead of difficult drudgery?

I get a lot of questions from homeschooling and unschooling parents about learning to read. Every one wants the magic bullet.

But I want to tell you- every child and family is different. However, instead of being fearful, look at the advantage that home education offers. You have the time and opportunity to support your unique child and learning style. You are not bound by school bells, curriculum deadlines or 45 other children and staff members. So that's why, through this podcast, I offer different ideas, perspectives and research. I want to offer you a chance to hear and learn about your options and the tools out there. You can then choose, try, keep, let go of or adapt different tools and ideas to your child's needs.

This episode continues with our discussion on literacy and focuses on reading tools: Phonics. Specifically, I chat with Carina Powers, the CEO of Phonics in Motion. We talk about using phonics in the reading process and the importance of multi-sensory support when learning to read.

Phonics in Motion- Seeing it, Hearing it, Feeling it, Moving it

Phonics in Motion was created by Dr. Terry Kindervater, an educator and literacy expert. Dr Kindervater knows her program well, because she has used it for herself. Years ago, Terry suffered a significant stroke that left her unable to read and speak. In fact, she lost the entire language centre of her brain.

It took Dr. Kindervater one year to go from being non-verbal to communicating again. The progress was slow and frustrating. It became clear that the clinical remediation plan was not resulting in the gains she needed. The remediation she was receiving from expert clinical professionals felt so similar to what she had seen had failed struggling learners time and time again throughout her teaching career. That was why she had created Phonics in Motion in the first place; 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 difference between teaching learning to read at home vs in school. (The time, expectations and strict lines that school requires)
Why parents know their child best

Resources

Phonics in Motion is offering 15% off of their homeschool membership for Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids listeners with the code teachwithmotion15. Go to~ https://phonicsinmotion.com/product/complete-homeschool-literacy-program/

If you would like to learn more about Phonics In Motion check out their website https://phonicsinmotion.com/pim-for-homeschool/

Social Media

Twitter-https://twitter.com/PhonicsInMotion

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/phonicsinmotion/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/phonicsinmotion/

Or contact Carina directly- carina@phonicsinmotion.com

If you would like to hear more check out these episodes with former teachers turned Homeschoolers-

Former school principal turned Unschooler Golda David https://imhomeschooling.com/education-demystified-lessons-from-a-principal-teacher-homeschooler/

Leah McDermott-https://imhomeschooling.com/natural-learning-leah-mcdermott/

________________________________

Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve 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 discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

Sponsor Shout Outs

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E137: The Right Side Of Normal and Honouring Our Individual Learners with Cindy Gaddis

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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

I think that this was one of the best book descriptions ever. And it's so true! Cindy's book offers ideas and reasons as to how learning happens outside of our traditional ideas of school. Deschooling on Crack~opens your mind to allow anything to happen. It gives the WHY. Why our children can learn in these different ways and be happy and joyful learners.

Cindy breaks down examples and resources through different age and developmental stages that support right based learners through using:

Imagery
Reading Out Loud
Hands on and Visual - getting out in the world
No formal academics before the age of 8
Comic books, graphic novels and video games
Allowing whatever our child is doing to be valued

Cindy offers such a huge amount of examples and stories in this episode. She shares books her children loves but also speaks to our changes times and the power of the internet and screens for right brain learners.

Resources

Cindy's Website- The Right Side Of Normal

The Natural Learning Development For Right Brained Children

Cindy's Self Directed Learning Community for Teens - Creative Learning Center

Cindy's Clubhouse Club is Homeschooling Creatively

Jeffrey Freed Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child

Thomas Armstrong~The Myth of the Normal Brain: Embracing Neurodiversity

Linda Kreger Silverman~Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner

Books we mentioned our kids loved

Captain Underpants Book Series - Dave Pilkey

Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers

Magic Tree House

Check out my episode with Dr. Peter Gray - Free To Learn

Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve 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 discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

Sponsor Shout Out- Night Zookeeper

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Night ZooKeeper!

Is your child a reluctant writer? Do they struggle with reading? If your answer to either of these questions is YES, then Night Zookeeper may be just what you’ve been looking for.

If you are in the US, Australia, Canada or the UK, look for the special links below for your country:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E136: Math- How We Learn with Kohila Sivas

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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/

Monica's Educational Therapy

Listen to my interview on MATH with Kohila

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E135: Literacy- Games and Storytelling with Michael Low

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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- Luck Of Legends

Podcast and Stories- Stories RPG

Luck Of Legends

Michael's Blog

Peter Gray- Free To Learn

Listen to my interview with Dr. Peter Gray. Or my episode on Building Literacy At Home.

Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App offer free weekly discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

Sponsor Shout Out- Night Zookeeper

Thank you to our episode sponsor, Night ZooKeeper!

Is your child a reluctant writer? Do they struggle with reading? If your answer to either of these questions is YES, then Night Zookeeper may be just what you’ve been looking for.

If you are in the US, Australia, Canada or the UK, look for the special links below for your country:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E134: It's Called Unschooling

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 isn’t another method we can now use to get our kids to meet our hidden expectations under the false pretence of freedom. Unschooling is not another way to do school work or get that school work completed.

Unschooling isn’t a method. But Unschooling can include a class or be school-like, as long as that is what the learner chooses. Sure unschooling can have academic goals, if that is what the learner chooses. But the ultimate goal of unschooling is trust. And trust takes time. And a whole lotta deschooling!

That Deschooling Work

So parents, please do the work. That Deschooling work! This work is important because if you want a change, if your kids want a change, need a change, then you will need to do something different. But first, before we begin to do something different, we need to start thinking differently. We need to shift our perspective.So ask the questions:
What does learning really mean to me? What is school? Education? What were my experiences? When did I truly get to learn for learning's sake? How did my educational experiences shape me today? My learning? Were these goals mine? Were they my parents goals? Obligations?

If I let my children choose the how, what, where, when, why of their learning, how will I feel? What if they only choose video games? Why is hours outside or reading a book or writing a story more important to me than hours on a video game (or substitute something else that pushes that uncomfortable button)?

You really can’t skip the Deschooling process. Well I guess you can, but why start on this journey to go halfway? And even if you choose not to unschool or even homeschool, or to go from unschooling to Classical homeschooling (I know families that have done that too) - you will NOT be a failure or wrong.

But what you will be is clear on is your reasons WHY. (I always come back to getting clear on your WHY)

Resources

Looking for more support in your homeschool and unschooling journey? I’ve 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 discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

Check out my episodes with Judy Arnall~ Unschooling and STEM and Pat Farenga~ On Homeschooling and Education

Or explore DESCHOOLING.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E133: Literacy and Digital Tech with Josh Davidson

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 17:25:00 +0000

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 Gamification

Digital stories and games

Building literacy through digital tech~How digital technology for literacy broadens the world, connects kids and gives a voice

Resources

You can find Josh on Twitter @thewikiartist

You can learn more about Night Zookeeper through their website. If you are in the US connect HERE. Canada connect HERE. If you are in the UK connect HERE. Australia connect HERE.

Looking for more support in your homeschool journey? I’ve 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 discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

If you would like to listen to another wonderful episode on building literacy in the home through natural learning, check out this episode: https://imhomeschooling.com/building-literacy-at-home/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E132: Untigering, Unschooling & Deconstructing Success with Iris Chen

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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:

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 discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

If you enjoyed this episode, check out my interview with Akilah S Richards~Educational Freedom

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E131: 7 Steps To Begin Homeschooling (Or Unschooling)

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 20:34:00 +0000

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 DESCHOOLING) Briefly, Deschooling is a process of letting go of the singular beliefs we have attached with learning and kids. Beliefs that learning has to be done in a certain way, within certain times, within a certain kind of environment. Deschooling means possibilities. It’s a time to deconstruct the expectations, concerns, worries, beliefs around school, learning, and education. This takes time. Here are a few reflection questions that I recommend you use to begin:

What is the difference between school, education and learning?
How do I define success? Where does that definition come from?
What did school look like for me? Was I successful? Did I feel like I failed? Where and why?
How did they make me feel?
If I could change those failures or successes, what would that look like?

5. Supplies? Curriculum?

Before we rush into purchasing anything, I suggest you begin the first 4 steps. Take the time to play, explore and find out more about your children and your homeschool dreams. When you are recognizing interests, curiosity and values, matching supplies and deciding on which (or if any) curriculum becomes easier and longer lasting. This is because it becomes a choice aligned with YOUR family, not someone else's expectations or decisions.

You may see that your child that needs many hours of movement or outside time in a day will not benefit from a curriculum that requires 3 hours of sit down bookwork. You may find that when your child is given space to read on their own terms, with stories that appeal to them, their love of reading may actually spark. And you might also find that creating an environment that feels safe and sparks joy is where you want to focus your time. I share a few of our Natural Learning Resources in this episode.

6. Connect With Others

Begin to reach out to others that are farther along on this homeschooling path. Learn from others. Hear their stories. Ask questions.

Also, learn more about yourself. Homeschooling is often described as holding up a mirror to ourselves. To what we love and do not love. That can be confronting and it can be overwhelming if we are at home with each other all of the time. Make space for you. Even if that begins as 10 minutes each day. Trust me, much of the teaching we do is actually through how we model and live through our everyday. Our actions and re-actions become very important to our homeschool life.

7. Repeat

Rinse and Repeat. This is not a checklist that you move through each item and then take off the list. All of the steps (with the exception of possibly 3) serve not only as a start to our homeschooling or unschooling process, but as a refreshment if we ever feel weary.

More Support & Community

If you are looking for more support in your homeschool journey- I've got it for 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 discussion groups and support.

Follow me on Instagram

Check out my many other episodes and interviews on this podcast!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E130: Defining Success As A Homeschooler & Unschooler

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 15:35:08 +0000

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.

S6E129: Making Learning Meaningful- Monica Cochran

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 09:03:00 +0000

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- Learning Without Borders

Monica On Instagram

Clubhouse

Personal Growth Meets Alternative Education Facebook Page

AERO

Dr. Porges- Polyvagel Theory

Mr. Rogers

Pat Farenga On Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids~On Homeschooling And Education

Dr. Dan Siegel

Brain, Body, Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids~ Mona Delahooke

Our Emotional Deposits/Bank Account reference-Stephen Covey- 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

Dr. Greenspan- Developmental,Individual Differences, Relationship-Based

3rd Grade Daze

The New Map Of Life- Stanford Report

Self Determination Theory- Deci and Ryan

Thank you to our wonderful Sponsor!

Mel Science is our episode sponsor. They are a learning resource that my daughter has been using this past year and she LOVES it!

Mel Science is offering Honey! I’m Homeschooling The Kids listeners a 50% discount for the 1st month for any of their subscriptions (Chemistry, STEM, Physics, Coding, Med). To access this discount, use the promo code HONEY at purchase.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E128: Declutter Your Homeschool

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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?

Ashley Stuart also joined our conversation. She is a speaker, Professional Organizer and Author. You can find both Jaycel and Ashley on the Clubhouse app on The Dear Clutter Show in The Dear Clutter Club.

You can connect with Jaycel Murphy through her website~ https://lovecleaning.ca/ or find further support through her Membership Community- https://dear-clutter.mykajabi.com/

She is also on Instagram @lovecleaning.gta and Facebook @lovecleaning.gta

Resources and More

If you would like to connect with a welcoming homeschool and unschool community, check out my Honey! I'm Homeschooling Membership Community. I am available live each month to support you, answer questions and connect with other like minded parents. Go to https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

You may recognize Tira Hunter from my podcast interview with her and her daughter, Zoi. You can find that interview here~ Supporting Passions and Unschooling To Adulthood.

Thank you to our wonderful Sponsor!

Mel Science is our episode sponsor. They are a learning resource that my daughter has been using this past year and she LOVES it!

MEL Science is a subscription service that offers monthly science boxes, which combines hands-on experiments with VR and AR technologies to engage kids in studying science. Science is about exploration, experiments, discovery, and asking questions - all of which comes naturally to all children.They strive to make serious science accessible, interesting, and cool.

Mel Science is offering Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids listeners a 50% discount for the 1st month for any of their subscriptions (Chemistry, STEM, Physics, Coding, Med). To access this discount, use the promo code HONEY at purchase.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E127: Skills Homeschoolers Need For The Future

Tue, 24 May 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 out Praxis.

Resources

Discover Praxis

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit- https://howtobeanawesomehomeschooler.com/

Patreon Community– Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids (Don’t forget that starting this May, you can join the community for monthly live meet-ups through Zoom)

Other episodes about homeschooling or unschooling teens or young adults:

Alternatives To College (Part 1 with Cameron Sorsby)

College and Self Discovery

Supporting Passions and Unschooling In The Teen Years

Supporting Passions and Unschooling To Adulthood

Growing Up Unschooled

Unschooling Teens With Karla Marie Williams

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E126: Educators Turned Unschoolers with Lesley Jones-Sessler

Mon, 09 May 2022 09:04:00 +0000

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- @watchmonkeymama

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit- https://howtobeanawesomehomeschooler.com/

Patreon Community- Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids (Don't forget that starting this May, you can join the community for monthly live meet-ups through Zoom)

Other episodes mentioned- Building Literacy At Home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E125: Natural Learning Resources

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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 Journaling and Digital Apps
Science Experiments~ Ideas from the kitchen
Fire
Science shows and documentaries~ Cosmos, Gross Science, Magic School Bus, Smithsonian, Bill Nye, Google Earth
World Studies~ Food and Recipes, Geology and Geography
Gardening
Building and Machines~Ideas, Recycle Materials, Field Trips
Space and Technology
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

Social Studies:

History, Geography, People, Political Science, Ecology, Economics, Law
World Studies- Kitchen Studies and projects
Dancing, Painting, Folklore, Mythology
Ted Talks~ My daughter's favourite is Fighting Cancer With Dance
Travel
Family History and Family Tree
Local History from Elders and Community

Resource Mentions and Links

Patreon~ Join my Patreon community~https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse App

Instagram

Karla Marie Williams~ Inspired Learning Through Living and Unschooling Teens

Math episodes mentioned~ Math Codes with Kohila Sivas and Learning Math with Monica Robertson

Kitchen Scale- We use it often. This is the one we have that is simple and not expensive~ Digital Scale

Don't forget, if you are interested in my Gameschooling Guide contact me through here, Social Media or join my Patreon where you have access to any guides and resources I create and share.

Khan Academy (A Favourite in our home)

Inhabit Media

Inhabit Education

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E124: Homeschool, Adversity and Education with Dr. Carline Crevecoeur

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 23:00:00 +0000

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 easy decision! But for me, her careful thought and personal reflection on that experience offers insight and a confidence that I appreciate.

All of her 5 homeschooled children attended Ivy League schools. You'll hear from Carline what made their homeschool successful. (It was not the schools but the connection and personal confidence that her children built)

Carline homeschooled through tough times. She was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer at 49 years of age. Her bravery and outlook on life is encouraging to every one of us. And the perspective she gives as a homeschool mom through fear, pain, grief, struggle and then acceptance is invaluable.
She now serves her greater community as a publicly elected school board trustee. All of her previous life and homeschool experiences are now blended with her current role in the public service. To me this seems to only enhance her dedication and heart.

Resources

Thank you Dr. Crevecoeur. It is always a please to chat with you about life, your experiences and beliefs on homeschool, the adversity that you face and overcome and the importance of education.

Website- https://www.carlinecrevecoeur.com/

Book- Pressure Makes Diamonds- From Home Schooling To The Ivy League: A Parenting Story

Previous Episode with Crevecoeur- Homeschooling To The Ivy Leagues

From Nothing To Anything- April 23rd, 24th. Join me for my keynote,

This episode is brought to you by Kindred Bravely, the premium maternity and nursing brand that makes it easy for mothers to find functional, stylish, comfortable clothing. Visit kindredbravely.com and use discount code Homeschool20 to save 20% on your purchase!

Disclosure: When I recommend a product that I believe will add value, it may contain an affiliate link, and when you click the link and decide to make a purchase through that link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. If you do, Thank you for your support.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E123: Raising Critical Thinkers with Julie Bogart

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 09:02:00 +0000

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's book Raising Critical Thinkers

If you enjoyed this interview with Julie, check out my first interview with her on the podcast http://imhomeschooling.com/the-brave-learner-julie-bogart/

If you want to be part of other conversations like this, join Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club on the Clubhouse app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E122: Resilience with Leah McDermott

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 07:00:00 +0000

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, How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler. The Recordings include:

Reclaim~ Ainsley Arment of Wild+Free

Reclaim The Teen Years~Kelly Edwards creator of the 90 Minute School Day and Robyn Robertson of Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids

Resist~Karen Ricks of Our Kitchen Classroom

Play With Your Food Workshop with Karen Ricks

Resist~ Karema Akilah founder of The Genius School

Resilience~Leah McDermott of Your Natural Learner

If you have enjoyed this podcast and would like to be part of the community or support our work, join or follow us here…..

Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Clubhouse~Honey! I’m Homeschooling Club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E121: Supporting Passions & Unschooling To Adulthood with Zoi and Tira Hunter

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 09:05:00 +0000

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 path, but that did not hold her back. By stepping out of the traditional path Zoi was able to flourish.

If you are interested in unschooling or want to learn more about unschooling as your children get into their older years, this episode is for you. I also recommend the episode Supporting Passions and Unschooling In The Teen Years that features my son and his journey following his passions in unschooling and where it is taking him.

Resources

Zoi's Instagram~ https://www.instagram.com/artbyzoi/

Zoi's newest book- Everybody Has A Belly Button

Special Shout outs to Unschooling Mentors we mentioned (and who also have been guests on this show!)

My son's interview on Galileo- Unschooling And The Freedom To Follow My Passion

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit- March 18th 2022

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit we are going deep into the 3 R's of Learning. No, not Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic but RECLAIM. RESIST. RESILIENCE. We are gathering for the day, LIVE on clubhouse to listen to stories and keynote, ask questions, learn, gather resources and find community. Go to the website to register to gain access to community as well as all of the goodies that come with this summit.

We have our amazing keynotes- Ainsley Arment of Wild + Free, Kelly Edwards of 90 Minute School Day, Robyn Robertson of Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids, Karema Akilah of The Genius School, Karen Ricks of Our Kitchen Classroom, Leah McDermott of Your Natural Learner.

Shout out to our summit sponsors whose contributions allows this summit to remain accessible to the community.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E120: Supporting Passions & Unschooling In The Teen Years

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 10:02:00 +0000

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: Karen Ricks of Our Kitchen Classroom

Resist Keynote: Karema Akilah of The Genius School

Resilience Keynote and Live Podcast Interview: Leah McDermott of Your Natural Learner

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E119: Reclaim. Resist. Resilience.

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 17:52:00 +0000

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 The Kids & Kelly Edwards, 90-Minute School Day ~ Reclaim the Teen Years

Live Keynote+Q&A

Friday, March 18 Resist 1:00 pm EsT: Karen Ricks, Our Kitchen Classroom

Live Keynote+Q&A
Interactive Workshop at 1:45 PM EST

Friday, March 18 Resist 2:30 pm EsT: Karema Akilah, The Genius School

Live Keynote+Q&A

Friday, march 18 Resilience 5:00 pm EsT: Leah McDermott, Your Natural Learner

Live Keynote+Q&A
Live Podcast Interview- Leah + Robyn - Resilience in the 3 R’s - 6:00 PM EST

Our goal is to support, equip, and inspire homeschooling parents. How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit

Here are a few episode you may want to check out before the summit that feature our wonderful speakers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E118: Music and Communication with Ekanem Ebinne

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:40:00 +0000

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 Learning

Connect with Ekanem Ebinne- https://thesinginghome.square.site/easily-get-kids-to-listen-free-weekly-event

If you have enjoyed this podcast and would like to be part of the community or support our work, join or follow us here.....

Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Clubhouse~Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club

Homeschooling With Purpose Master Class

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler March Summit

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E117: Conscious Parenting & Deschooling

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 09:00:00 +0000

Conscious Parenting & Deschooling

Re-examining how we live, learn and parent.

Welcome to episode 116. This episode is a recording of my December Clubhouse room with Tira Hunter, Erika Kesliman and Missy Willis. Our theme ~ Conscious Parenting and Deschooling goes deeper into our journey of learning and self refelction.

Tira Hunter is an unschooling mom to 18 year old Zoi. Tira decided to homeschool Zoi part way through elementary school and after trying to replicate school at home with misery, they found the path to unschooling. With unschooling, Zoi was able to exercise her independence and creativity. Zoi works as a commissioned artist and is currently writing her own comic. Tira is an advocate for the deschooling process.

Erica Kesilman is an unschooling mom to 3 children, ages 2, 5 & 7. She is a previous public school educator and is now a certified conscious parenting coach. She feels that conscious parenting and reflection is a necessary part of the deschooling process.

Missy Willis is an unschooling mom to her 2 children, ages 19 and 14. They have unschooled for 13 years and counting. She is a former teacher and now supports parents through her writing and conversations at Let 'em Go Barefoot.

Deschooling~ A quick definition

I define deschooling as the concept of living life and learning outside of the ideas of the traditional institution of school. The idea of learning and school is often synonymous. The belief that is supported is that learning is only done within the walls of the classroom and top down with certain people. Instead we start to look at learning as an internal process, inclusive with community, at different times and stages. Living and learning comes together. Getting comfortable with allowing learning to happen in a different way than we have done it.

In This Episode

This episodes shares personal reflections from 3 parents that found their way to unschooling and why deschooling has been such an important part of their family's transition from school. This is what you will hear in this episode....

Words that defined our conversation- flexibility, retooling, space, wisdom, power, sovereignty, respect, self worth, trust, connection, worthiness, intentions, values, genius, agency and relationship.

What is deschooling and why is it important?

What is conscious parenting

Conscious parenting practices

Where do our beliefs come from?

Replicating school at home- School think vs Unschooling & Homeschooling

Looking at our values as a family

Why homeschooling is nothing like school

Exploring freedom for our children and for ourselves

What to do when your partner is not on the same page of the deschooling process?

Resources

Deschooling Society~ Ivan Illich

My favourite Resources~ https://imhomeschooling.com/homeschool-resources/

Erica Kesilman- https://www.ericakesilman.com/

Let 'Em Go Barefoot

Homeward- Zoi's Comic on Webtoons

Teenage Liberation Handbook~ Grace Llewellyn

Peter Gray Free To Learn

John Taylor Gatto

Children of The Code

Skip College

Other Episodes to Check Out

Missy Willis~https://imhomeschooling.com/conscious-educator/

Peter Gray~ https://imhomeschooling.com/free-to-learn-peter-gray/

Building Literacy At Home~ https://imhomeschooling.com/building-literacy-at-home/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E116: Deschooling Money & Minimalism with Rachel Rainbolt

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 10:02:00 +0000

Deschooling Money & Minimalism

Rachel Rainbolt joins me on the podcast for episode 116, Deschooling, Money & Minimalism. This season we are moving further into the Deschooling process; what it means, why it is important, the broader impacts it has in our life and how it can positively impact our learning journey. (That's right. I said how it can positively impact our learning journey)

Rachel Rainbolt, founder of Sage Family, is a gentle parenting, natural homeschooling, and simple living mentor. With a master’s degree in marital and family therapy, she has spent decades guiding thousands of overwhelmed families to peace and joy. Rachel works from the Pacific Northwest, where she lives wild and free in connection with her 3 wildlings and the papa bear in their fixer upper on the beach.

In This Episode

Homeschooling flourishes when we are intentionally connected to our values. In this episode we explore what those values are for Rachel's family and the impact it has on not just their learning world, but on the life they lead. It's all about Deschooling Money, Minimalism, Simplicity, Intentionality and Relationships in order to live our best life. Tune in to listen to our discussion on:

Why natural homeschooling connects with Rachel's family's values and beliefs
Minimalism- letting go of all of the stuff that doesn't matter so that we create space for what does
Why unschooling is minimalism for education
Minimalism in parenting
Minimalism in relationships
Simplifying life to fulfillment
The idea of Excess for Success
Spending in alignment with values
Deschooling money- looking with nonjudgemental curiosity at our relationship with money
What it means to have a healthy relationship with money and why this is a part of the Deschooling process
How to talk about money with our kids without fear and baggage

Resources Mentioned

There were a ton of tips and resources on deschooling money and minimalism that we shared in this episode. You can find the links below

Connect with Rachel

Bucket System (course)

Homeschool Hacks (freebie)

Sage Money (course)

Money Mojo Quiz (freebie)

Money Book List

Books Mentioned

A Simple Path To Wealth

Total Money Makeover- Dave Ramsey

Your Money Or Your Life- Vicki Robin

The 4 Hour Work Week- Tim Ferris

Connect With Robyn

Homeschooling With Purpose Master Class

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler March Summit

Listen to Rachel's first interview on the podcast and learn more about their journey into natural learning.

Would you like to support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Enjoy this episode? Share it on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S6E115: Season 6- Deschooling and Growing Without School

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Season 6- Deschooling and Growing Without School

Welcome to a new season of Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids. Season 6.

If you are new to the podcast, let me introduce myself. My name is Robyn Robertson and I am the creator and host of Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids. I am a home educating mom with hopes, dreams, failures and doubts.

Just like you.

In this episode I share a little story about our family, how we found our way to homeschooling and to creating this podcast.

I also share what I came to observe, notice and question as we found ourselves farther along this learning journey.

What to expect for Season 6

This season we are diving further into Deschooling.

9 years and counting and we are still Deschooling!

What is Deschooling?

Deschooling is rethinking, reflecting and stepping away from the “schoolish” ideas and ways of thinking.

There is a period of adjustment from traditional school to homeschooling that is often referred to as deschooling.

Deschooling is taking an intentional step away from trying to replicate school at home and giving space (for your whole family) to adjust to the change. The transition from school to learning at home can be an adjustment in understanding the freedom you now have—because that freedom can be intimidating. After many years of being told what to do and how to do it, most of us have been thoroughly “schooled.” Deschooling is overcoming the conditioning that says that learning has to be done a certain way (or has to look a certain way) when, in fact, it does not. It is overcoming the conditioning that our children have to look and create in a certain way, when in fact they are as individual and different as we are.

I get many questions on the deschooling process and we will explore this further. Trust me, it helps. I'll share tools that have helped me on this journey and the stories of others that are in the thick of Deschooling.

We will also explore the teen years in homeschooling and unschooling. As we continue to homeschool, our kids have grown older. Many homeschoolers now have young adults that grew up homeschooled, unschooled or have teens in the midst of it all. This is where our family is at.

There have been so many discussion and questions that have come up for us. Especially as we prepare our children to enter the world, a world that still holds a fairly rigid belief on how things should be done and how young people should be viewed. What happens when your children don’t fit any of those molds?

Resources

Project Based Homeschooling Book

National Home Education Research Institute

How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler Summit

Would you like to support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Enjoy this episode? Share it on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E114: Veteran Unschooling Moms Q&A

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Veteran Unschooling Moms Q&A

Are you new to unschooling? Does it sound like a beautiful concept, to support your children in their natural, non-rushed learning process? But yet, are you still having a hard time wrapping your head around it?

What about the unschooled teens? What happens to the families that have unschooled all of their lives? Or for a major portion of their young lives into adulthood? How do they turn out?

This episode features 5 veteran unschooling moms that I invited to my Homeschool Club on the Clubhouse app to answer questions about unschooling. I wanted to share the perspectives of parents that have been at this unschooling thing for a while. I wanted to bring knowledge and experience to the table. These are moms that I know, respect and have learned from myself.

Veteran Unschooling Moms

This is who joined the discussion...

Sue Patterson of UnschoolingMom2Mom. Sue is mom to 3 grown Unschoolers, an Unschooling Coach and podcaster that offers wonderful insight.

Karema Akilah of The Genius School is an unschooling mom to 6. Her children started out traditionally homeschooling until their "delight driven afternoons" became the primary focus and learning began to take on much more personal meaning.

Missy Willis of Let Em Go Barefoot is an unschooling mom to 2 teens, age 19 and 14. She is a past guest, blogger and peaceful parenting advocate.

Stacey Piercey in an unschooling mom to 3 boys. She is an entrepreneur and part of the Galileo Xp, an online self directed learning platform.

Tira Hunter is mom to an 18 year old unschooled artist. Tira is a regular co-host and moderator in my club on Clubhouse, sharing her knowledge and insights from the years.

And of course, there was myself, as the host. My family are unschoolers and although we did not start out as unschoolers, we slowly made our way to this life learning process over the years. My children are both teens, pursuing their interests and choosing the how, what, where and when of their own learning.

This panel is diverse and engaging.

Unschooling Q&A

We spoke to the unexpected gifts that unschooling brought to each of our families and how they found their way into the unschooling world. We also tackled the questions that are regularly asked because they straddle the line of unschooling, choice and parental direction.

Screentime ~ Is it about ownership or is it about boundaries?
Strewing
Unschooling one child- what about offering enough exposure?
How to begin the unschooling process from the teen years?
What to do when you (as the parent) just can't seem to let go?
How can we best support our children's interests when unschooling?

What other questions about unschooling do you have?

Resources

If you enjoyed the episode and the discussion, I recommend you check out each of my personal interviews on this podcast with Sue, Karema, Missy and Stacey. I also recommend that you join me on Clubhouse. We run regular discussion rooms every week. It's an extension of this show and a chance to build better connection, find inspiration and get direct answers to your questions. Look for the club name, Honey! I'm Homeschooling or tap this LINK to join.

Would you like to support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Enjoy this episode? Share it on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E113: Building Literacy At Home

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Building Literacy At Home

This is episode 113 and I am excited to share this Clubhouse discussion on building literacy at home. In this special episode I invited three moms that share my passion for learning in the natural world. All three of my co-hosts are former school educators and two of the three are now homeschooling parents.

Lesley Jones Sessler is a progressive educator, blogger at WatchMonkeyMama and school principal turned unschooler.

Elsa E. Jones is a professional development consultant with a specialization in birth to 5 years. She is also an early childhood equity and social justice activist, Chair and Professor of Early Childhood Education.

Demetria Giles is a school designer, education consultant and homeschooling mom to her son.

Ways We Can Build and Support Literacy At Home

Are you homeschooling or unschooling and concerned about your children learning to read? Tired of boring writing curriculum that no one in your family wants to really do? Are you looking for other ideas on how to support reading, writing and literacy in your home?

This episode will leave you empowered to support joyful learning in your home with tools and ideas from infancy to the later years.

We explore:

Learning to read and write- what is literacy?
How to offer nonstop exposure
Listening, Conversation, Retelling and Artistic Expression- a story doesn't always mean what's in a book
Literacy through play and building from infancy
Reading isn't just the words on a page- other ways in life that we "read" and communicate
Access and Exposure
Different kinds and levels of stories
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Reasons to write
Digital Literacy and changes for the future

Dive a Little Deeper and Other Resources

I offer a free, welcome community for Parents and Educators on the Clubhouse App. Join my Club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling on Clubhouse and be part of our weekly discussions that are held 4 times a week. Download the app or go to my Club link~ Honey! I'm Homeschooling.

If you would like to learn more, I recommend you listen to my previous interview with Demetria Giles; From School To Homeschool. You can connect with Demetria via Instagram drosewritings

You can connect with Lesley through her blog https://watchmonkeymama.com/category/homeschooling/ or on Instagram.

Elsa, Lesley and Demetria can all be found on the Clubhouse app.

Would you like to support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Enjoy this episode? Share it on social media. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E112: Creating A Culturally Rich Home Learning Environment with Amber O'Neal Johnston

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Creating A Culturally Rich Home Learning Environment

Amber O’Neal Johnston is a writer, speaker, and Worldschooling Charlotte Mason mama who blends living books with life-giving books and a culturally-rich environment for her four children and others seeking to do the same. She recommends we offer children opportunities to see themselves and others reflected in their lessons and especially throughout their books, and she’s known for sharing literary “mirrors and windows” on HeritageMom.com and @heritagemomblog on Instagram.

I have followed Amber on social media for a while now and I wanted a chance to know her homeschool story a little more. "Charlotte Mason with an afro" tagline got me pretty quickly. Amber gave me a a chance to ask all of the questions around homeschool life, purpose and creating a culturally rich home learning environment.

In This Episode

Can you delve into literature, living books and classical history and find examples of people that look you? Do your children find their own likeness reflected back to them in the pages they turn?

Not every family can answer yes.

But Amber O'Neal Johnston's family is trying to bridging that gap to create an inclusive, culturally rich education.

In this episode Amber shared with me the reasons why they first chose to homeschool and why they continue to homeschool. Coming from a family of school administrators, I knew that her choice to homeschool came from deep within the heart, not just the mind. She explained that this was a decision they made for their oldest child. They were uncertain at first if she would fit into the mainstream classroom. After time passed and their family grew, they came to recognize that homeschooling catered to her individual intricacies. But it also highlighted the unique gifts that each of their children brings to them.

"It's not what we are going to exclude, it's who we are going to include"

Amber and I also explored how their homeschool has become a culturally confirming environment. The importance of raising black kids to love themselves became a central part of their learning life after her daughter told her that "you say that we study important people- and they are all white". She wondered where or if anyone that looks like her has a place in the past, present or future. So along with love and faith, this quickly became a guiding purpose in their learning life. Through the stories they read, the travel they embark on and who they are being in the world, they truly own their own learning.

It's "not what we are going to exclude, it's who we are going to include", Amber tells me. I certainly connect with that.

If you enjoyed this interview you can find Amber at her blog, HeritageMom.com and on Instagram @heritagemomblog. She offers a wealth of resources to families that are also looking for a more culturally confirming learning environment.

I also recommend checking out my episodes with Karema Akilah of The Genius School and Akilah S Richards of Fare of The Free Child. Although Karema and Akilah are Unschoolers, rather than Charlotte Mason homeschoolers, their purpose is similar. Raising black kids to love themselves. And support learners in their diversity and liberation.

Would you like to be a bigger part of the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E111: Homeschooling~Getting Started Part 2: Clubhouse Edition

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Homeschooling~Getting Started Part 2:Clubhouse Edition

Are you just getting started in homeschooling? Or are you a homeschooler that has hit a bump in the road and needs a little more encouragement?

This episode is for you then.

Our September Theme in the Honey! I'm Homeschooling club on Clubhouse was; Homeschooling- Getting Started. I recorded two of our Clubhouse conversations from that month and this episode is Part 2. We welcomed many new homeschoolers this year and we want to make sure that each family that is in the beginning of their journey (actually at any stage in their journey) gets the support they need. This is one way that we do that.

In This Episode

In this episode of Homeschooling~Getting Started, Part 2 we discuss:

Exploring values and guiding purpose
Building our family rhythms
What a week looks like in our unschooling family
Expectations and fears
How different homeschooling families deal with change
Our role as parents in homeschool life
Ways we can support self directed learning
What you can do when your child has learned beyond the level that you can teach them

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, you can go back and listen HERE.

Looking For Community? Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club on Clubhouse

Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids Club on the Clubhouse app is a way to connect with homeschooling community. Each week we host 4 discussion rooms on homeschooling, unschooling and self directed learning. The club and the discussion groups are free to join. Clubhouse is an audio only app so no need to post pictures, share video or even get out of your pyjamas. Just come as you are. Share stories, ask questions or just be there to listen. You can find our weekly schedule below and a little more inspiration below:

Saturdays - 11 am EST / 8 am PST~ Building Learning Foundations Through Connection and Relationships
Robyn Robertson, Liana Francisco

Mondays - 1 pm EST / 10 am PST~Keeping Homeschooling Simple
Kelly Edwards, Liana Francisco

Tuesdays - 6 pm EST / 3 pm PST~Hot Topic and Special Guests
Robyn Robertson + Special Guest

Thursdays- 3pm EST / 12pm PST~Homeschooling in the Elementary Ages and Younger
Allison Towner + Guest

If you haven't already, join my email list where I share tips and stories from our unschooling journey.

My Patreon community https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids is packed with downloads, Q&A's and live support each month.

Resources

Here's a list of the wonderful resources (with links) that were shared in this episode:

Clubhouse~Honey! I'm Homeschooling Club

How To Cake it

Monica Cochran- Learning Without Borders

Pat Farenga- Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids Interview, John Holt GWS

Carmen Gamper~ Flow To Learn Book, Flow To Learn Website

AERO ~ Alternative Education Resource Organization

Jeremy Stuart Documentaries- Self Taught~Life Stories From Self Directed Learners

Homeschooling Getting Started Clubhouse Edition~Part 1

Questions? Connect with me through email. Looking to get closer? Ask me about my one-on-one coaching support. robyn@imhomeschooling.com.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E110: Food, Parenting and Unschooling with Deena Barselah

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:03:00 +0000

Food, Parenting and Unschooling

FOOD. What does that word bring up for you?

Does it make you think of work, hurt or frustration?

Or does it conjure up feelings of joy, positivity and empowerment?

It's interesting how our ideas, thoughts and even judgements around food are similar to those we hold around learning. For some of us, food can certainly play a large part in our parenting framework.

Deena Barselah joined me on this episode to talk about our expectations and ideas around food. We went deeper and explored how food fits into our parenting and learning life. I loved this conversation. Deena lays out such a powerful connection between food, parenting and unschooling that I had never looked at before.

Holistic and Integrative Coach

Deena is a Holistic and Integrative Health Coach who guides mothers and families all over the world to remove the chore from food and cultivate a more joyful, connected, easier, and confident relationship with food. She's supported her own disordered eating, autoimmune conditions, and chronic digestive distress with shifts in diet, habits, and nervous system healing. Deena believes there's no one-size-fits-all to family food and that by cultivating a system that works well for your unique family, you can let go of the "shoulds" that weigh you down. She lives in Encinitas, CA with her husband and son and is a homeschooling mama. Previously, Deena worked in the corporate world in areas of Organizational Psychology and People Development.

In This Episode

In this episode Deena's connection between food, parenting and unschooling was fantastic. She had me step re-examine my ideas around food, snacks, mealtime and what I model for my family. She asks are the rules or expectations around food truly ours? Do they apply to who you are or are they prescriptive ideas that we have taken? We also tackled some of those food topics that seem to be regular sore spots for parents:

Snacking
Dinner time
Meal Planning
The pressure of the "well rounded meal"
Picky Eaters
Candy and Treats
Halloween

Deena leaves us with actionable tips and thoughtful questions that help us reframe unrealistic expectations we may be holding on to around food.

Resources

If you would like to learn more Deena and her community, you can find her on her website http://deenabarselah.com/

Her workshop is The Joyful Family Meal and you can also find her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/deenabarselah/

If you enjoyed this conversation, I am sure you will like my conversation with Liana Francisco. Liana is a grown unschooler that now unschools her son. She's also a serial entrepreneur and coach who helps other moms make plant-based eating easy with a system.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E109: Alternatives To College~Praxis

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 10:02:00 +0000

Alternatives to College~Praxis

Is University or College the only option? I know University is what we push, or aspire our kids to attend. We try our best to use their childhood to prepare them it. Not to prepare them for adulthood, but for college.

I even notice at times that people measure the success of homeschooling or unschooling on...college. Were they able to get in, did they attend and if they did, where did they go? How did they do? There seems to be the perception that "something must be wrong with you if you don't go to school." But really, is there something wrong? Or have there only been limited alternatives and viewpoints up until now? What are the alternatives to College?

If you are familiar with my podcast, you will know that I am all about exploring the alternatives. I showcase the unique learning lives that families have created. I want to continue offering these numerous perspectives and this episode is no different. This time I am showcasing a different perspective on post secondary education. It is called Praxis and I am joined by the CEO of Praxis, Cameron Sorsby.

Praxis~ Get matched with a full-time, paid apprenticeship without the cost or hassle of college. No degree required

Cameron Sorsby is the CEO of Praxis, a year-long apprenticeship program that combines a professional bootcamp and a full-time paid job at a high-growth startup. The program offers a direct route into entrepreneurial careers for driven young people without the cost and hassle of college.
Outside of Praxis, Cameron enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and reading. As a former public and private school student, he's very jealous of all the amazing homeschoolers that join Praxis.

In This Episode~Praxis Philosophy

In this episode Cameron and I explore the core philosophy of Praxis- that the best way to learn is through experience. We talk about how and why Praxis came to be in 2013 and what it looks like now. We break down the 3 different stages of life and learning at Praxis and why this program is so uniquely different to traditional college and university. It comes down to:

The career discovery process and the foundational skills that a person needs, no matter what
The job hunt and landing a job- being pro-active and creative
Setting yourself up for continuous growth and learning
Apprenticeship and mentorship
At a fraction of the cost

Did you know that close to 40% of Praxis alumni we homeschooled? That is a high number. And it speaks to the core philosophy of the program- that the best way to learn is through experience. It is a philosophy that many homeschoolers connect with. That philosophy and the choice of developing and betting on "self" instead of a traditional education and career path. That happens is the chance to build like and career on your own terms. I know many homeschoolers that wholeheartedly agree.

Here are a few cornerstones that Cameron left for us in this interview. He was referring to guiding principles for young people facing the world, but I feel they apply to each one of us.

Gain Work Experience
Don't equate education with formal school- pursue interests, go down rabbit holes, learn as much as you can
Don't be a consumer of content- Be a creator of content
Get uncomfortable, get over the perfectionist mindset and develop the ability to do things with intention

Resources

If you connect with these and would like to learn more about Praxis, I suggest that you go to their website, DiscoverPraxis.com, join their newsletter or follow them on social media @DiscoverPraxis- on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter

If you enjoyed this conversation and would like to hear more about homeschooling or unschooling and college, check out my interview with Hannah Frankman, a grown homeschooler that found a career at Praxis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E108: College and Self Discovery

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 10:02:00 +0000

Did you know that only 40% of College Students graduate in 4 years?

60% graduate in 6 years.

60% change majors at least 3 times.

In the US, the average cost of an instate public college is over $27000/year. A private college is $55,000/year.

Extending time in college can be a costly choice. That is why Beth and Greg Langston feel that empowering students to master their self discovery is the best way to prepare them for college and the world beyond. By helping students to discover and define their values, purpose and strengths, they are better able to articulate where they want to go and the path they want to follow. Whether that is college or not.

Beth and Greg Langston joined me on this episode to talk about the college process and the tools needed to succeed not only in post secondary, but throughout life.

College Flight Plan

Beth graduated from Purdue University in Education. She has helped hundreds of students navigate the college application essays with tremendous success. Greg graduated from the Purdue Krannert School of Business. Having led businesses in excess of $1 billion and worked in 65 countries, Greg has mentored hundreds of young professionals.

Beth and Greg homeschooled their children off and on for numerous years. Their family lived overseas until their children were teens. They decided to relocate back to the US so that their kids could better prepare for College. The goal was to find more opportunities for self discovery, opportunities to clarify their values and define the goals that would prepare them for college or the path they were gifted to do. Unable to find what they were looking for, Beth and Greg decided to found College Flight Plan. Combining their experience and backgrounds, they have developed tools that provide a sense of clarity and confidence for students. The goal of College Flight Plan is to empower students to master their self discovery.

In This Episode~College & Self Discovery

In this episode we talk about preparing young people for adult life through the process of self discover. We explored the 5 fundamental questions of this process:

What are my core values, and how do I use them?
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
What is my purpose in life?
What are the college majors that best suit me?
What are my five-year and one-year goals?

I'd like to know, did you attend College or University and was it the right path for you? Do your children feel it is the right path for them? What has helped them to clarify their life ahead?

If College is a path that your kids are looking towards but the cost is holding you back, check out my episode with Abby Chao~ CollegeBacker and Saving For College.

Find out more about College Flight Plan ~ https://collegeflightplan.com/

To receive the free gift The Parents Starter Kit To Teen Self Discovery~ https://collegeflightplan.com/guide/

Reach out to Beth~ beth@collegeflightplan.com

Reach out to Greg- greg@collegeflightplan.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E107: Homeschool: Getting Started~Clubhouse Edition

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Homeschool: Getting Started~Clubhouse Edition

If you have been listening to the podcast this last year or following Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids on social media you may have heard that we have a wonderful homeschooling "club" on the Clubhouse app. The Club is called Honey! I'm Homeschooling and we host a room every Saturday at 9am mountain time, Monday's at 11am mountain time and Tuesday's at 4pm mountain time. Each "room" or meet up focuses on a topic related to homeschooling, unschooling, family life and progressive education.

This episode is the recording of our August 28th room. Liana Francisco and I host the Saturday rooms and this recording is Homeschool: Getting Started. We start with the the steps to getting started on your homeschool journey.

Filing the paperwork
How to find the information or documentation for the area you live
Legalities
Goals, Purpose and Values
Finding community

We share our personal experiences, open up for Q&A and support each other through the process. Please note- there are many that chose to just listen in the room. If you are new to the app and would love to be part of the discussion, you have the choice to just listen or join the conversation.

Resources

Homeschooling With Purpose Master Class

Honey! I'm Homeschooling~ The Club

HSDLA

Washington Homeschool Association

Liana Francisco

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E106: Getting Started 101: Values and Guiding Purpose

Sun, 05 Sep 2021 18:08:00 +0000

Values and Guiding Purpose

For many it's the beginning of the new school year! For others you may be half way through that beginning journey. How has it been so far?

In this episode I am focusing on why and how you can build your values and guiding purpose. This is an important foundation whether you are a homeschooler, unschooler or even traditional schooler.

It is important part of the homeschooling process because defining our values helps to guide our way.

Living with purpose means to be living in alignment with our values. And when we understand our values and purpose and are living in alignment with those things, it helps us to feel more confident (confidence repels those naysayers) which brings more joy and diminishes overwhelm (because it helps us to make clear decisions). It can even be our reference point to knowing whether what we are doing is successful.

I begin each year with our values and guiding purpose. In learning, family life and living.

Developing and getting clear on our family values and guiding purpose is also the first week's theme for my LIVE master class, Homeschooling With Purpose. It sets the stage for each step in the class which is designed to support each homeschooling parent in building a unique natural learning framework for their family.

If you want to learn more about this 4 week, small group live master class, go HERE. We begin this conversation and community September 12th

If you want to hear more about other important steps in the building your homeschool foundation, check out my episode on Deschooling. I also answer the "big" questions in the episode- https://imhomeschooling.com/the-homeschool-journey-your-questions-answered/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E105: Homeschooling With A Montessori Mindset with Pilar Bewley

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 10:02:00 +0000

Welcome to episode 105 with Pilar Bewley of Mainly Montessori. In this episode Pilar took time out to talk about embracing a Montessori mindset in homeschooling. We talked about the Montessori philosophy, how that plays out in the home environment vs the classroom and why she felt homeschooling Montessori supported her family best.

Pilar is a former Montessori child, homeschool mentor, and Montessori advocate.

In addition to a B.Sc. in Hospitality Management and ample entrepreneurial experience, Pilar holds AMI certifications for ages 3-12, a Master’s degree in Montessori education, and Positive Discipline parent and classroom certifications. Pilar has a decade of classroom experience at Primary and Elementary levels, and has been homeschooling her children for three years.

She created Mainly Montessori to support homeschooling parents, because she believes that Montessori can help parents raise lifelong learners. Pilar lives with her children and husband in Southern California.

What You Will Learn In This Episode~Homeschooling With A Montessori Mindset

I loved my conversation with Pilar. We truly connected on our beliefs around child centred, interest led learning and the power of homeschooling in creating a secure family attachment. I also loved our dive into a topic that comes up often for homeschooling parents-Screen-Time. Pilar shared her personal observations, being screen free, the expectations and the impact it has had in their home. We also explored;

Deschooling - what it has meant for Pilar and why it has been an important part of their family transition from school to homeschool
Observation, play and preparing the learning environment
Homeschooling With A Montessori Mindset- Child Centred Learning and respecting a child as their own force
The power of the homeschool environment
Screen-time- expectations, limitations and impacts
Raising life long learners in each stage of growth and development-in what ways can we best prepare for each stage?
Parenting- Positive Discipline, respect and boundaries
Freedom and responsibility

This was a conversation from the heart. I believe that our homeschooling community is connected on the foundation of supporting and respecting the individual learner.

In this episode, you'll also get to hear a little more of our family's personal unschooling journey as it plays out for our oldest. He's a teen, off on his personal learning adventure. Pilar and I discuss the transition into adulthood, letting go and allowing our children to follow their own path as they contribute to the broader world.

Resources

If you would like to connect with Pilar or learn more about her work, this is where you can find her:

Free Private Facebook Group- Second Plane Montessori This space is for homeschoolers, parents, and educators who are guiding children between the ages of 6 and 12 using the Montessori approach.

Mainly Montessori

Instagram~ Mainly.Montessori

Mainly Montessori YouTube Channel

If you are interested in learning more about the Montessori practice, check out my interview with Jeanne Marie Paynel

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E104: Social Emotional Learning with Dr. Lorea Martínez

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 09:30:00 +0000

Social Emotional Learning with Dr. Lorea Martínez

Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez is the award-winning founder of HEART in Mind Consulting, a company dedicated to helping schools and organizations integrate Social Emotional Learning in their practices, products, and learning communities. An educator who has worked with children and adults internationally, Dr. Martínez is currently a faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College, educating aspiring principals inEmotional Intelligence. Previously, she was a special education teacher and administrator. A native of the Costa Brava in Spain, she currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters.

Dr. Lorea Martínez is also the author of the book, Teaching with the HEART in Mind. In the book, Dr. Lorea Martínez provides a comprehensive roadmap to understanding the psychology of emotions, relationships, and adversity in learning, while equipping you to teach SEL skills and develop your own social and emotional intelligence.

In This Episode

Dr. Lorea Martínez believes that creating better outcomes for our children means academics and standardized assessments aren’t enough. You need to educate both their hearts and minds. In this episode Martínez offers social emotional learning tools and techniques that we can put into practice in our own homes. These HEART principals and framework help us integrate emotions, build relationships and support a rich learning environment. We explore;

Social Emotional Learning and the psychology of emotions- honouring and responding to our emotions
Thought patterns and self talk
Self Empathy- the importance of connecting with ourselves and showing ourselves compassion
How to establishing positive relationships
The emotions that are most conducive to learning

I loved this interview. Dr. Martínez and I hold similar beliefs that purpose and connection are the key components to building a successful learning environment. I am certain that you will appreciate the practical steps and example that Dr. Martínez provides in this episode so that we not only have an understanding of why Social Emotional Learning is important, but the how in implementing this into our home and relationships.

Resources

Lorea Martínez websites and social media:

http://www.loreaMartinez.com

https://www.facebook.com/loreamartinezSEL/

https://twitter.com/loreamart/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/loreamartinez/

Heart In Mind Discussion Guide

Dr. Dan Siegel

Inside Out The Movie

If you enjoyed this interview, you may also like my interview with Roya Dedeaux, a grown unschooler, professor and family therapist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E103: Finding Freedom Within Structure with Kelly Edwards

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 21:00:00 +0000

Finding Joy, Connection and Freedom Within Structure

Kelly Edwards is the creator of the 90-Minute School Day. A lifestyle approach to education. The 90-Minute School Day method connects children with learning in their natural environment: at home with their family. It is designed for pre-K through 6th grade.

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 7th 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.

Have you ever met someone that you seem to connect with pretty quickly, despite the circumstances? What about on social media? Kelly and I met on the social app, Clubhouse and even though we live in two different countries we found our paths crossing. We connected on a personal level and have been in touch regularly ever since. (It's pretty cool how our world works now, isn't it?) As a fellow homeschooling parent who's underlying values match many of mine, I wanted to have Kelly on the show. And of course, Kelly brought a huge amount of value, tools and personal experience to this episode.

In This Episode-Finding Joy, Connection and Freedom within Structure

In this episode Kelly spoke to why they have chosen to homeschool their 3 children. The choice for them was not a change in lifestyle but a need they saw for their children~Greater attachment. Kelly's family homeschool is based on the foundation of emotional attachment and connection, faith and freedom. Kelly says that if we are not feeling the emotional connection, then our learning stops. Kelly has also found a framework and flow to their days that she says as a business owner and homeschool parent, allows her to find joy, connection and freedom within structure.

In this episode we spoke to;

Connection and resiliency
Living education and living life together
What homeschooling looks like for child and parent in their home and what that includes- play, empathy, adventuring, working, talking, facilitating
The 90 minute structure and finding freedom within structure
Being intentional when framing your day
The Circadian cycle and how Kelly intentionally creates their days to reflect the cycle, rest and seasons
How to set up your child for success
Kelly's advice on Deschooling and ways we can access freedom, calm, confidence and connection this summer and beyond

Confidence, Calm and Connection- How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler

Kelly and I have been working on a new project together this summer. It's the first Homeschooling Summit to be featured on Clubhouse and it's called How To Be An Awesome Homeschooler. The summit runs August 6th and is based on 3 cornerstone themes of homeschooling; Confidence, Calm and Connection. We have a keynote speaker for each theme along with interactive Q&A's with each speaker as well as further discussions with Kelly and I. (That means a space to get your questions answered, air your doubts and connect with others in real time!!)

Gina Riley, professor and unschooling parent to a grown unschooler, will be speaking to the theme of Confidence. Demetria Giles, educator, consultant and single homeschool mom will speak to Calm and Rachel Rainbolt, gentle parenting, natural homeschooling, and simple living mentor will speak to Connection.

The summit is open to anyone that would like to join on Clubhouse. But to receive the recordings, freebies and special giveaways, you have to register for the free summit. To register go here.

Resources

Connect with Kelly on her website www.90minuteschoolday.com or Instagram @90minuteschoolday

Listen to my interviews with the Summit Keynotes on this podcast; Dr. Gina Riley, Demetria Giles and Rachel Rainbolt

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E102: Homeschooling and Mindfulness with Isabelle Robledo

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 17:33:04 +0000

Homeschooling and Mindfulness

Isabelle Robledo is a 17-year-old kids mindfulness coach and co founder of Making Mindfulness Fun. She is helping kids and teens to be confident and creative using mindfulness. She's been living in an RV for the past six years while traveling the world with her family of seven. She learned mindfulness from a very young age, and believes that now, more than ever, it is important to share what she’s learned with our future generation. You can find her on Instagram @keepitmindful.kids, or see her website, makingmindfulnessfun.com

I love speaking with young people that homeschool or have grown up homeschooled. Their perspective on life is often different from the norm. It gives great insight to the common questions that we received about kids that homeschool.

How do homeschoolers "turn out" in life?

Will they learn what they need to be successful?

Are homeschoolers socially awkward?

Does it make you socially awkward to live a life pursuing your dreams from a young age? Or to travel in an RV full-time with your family? What if homeschooling provides you with the space to become an entrepreneur with vision from the age of 16?

In This Episode

I recently had the chance to interview a homeschooler with vision, Isabelle Robledo. Isabelle has always been homeschooled. When Isabelle was 10, her family decided to realign their life to one that held greater purpose. They wanted to live with more fulfillment and adventure. With dedication to intention. So they took their life on the road. Literally. They sold what they didn't need, bought an RV and began roadschooling and worldschooling.

In this episode Isabelle and I talk about their life of adventure, what it means to their family and what it looked like for them over the last 6 years. Isabelle shares with me how she dealt with the transition and the perspective shift she had. We also talk about what has been the main guiding foundation for Isabelle~mindfulness.

Mindfulness was the main thing I learned through my travels

Living a different lifestyle from many of her peers, Isabelle did have times when she felt a bit on the outer edge. But it was mindfulness that helped her understand herself. It gave her the tools to realize what she was looking for when she struggled, it helped her to learn who she is and what she has to offer the world. Not only that, mindfulness has been a family journey and a way for her entire family to stay connected and continue living with intention.

Making Mindfulness Fun

Isabelle has taken her mindfulness practice further through entrepreneurship and service to the larger community. During the pandemic, she saw how much the world, especially young people were struggling and disconnected. Encouraged by her mom, Isabelle created a mindfulness course for kids. She wants to support young people in incorporating mindfulness into their lives in a playful way. As a young person that values play and creativity, she actively engages the young people she works with to do the same. Through dance parties, creative practices and fun she brings her playful attitude to the practice of mindfulness. I think that is exactly what we all need a little more of right now, don't you?

Resources

If you would like to connect with this Isabelle, find out more about what she does or get your children involved with her work, you can find her through her website, makingmindfulnessfun.com or on Instagram @keepitmindful.kids

You can also find her on her youtube channel Making Mindfulness Fun

Enneagram

https://www.psychologyjunkie.com/enneagram/

Book- The Road Back To You

Isabelle's course and products https://www.makingmindfulnessfun.com/shop/

Closer Connections Masterclass https://teachingkidsmindfulness.com/closer-connections-masterclass

If you enjoyed hearing from a homeschooler, you will also enjoy these episodes with grown homeschoolers~ Growing Up Homeschooled with Hannah Frankman, Play, Purpose & Unschooling with Roya Dedeaux, Why Self-Directed Learning Is Important with Madison Kanna

If you would like to join our weekly Clubhouse conversations, you can join through here.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

At times I will recommend a product or resource that has added value to myself or our family. Or, I will ask a guest for their recommendation. Sometimes the links I give may contain an affiliate link and when you click to make a purchase from there, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Event Registration

The Conscious Homeschooling/Unschooling Summit

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E101: From School To Homeschool with Demetria Giles

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:03:00 +0000

From School To Homeschool

Demetria Giles has over 15 years of experience in education and is passionate about culturally responsive pedagogy, critical thinking development, and project-based learning. She is the former Director of Curriculum & Instruction at 9th Bridge School, a private early childhood and elementary school located in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. She is also an education consultant and the homeschool mom of a 9-year-old son.

Demetria and I connected on the Clubhouse app and I immediately enjoyed being part of homeschooling conversations with her. She brings abundant knowledge from her years in education but her experience as a mom that has chosen to homeschool her son while working in the school system adds depth to that knowledge. Demetria and I hold very similar beliefs around learning and school and we are both passionate about supporting families on their unique learning journeys.

What You'll Hear In This Episode~From School to Homeschool

I enjoyed this conversation with Demetria and I am looking forward to having more. If you are curious about how you can create and support a life long learning environment for your child, I recommend you take a listen. Here's what we discussed;

The reasons why Demetria chose to homeschool her son while she continued to work in a brick and mortar school
The foundation of a great teacher and why it is not a teacher certification
What supporting life long learning looks like in her family
Her unique approaches to homeschooling while working full time
Leading with interests and how to do that when your child's interests are not your own
How to cultivate big picture thinking
The importance of free time and play
Re-framing our ideas of what learning is or should look like
The depth of video games
The freedom that homeschooling offers
Opting out of standardized testing and how kids can still be successful at testing when they are "required" to test
Overcoming her own obstacles in homeschooling
From school to homeschool-what she recommends to parents that are just getting started

Demetria and I close out the episode with her thoughts on what she would like to the future of education and homeschooling to look like. I love that not only is she thinking about it, but she is already doing her part to help make that future happen through her consulting and support. If you are a reader that enjoys good books, Demetria also left us with a few reading recommendations. Find those below in the resources.

Resources

Here are a few ways that you can find out more and connect with Demetria:

Instagram~ drosewritings

SchoolED

Clubhouse

As mentioned in episode~ Outschool

Demetria's book mentions

Homeschool and parenting~ Parenting From The Inside Out by Dr. Dan Siegel
Learning and Critical Thinking~Think Again by Adam Grant

If you enjoy hearing from educators that begin homeschooling, you may enjoy my episode with Golda David who, like Demgtrira, is an educator and former administrator turned unschooling mom.

If you would like to join our weekly Clubhouse conversations, you can join through here.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E100: 100th Episode!

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 14:34:33 +0000

That's right! This is Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids 100th episode. For the special milestone episode we decided to do an Ask Me Anything where my daughter did the asking and I did the answering. Listeners sent in questions through social media that we answered on the show.

What did they ask?

What Are Your Homeschool Fears?
How Do You Unschool High School?
Have You Learned To Respect Your Kids and Listen To Their Boundaries?
What Have Your Kids Taught You About The Best Way To Raise Them?
Have You Made Any Big Mistakes That You Wish You Let Others Know About and Maybe Learn From?
Favourite Family Activity
Unschooling 3 Year Olds
How Do You Have The Confidence To Unschool In So Many School Focused Messages Of Our Culture?
How Do You See The End Of Homeschooling Your Own Kids?
If You Could Have Started Your Homeschooling Journey Differently, What Would You Have Done Differently and Why?
What Do Your Children Think Is The Coolest/Best Thing About Being Unschooled?
What's It Like Raising Teens In The Iphone Age?

There were so many wonderful, deep questions. They had me really stop to reflect and think. At some points it would start a new discussion with my daughter that would take us in other directions. No, we didn't include those segments in the episode since there were a few private details that we want to keep close. But the answers to the questions were real and vulnerable.

Enjoy the 100th Episode Celebration! If you have any more questions that are burning for an answer, you can contact me HERE.

If you would like to hear my personal episodes, answering questions or telling stories about our experiences, check out my episode on Deschooling or The Homeschool Journey~Your Questions Answered

I hope you like this old picture~ I thought a picture from the beginning of our journey is a fitting one for now ;)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E99: Unschooling To Adulthood with Sue Patterson

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 10:02:00 +0000

Sue Patterson is a homeschooling coach and founder of Unschooling Mom2Mom. She helps parents find creative ways to approach learning and reconnect with their children, when their current educational option isn’t working.
Sue has been active in the homeschooling community for twenty-five years and is happy to share practical suggestions of how to make unschooling work. Her own three unschooled children are now all young adults with successful careers, degrees and families.
Sue offers a variety of coaching packages, printable guides, ebooks and courses at www.SuePatterson.com. Her book, Homeschooled Teens : 75 Young People Speak about their Lives without School is available at Amazon.
If you’re looking for more information about unschooling, her website is a curated site with unschooling writers from around the world. www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

When I have had questions about unschooling, Sue Patterson is someone that I have turned to. She is an unschooling veteran that understands the doubts, the fears, the worries and most importantly, the joy that unschooling to adulthood brings.

In This Episode

In this episode interview I wanted Sue to share a little more about her family's journey into unschooling, including how they got there and why they chose to continue. Sue not only shares their story but she also shares the points in the journey that are important for any of us to hear.

Her lack of confidence when they first started and what tested her beliefs
Unschooling and learning to read
Knowing what she knows now, what things she would change
The deschooling process
How her children learned
Finding Resources
Prioritizing connection and communication
Unschooling to adulthood

Resources

You can find Sue's numerous resources for unschooling on her website, www.SuePatterson.com. For more information about unschooling, go to www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com

Sue now offers a podcast as well. Unschooling Mom2Mom podcast

Her book: Homeschooled Teens : 75 Young People Speak about their Lives without School

The Unschooling Handbook~ Mary Griffith

If you enjoyed this episode from an Unschooling parent of grown Unschoolers, check out my interview with Pam Laricchia. Pam unschooled her children through to adulthood.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E98: Money and Financial Literacy with Matt Matheson

Wed, 19 May 2021 09:02:00 +0000

If we value raising independent thinkers and self directed learners, wouldn't we also want to support financial independence? For those of us that choose this home educating path, we often choose to "opt-out" of not just school. Often our choice to leave the education system causes us to start re-thinking other mainstream ideas as well.

One of these mainstream assumptions is our idea and values around money.

What are your thoughts and feelings around money? How money is used? What is it's purpose and does it align with your family purpose? What does it take to be financially literate? How can we build a financially literate family?

In this episode I am joined by Matt Matheson of the Family Money School to talk about money and financial literacy.

Matt Matheson and Family Money School

In addition to being the husband of an amazing wife and dad to three awesome munchkins, Matt Matheson is a teacher and school administrator with 15 years of classroom experience. He's also a personal finance writer and blogger who’s been featured in publications like the Huffington Post, Yahoo News, and Reader's Digest. His passion is teaching, specifically helping kids learn how to handle money wisely. Since he had his own kids, he’s been working hard to pass on his money values to them. It’s his love of teaching and desire to equip parents in raising money rock stars that lead him to develop Family Money School, a site designed to help parents raise money-savvy kids.

Matt did not always consider himself to be financially literate. He grew up with certain beliefs around money that did not always serve him well. It wasn't until he and his wife came to a crossroads on their financial future that he decided to truly understand his relationship with money

In this Episode

In this episode Matt and I talk about why he feels that financial literacy and raising money-savvy kids are essential. We explore ;

Money myths
Debt- is it really a necessary fact of life?
Why you don't need to be an expert to teach something
The 5 Pillars of building financial independence
The "Bacon" principle

Matt also understands that financial literacy is not something that a large amount of parents actively understand. But even without understanding it for themselves, they want their children to understand it better. He says that parents do not have to be money experts to talk to their kids about money.

I know many parents that often feel overwhelmed with finances and do not want their children to repeat the same pattern. They often feel they need to know everything before beginning to teach their kids about money. That or they just have no idea where to start.

If you are a parent that is feeling this way, Matt has offered to support our listeners in two ways.

A free PDF that you can download through this link~
https://www.familymoneyschool.com/honey-im-homeschooling-freebie

2. A webinar for my listeners that goes further into depth on the 5 Pillars of Money and how to teach these foundational money principles. This way any parent can have clarity in raising children who thrive with money! If you are interested in the webinar, you can join through this link~
https://www.familymoneyschool.com/honey-im-homeschooling-webinar

Resources

If you would like to reach out to Matt or The Family Money School check out these links;

Website: https://www.familymoneyschool.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/familymoneyschool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamMoneySchool

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/FamMoneySchool/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familymoneyschool/

Dave Ramsey

Francis Bacon

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also want to listen to my episode with John Lanza~How To Raise Money Smart Kids

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E97: Growing Up Unschooled with Liana Francisco

Tue, 11 May 2021 09:02:00 +0000

Growing Up Unschooled

Unschooling- "The freedom for anyone, young and old to choose why, what, when, how and from whom to learn things." It is learner directed, learner centred.

Unschooling may sound like a nice idea, but are you wondering if it is realistic in practice? Can a young child or teen learn that way? Don't they need the structure of school to get a job or go to University? What is it like growing up unschooled?

Liana Francisco~ Growing Up Unschooled

My guest on this episode, Liana Francisco, grew up unschooled. Liana, now an unschooling mom herself, is a serial entrepreneur and coach who helps other moms make plant-based eating easy with a system.

Continuing the unschooling trend, Liana’s path has been unconventional. Liana earned a BA in classical singing and a Master of Public Administration. She spent 12+ years as a government consultant and management executive.

After becoming deeply ill with Lyme Disease, Liana changed her life trajectory and started on a path to help others live intentionally. She had an amazing journey as a vegan deli owner and now runs a wholesale vegan food business, coaches moms to make plant-based eating easy, and just launched a YouTube channel to share how she hacks homemaking for more freedom AND an organized family.

Liana lives in Olympia, WA with her husband and teenage sweetheart, Jonathan, and their four year old son.

In This Episode

In this episode Liana and I discuss what it was like growing up unschooled. We talk about why her family chose the path, why it looked different for each child in the family and the transition into adulthood. And we cover a lot of those questions that many have about unschoolers:

What about math?
Learning Time management
Going to University?
Finding a career
What would she do differently now that she's an unschooling mom herself?

Liana shares with such genuine, gentle insight. Her perspective is invaluable to any parent, new or old to unschooling and homeschool.

Resources

Want to learn more about Liana and what she does? Here's where you can find her;

YouTube

Website~ https://www.lianafrancisco.com/

Liana and I host a room on the Clubhouse app every Saturday morning at 8am Mountain Time in my club, Honey! I'm Homeschooling. We have discussions on unschooling, homeschooling, living and learning all from the foundation of connection and relationships. Join us here

If you would like to learn more about unschooling, you'll enjoy my episode with Pam Laricchia and Gina Riley

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E96: Unschooling and Bitcoin with Daniel Prince

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 09:02:00 +0000

Recently I have been hearing more stories about people in the Bitcoin network becoming interested in unschooling. Or possibly the stories are of unschoolers becoming interested in Bitcoin.....

In either case, why the interest? What do Unschooling and Bitcoin have in common?

Unschooling and Bitcoin

As my family has been learning and diving into the world of Bitcoin over the last few years, I see the link between many of the values that both the Unschooling world and the Bitcoin world hold.

I think the common threads in both worlds are; decentralization, autonomy and freedom.

As one recent article phrased it, "Bitcoin provides power to the users and unschooling provides power to the students." I couldn't agree more and that is why I felt it was a good time to share this connection on the podcast.

Daniel Prince~Unschooling Dad, Digital Nomad and Bitcoin

Daniel Prince is an unschooling dad to 4, an author and podcaster. His book, Choose Life: The Tools, Tricks and Hacks of Long Term Family Travellers, Worldschoolers and Digital Nomads is a recommended read if you are a parent looking to leave the rat race and worldschool. His podcast, Once BITten! shares real life stories of how Bitcoin has changed and shaped individuals and families lives forever.

In this episode Daniel Prince joins me to talk about his personal experience in the world of Unschooling and Bitcoin and why both have become a road to freedom for himself and for his family.

What we explored in this episode

"The job I was in was sucking the life and soul out of me"~ Daniel's story of leaving the rat race and 'Choosing Life' for himself and his family
Unschooling and the mind shift we need to embrace it
The separation of education from state
How they have found ways to support each of their children's learning choices
Doing what society expects of you and not questioning - and what that gets you
Why community is key
What is school?
How the top down structure of the education system reflects the top down structure of the monetary system
A little history on the Gold Standard, the change to the US Dollar in the 40's and how that has shaped the federal reserve, inflation and our world economy
Bitcoin- inventing a medium of exchange that can be tracked and fixed
The social (and economic) implications of Bitcoin
The question to ask- What is money?

Why unschooling and bitcoin? For me, the unschooling journey hasn't just been about questioning the education system and my previous beliefs on learning and school. It has caused me to look at the other institutions within our society and framework. It's about disruption. Freedom. Autonomy.

Disruptor [noun] – a person or thing that prevents something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/disruptor

Resources

Want to get in contact with Daniel or learn more?

Twitter- @princey1976

Princes Off The Grid

Podcast- Once BITten

Tim Ferris- The 4 Hour Work Week

Do Schools Kill Creativity? Sir Ken Robinson

Khan Academy

Squeebles- Math

Galileo XP- Online Self Directed Global School

John Taylor Gatto

John Holt

Bitcoin Resources~

WTF Happened In 1971

Why Buy Bitcoin- Andy Edstrom

The Bitcoin Standard~Saifedean Ammous

Bitcoin Money- Bitcoin Rabbi (Kids Book)

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E95: Unschooling Teens with Karla Marie Williams

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 10:02:00 +0000

Karla Marie Williams is a speaker, writer, global child advocate and unschooling mom to 6 kids. Yes, that's right, 6 kids, who are almost all at or in their teen years.

Karla Marie is also the President of Be Bold Publishing. I welcomed her on the show to celebrate the release of her new book, Teens Unleashed. Teens Unleashed offers real life, hands on experience and practical tips to help you support your unschooling teens.

In this Episode

In this episode Karla Marie and I not only discuss her wonderful new book, but we also talk about their journey into unschooling, the transition process from the early years to the teen/young adult years and we break down the big theme of TRUST.

That's right, the big T word that is the foundation of this exciting learning journey.

Karla Marie shares why Trust is foundational, what has helped her to trust the process and the tools that implements for support.

There is so much value in this episode for parents! If you are working through the deschooling process, if you are looking to start trusting yourself, your child and the learning process more, this episode is for you. That is whether you are the parent of a teen or not.

For those that are unschooling teens or are considering unschooling your teen, here are a few other specifics that we covered;

Grieving the early years (when they have grown past the early years and how the learning days shift and change)
The gift of seeing who they are
Strewing
Focused Learning
Exposure Ignites Fires (Why our job as parents to unschooled teens becomes 'exposure' for their purpose, passion and direction)
What they need and where they are going
What are colleges looking for?
Learning is in the doing
The illusion of mastery
Not allowing fear to get in the way

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Did it inspire you? Would you like further discussion on any specific themes we brought up? You can message me on my Contact Page or DM me via Instagram of FB.

Resources

Website https://www.karlamariewilliams.com/

Book- Teens Unleashed

Karla and The Sensational Six

If you would like to hear a little more about Karla Marie's story of how they came to unschooling, check out my first interview with her here.

Ways To Support The Show

Patreon: Your support helps make the show production possible. https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Leave a Review: Leave a review on itunes. Go To Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids on the Apple Podcasts. Click on Ratings and Reviews on the top heading to the right of my podcast logo. Click on the starts to rate and then click on the REVIEW button to write a review.

At times I will recommend a product or resource that has added value to myself or our family. At times the links I give may contain an affiliate link and when you click to make a purchase from there, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E94: Unschooling School with Heather MacTaggart

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 00:40:00 +0000

Disruptor [noun] - a person or thing that prevents something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/disruptor

Yes, this month we are talking about disruption. I think it is a fitting theme for this past year, don't you? There is a lot of disruption happening all around us and it is not necessarily bad. Change comes from disruption and change can be good. I have often wondered when we talk about change in the education system where we need disruption to be. From the inside or out? In this episode I sat down with education disruptor, Heather MacTaggart to talk about how she sees disruption happening within the system. She says, "If now isn’t the time to redesign an education model built for the industrial age, when will it be?"

Unschooling School

Heather’s obsession is helping to create an education system that actually makes sense for kids, all kids!
She is a social entrepreneur, an educator, and a problem solver. She founded Classroom Connections in 1997 because she was worried about the education system and the kids in it. Since then, Classroom Connections has evolved from a grass-roots resource hub for schools to an award-winning producer of innovative education/training materials that are in use across Canada and around the world. Heather is a firm believer in self directed learning and trust. Currently Heather is working on Unschooling School. The premise is this-

Not all kids can attend these enlightened (alternative) schools.
We already pay for public education.
Not all parents are able to unschool at home.

So what if we made space for change within schools by choosing not to comply with the age-segregated, curriculum-driven, testing, grading, and homework-laden structures?

What if we insisted that our children be allowed to choose what they want to do at school?

What if we let them know that there are lots of different avenues to gain acceptance into College or University or start careers?

What if we revealed to them that marks on a transcript are only one of many options?

In This Episode

In this episode Heather joins me to talk about these possibilities, what Unschooling school means and why she is disrupting education. We explore;

The importance of learning things we are interested in
Allowing kids to be in charge of their learning
Brave parents are disruptors
What would it look like to unschool school?
The two factors that are paramount in both parents and kids to Unschool school
What would society look like if we had consent in our learning and education?
The Free Learner program and support for families that are interested in Unschooling School

Resources

Unschooling School

https://www.yolondajonescreative.com/

Classroom Connections

Change It Up

Peter Gray

Sudbury Valley School

FHREE.org

If you would like to listen to episodes featuring people and places mentioned in this episode, check out my interview with Peter Gray and my interview with Daniel Greenberg of Sudbury Valley School.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E93: Math Codes with Kohila Sivas

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 02:52:00 +0000

Math Codes

Kohila Sivas is a parent, teacher, Math Interventionist, and a Holistic Success Coach for students and parents. Over the past 22 years, Kohila has developed a simple proven system called MathCodes and she uses this system to help students rapidly transform their math performance as well as shift their mindset, grow their confidence, and outperform their expectations in all areas of their life.

Kohila also works with parents on how to best support their child as a 'Student.' When parents are confident that their child has the tools they need to succeed, they have peace of mind about their child's future.

No child should feel defeated or left behind in their education or life. Every child has the potential to excel in all areas of their studies and life.

It is her mission to help children reach their full potential by showing them how to happily and successfully excel in math and in their performance.

Kohila says that if given the 'RIGHT' environment, ALL students CAN excel!

I asked Kohila to be a part of the show because not only have we been talking a lot about math in home learning this year, but we have also been talking about the fear and anxiety that comes up around the subject. The concern is that if a parent struggled in math at school, then how can they support their child to learn math at home?

She Struggled

Kohila says that she herself struggled in school. But around the age of 13, she started to learn how to hack math, or began "cracking the code". This became a turning point for her. She says math became a therapy for her. As she learned hacks and solved problems her mindset began to shift. She gained confidence and began to feel more in control in other areas of her life as well. This sense of empowerment led Kohila to become an educator and coach. She knew how it felt to go from dis-empowered to empowered and she wants other young people to experience the same. Kohila shared how important it is for parents to be a part of the empowerment process, not only in math, but in life learning. Don't get confused though. This is not about pushing our kids to cram, struggle and win and at all costs.

In This Episode

In this episode Kohila shares the questions that parents can ask so that they can be a better learning support for their kids. We also talk about the reasons why many parents and children continue to experience math anxiety and the ways we can start to shift our mindset.

Math anxiety and the generation of speed and math drills
The power of language
Being a part of the learning process
Setting your own benchmarks-letting go of comparison
Don't think math has to be done with a workbook
Math is all around you- where we can find it in our daily lives
Building math environments for young children
Math environments for older children
How she supports learners through Math Codes

What I love about this episode is that Kohila gives us many practical examples of how we can support math learning at home with our kids and tools we can use in our daily life. I also appreciate that Kohila was able to give her perspective on math learning in school as opposed to math in unschooling and home education and why they differ. I know that if you are a homeschooler or unschooler, you will find value in what Kohila shares.

Resources

If you would like to find out more about the support Kohila provides, check out https://www.mathcodes.com/

Want to learn more about building a love of math? Check out this episode with my mother-in-law, a former homeschool parent and math educator http://imhomeschooling.com/learning-math/

Or if you would like to hear about unschooling math, listen to my interview with Dr. Gina Riley http://imhomeschooling.com/unschooling-with-dr-gina-riley/

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E92: Empowering Families Part 2 with Yolonda Coles Jones

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 02:39:00 +0000

This special episode is part 2 of my interview with Yolonda Coles Jones. Yolonda and I wanted to provide additional support and comfort to those families that are feeling caught up in the waves of the moment. This episode is all about using the tools of connection and presence to bring about calm and well-being. We want families to once again start feeling empowered in their own lives. That means being empowered as a parent, person and learning support.

Yolonda Coles Jones, also known as “The Bringer of Calm” and the “Teacher of Thrive”, is a Healing, Wellness & Empowerment-Centered Coach and Education Consultant who specializes in coming alongside households–families and individuals–as well as teachers and school systems to support them in deepening into conscious connection with themselves and with those around them. From that place she guides and supports in building confidence, developing clarity, realizing calm and implementing strategies for success.

Her trademarked Empowered People formula utilizes a powerfully effective combination of mindful breathing & meditation, conscious communication, somatic (body) awareness, boundary awareness, forgiveness, gratitude, joy and deep self-care all as authentic-to-you and accessible ongoing practices.

The scope of her work covers parenting relationships, parent-child/teacher-child dynamics, self-awareness, marriage and long-term partnerships, infidelity, home-based education and self-actualization.

What You Will Hear In This Episode

In this episode we are talking about wellness, connection and community. These are important because they stand as the basis for our learning life. We are 4 dimensional beings; spiritual (not in a religious sense, but in our being-ness), mental, physical and emotional. All of these dimensions come into play in our learning life and overall wellness.

We explore the many ways that we can build this into our present lives and then re-imagine the life we have ahead of us. How do we want to live it? How do we want to co-create our time together?

Our exploration includes;

Community on the micro and macro level. This means starting with ourselves and then move the circle outwards?
The language of touch. Especially in this year of physical isolation
The power of pause, using our breath, reflection and re-imagining
Mindfulness at home
Giving thanks and appreciation
Grief- touching into the moment, vocalizing it and giving space to say it
Marking our space (and therefore our wellness)
Taking the time to check-in
Having courage and being curious

We end this episode with an offer of peace, calm and reflection through a guided meditation.

Resources

If you missed part 1 of this interview, you can find it here.

If you would like to connect with Yolonda and learn more about the work she does supporting families you can find her at:

Yolonda Coles Jones Instagram

Empowered Families

Life As We Design It– Yolonda’s Book

If you enjoyed this episode, you may want to check out my interview with Amanda Curmi, an unschooling mom in Australia that is also a Yoga therapist and Ayurvedic Post- Partum doula. She is passionate about creating community for women and mothers and believes the way we parent can create deep emotional and social change.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E91: Empowering Families with Yolonda Coles Jones

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 10:06:00 +0000

Yolonda Coles Jones, also known as "The Bringer of Calm" and the "Teacher of Thrive", is a Healing, Wellness & Empowerment-Centered Coach and Education Consultant who specializes in coming alongside households--families and individuals--as well as teachers and school systems to support them in deepening into conscious connection with themselves and with those around them. From that place she guides and supports in building confidence, developing clarity, realizing calm and implementing strategies for success.

Yolonda's Journey Into Life and Learning

Yolonda has always been a helper and learner. Supporting people has been her constant path.

Yolonda's 4 children have never attended school as of yet. Self directed education is a mainstay for their family. Their goal is to give their kids space to explore and be who they are.

Empowering Families- In This Episode

In this episode Yolonda shares her journey into being who she is. We also examine what their family life looks like as self-directed learners. Our exploration goes into;

Life skills and what that looks like for each child
Learning together
Having a teenager- Yolonda reminds us to ask the important question as parents- "How much of this is about me and how much of this is about her"?
Living into her children's interests
Bearing witness to emotions and how to be present with sensitive and highly feeling individuals
What Yolonda thought homeschool had to look like
Learning how children learn
Letting life became the lessons.
Changing the ways we see how children learn
The partnership of motherhood
Support of community and deep self care

This is one of my favourite quotes from Yolonda- "Home is the base for education and education happens everywhere. If the script is not working, you can through it out...We can take what relates, what's relevant, what gets us to our goals, what lights this child up, what lights us all up together and we can also learn in our living."

This interview with Yolonda is extremely empowering for the parent that may be facing doubts or challenges and for veteran homeschooling parents that just need a few reminders to pause, get back to our why and surrender into re-imagining.

Resources

If you would like to connect with Yolonda and learn more about the work she does supporting families you can find her:

https://www.yolondajonescreative.com/

Yolonda Coles Jones Instagram

Empowered Families

Life As We Design It- Yolonda's Book

Yolonda mentioned Outschool as a platform that her children use. Find out more about Outschool here.

I first learned of Yolonda through Fare of The Free Child Podcast. I also had the opportunity to interview Akilah S Richards, creator and host of Fare Of The Free Child http://imhomeschooling.com/educational-freedom-akilah-richards

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E90: Unschooling with Dr Gina Riley

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 23:02:00 +0000

Gina Riley, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist, Clinical Professor, and Program Leader of the Adolescent Special Education Program at CUNY – Hunter College. Dr. Riley has over fifteen years experience working with teens diagnosed with learning disabilities and emotional/behavioural disorders. She is also a seasoned academic, with years of teaching, research, and supervisory experience within the fields of special education, psychology, school psychology, and mental health counseling. In addition, Dr. Riley has extensive experience in online education and distance learning at the college/university level. She is known internationally for her work in the fields of homeschooling, unschooling, and self-directed learning. Her book Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in July 2020. Dr. Riley has one son, who she unschooled.

I was first introduced to the work of Dr. Gina Riley quite a few years ago through a study that both she and Dr. Peter Gray did on the challenges and benefits of unschooling. Little did I realize at the time that Dr. Riley was an unschooling parent herself. An unschooling parent, researching unschooling and alternative learning, that also worked in secondary education as a teacher to teachers. (You can see why I was excited that she accepted an invitation to the show.) I knew that the information Gina has to share as a researcher, professor and parent is more important than ever.

Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond The Classroom

In this episode Dr. Riley begins with sharing her own personal experience as a parent choosing to unschool over 20 years ago. We talk about why she made the decision, the fears she had to overcome and how that decision actually prepared her well for the world we find ourselves in today.

In the academic arena, there is not a lot of work on unschooling. I think this is also why some have a hard time believing that unschooling is a valid way to learn and live life. Everyone always wants to reference the research and if there is not a lot of research to be found, people begin to doubt. This is one reason why Dr. Riley's new book, Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom, is important. It is the first academic book published on Unschooling and self directed learning. Gina says that she wrote this book for "the 24 year old Gina (the single mom choosing this unfamiliar path) so that she could give it to her mom, who is also an educator, and say -here's the research."

"The Kids Are Going To Be Fine"

I also took the chance to ask Dr. Riley a few questions that I often hear from parents interested in unschooling but that are uncertain because it looks so different from school. How will they learn without school or if I don't teach them? How will they learn math or to read? What opportunities will be open to unschoolers when they become adults? Dr. Riley answered all of these but it was one statement that said it all for me. "It's not so much how do we do this, it's more, let's trust ourselves in doing this." She said, "The kids are going to be fine. Unschoolers know how to learn."

We ended the episode talking about a question that for many are wondering because of the shift in our current world, whether they are in traditional education or not. That is, What is the future of education?

I hope that you get a chance to tune in to the episode to hear what Dr. Riley has to say.

Resources

Unschooling: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom published by Palgrave Macmillan

The Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Education (published paper by Dr. Gina Riley and Dr. Peter Gray)

Unschooling to University

Learning By Living Podcast- Gina Riley and Kevin Currie-Knight

High Tech High

Self Determination Theory- Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci

Rethinking Learning To Read: The Challenge From Children Educated At Home: Harriet D. A. Pattison

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll also want to listen to my interview with Dr. Peter Gray http://imhomeschooling.com/free-to-learn-peter-gray/

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E89: Learning Math with Monica Robertson

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Monica Robertson is a retired teacher, math educator, grandmother and former homeschool parent. She is also my mother-in-law! I asked Monica to come on the show as a special guest to talk about her experience homeschooling, learning math and the power of looking at the world through a math lens.

Math always seems to be a topic that seems to give quite a few parents feelings of angst. I often hear questions like;

I am not good at math, so how will I be able to teach it to my kids if I homeschool?

How do unschoolers learn math?

Can kids learn math without the drills, worksheets and curriculum?

Can math actually be interesting?

I also see many parents that love the idea of self directed education until it comes to learning math. Somewhere we learn this idea that math is the subject that must be drilled, memorized and come with a little bit of torture, unless you happen to be a math genius. If you have beliefs similar to this, have you ever reflected on why you think that is true? Is it valid?

In This Episode

In this episode my mother-in-law and I talk about her experience homeschooling my husband and her views on learning. We also dive deeper into the idea of looking at the world through a math lens and why this practice is the key. We explore;

Deschooling and why it's an important part of homeschooling
How can we learn to look at the world through a math lens when we are uncertain in our own understanding of math
The difference between a good mathematician and memorizing math facts
Measuring, Spatial Awareness, Subitizing and LEGO's
Encouraging Risk Taking (and what this has to do with learning math)
Persistence
How do we introduce math in a joy driven way?
Worksheets, drills and speed- is it really a true measure of a strong mathematician?
Creating math anxiety
Seeing math and mathematical concepts in the tools, toys and play we may already have in our homes

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. How do you feel about stepping away from the worksheets and drills and encouraging a math conversation? What ways are you starting to see the world through a math lens? Or do you disagree? If you would like to explore more, here are the additional resources that we mentioned on the episode.

Resources

If you would like to contact Monica you can reach her via email~ monie_rob@hotmail.com

John Holt- https://www.johnholtgws.com/homeschooling-unschooling-resources

How Children Learn (John Holt)

Learning All The Time (John Holt)

Teach Your Own John Holt Book of Homeschooling

Jo Boaler- her math website can be found here- https://www.youcubed.org/

James Tanton- Math Educator

James Tanton- Exploding Dots

Peter Liledahl- Simon Fraser University Math Educator (resources page)

Alicia Burdess- Math resources

Teaching Through Problems Worth Solving - Alicia Stone Burdess

Teaching Through Problems Worth Solving Version 3- Alicia Stone Burdess

Interview with Former teacher turned unschooling parent- Leah McDermott http://imhomeschooling.com/natural-learning-leah-mcdermott/

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E88: Unschooling & STEM

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Judy Arnall is an adult educator, certified in brain and child development, and master of non-punitive parenting and education practices. Judy is the bestselling author of 5 books on non-punitive parenting and unschooling and has unschooled 5 adult children. 3 have graduated university, 1 is presently attending and 1 is a Masters student.

Unschooling, Math and STEM careers

We are talking about math in homeschooling and unschooling this month, a topic that comes up often in homeschooling and unschooling discussions. How can homeschooling support a love of math? Do unschoolers learn math? How will my kids learn math if I'm not confident in math myself? Will my kids get enough math knowledge from home? Judy addresses many of these fears through her own experience of raising unschoolers that found careers in the STEM field and learned math to very high levels.

In This Episode

In this episode Judy talks about her family's journey unschooling to adulthood. Having raised 5 kids, all unschooled, Judy truly has the gift of hindsight. We explored unschooling and STEM, how the non-traditional path supported her children's STEM careers and;

Putting our doubts to bed
The power of observation and the gift of hindsight
"Walk and Talk"- engaging in meaty conversations with our kids
Will kids learn multiplication tables if we don't teach them?
Video Games and raising gamers
Brain development and what happens in the adolescent years
Self Regulation
Math through play
No worksheets until at least 13
Careers in STEM
How her children faired from no school to their first high school math class
How her unschoolers adjusted to University
Judy's recommendations for supporting math in the younger years
Supporting unschooling teens
Why trust is fundamental

Resources

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

Book- Unschooling To University

FB Group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/UnschoolingSTEM

If you are interested in hearing more about unschooling and STEM from a grown unschooler you'll this episode~http://imhomeschooling.com/why-self-directed-learning-is-important/.

You'll also love this episode with Monica Truong, self directed learning advocate~http://imhomeschooling.com/why-self-directed-learning-is-important/

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E87: Deschooling

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Deschooling

Deschooling is a process of letting go of the singular beliefs we have attached with learning and kids. Beliefs that learning has to be done in a certain way, within certain times, within a certain kind of environment. Deschooling means possibilities. It’s a time to deconstruct the expectations, concerns, worries, beliefs around school, learning, and education.

In This Episode

In this episode I talk about what deschooling is and why it is important. I also share ways that we can embrace deschooling more in our homeschooling life.

I take the time to to explore the meaning of the words learning, education and school. Better understanding these words and how we use them (or misuse them) can influence our daily learning life.

This past year has brought a huge change in learning, schooling and education. I think many of us knew a shift was already happening but COVID certainly sped things up. The homeschooling community exploded in numbers and the shift to online learning has been extraordinary. Now more than ever, parents are beginning to better understand the choices they have when it comes to learning, education and schooling.

Why We Try To Replicate School At Home

That being said, a large amount of homeschooling this year looks a lot like trying to make the home into the classroom or school. That has brought frustration on the part of some parents. Why? The home is not the school classroom and as much as we try to replicate school at home, we cannot. Many parents deciding to try homeschooling for the first time have done so in a time of massive change. Trying to control change as much as possible is a natural human process. Our survival mechanism kicks in during times of stress and our pre-programmed routines take over.

So when we start out on the homeschool journey and face life change, we try to do what is safe. That means safe replicating what we know, which in this case is the pattern and structure of education in school.

Deschooling can help us to take a step back and slow down, giving us time to better understand our children, ourselves and how the learning process works. Then instead of trying to copy and put in place what may not work in our home, we can have a fresh slate to create and reinvent a space that better supports each individual's learning process.

References and Resources

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/education-philosophy/

Britannica on Education~ https://www.britannica.com/topic/education

What is Learning? Queens University, Canada~ https://www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/students/04_what_is_learning.html

School Free by Wendy Priesnitz

How Children Learn, John Holt

If you would like to hear more about deschooling, listen to my episode with Unschooling mom, author and business owner, Pam Laricchia~ http://imhomeschooling.com/hihtk-005-exploring-unschooling/

Or to my interview with Jo Watt, former teacher turned Unschooling mom and blogger ~ http://imhomeschooling.com/deschool-the-adult-mind/

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S5E86: Why Learning Is Happening Everywhere: Jenn Sutherland

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 11:02:00 +0000

Jenn Sutherland and Beyond School

I am joined by Jenn Sutherland, worldschooling mom, entrepreneur and CEO of Beyond School. In addition to homeschooling her own four children, from birth to university entrance while traveling the world, full time, for over a decade, Jenn has a degree in education and over 20 years experience in helping families build world class educations for their children outside the four walls of a classroom. Now the CEO of Beyond School, she's focused on building a school of the future for families of the future and creating a third path in education, acknowledging that learning is happening everywhere.

What You'll Find In This Episode

In this episode Jenn and I explore the meaning of why learning is not an occurrence that happens only in school, within a certain timeframe of life. We talk about why and how learning is happening everywhere and learning is happening always. And why it is up to us as parents to shift our perspective on how and where learning can happen and let go of the fact that we have to control and measure every form of learning. This conversation included;

Living A Life Of Adventure & Worldschooling

Living a life of adventure and worldschooling- How her family went from a year of travel in 2008 to a life of travel and why it was the best decision they ever made
The crash of 2008 and losing it all while on the road- How tragedy can be a catalyst to step back and re-evaluate what you really want out of life
Travel full time? What Jenn and her husband did to be able to travel full time and recreate their careers.

Learning & Homeschooling

Learning and homeschooling-Does having credentials make you a better homeschooler or is it a liability?
Prioritizing needs, wants and dreams. What is the difference between needs and wants? Who do you want to be in 1 year, 5 years? How do we make that happen for you?
The most valuable things to teach in homeschooling
"Everything I thought I knew about education from a classroom perspective had almost no bearing on getting the job done at home."-What Jenn had to learn to let go of in homeschooling
Deschooling- unlearning and then re-learning
Shifts in in beliefs and perspectives

The Joy Of Teens

The shift in our view of teens that needs to happen in our world
Teenagers- why we need to start saying YES to their dreams
Trust, failure and raising capable children to become capable adults

School Of The Future- Beyond School

The ways that COVID has shifted education and perspectives in education
School of the future, Third Path education- why Beyond School began
Child centred, learner centred and unique to each individual
How Beyond School is cradle to grave learning over a lifetime, supporting young kids to adults

"Homeschooling is not about teaching your children from a top down management perspective. It's about Celebrating the fact that learning is happening everywhere, learning is happening always and we are in it together. Everybody at a different stage." Jenn Sutherland

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more about alternatives to traditional school, I suggest you also check out these episodes:

A Case For Self Directed Teens: Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School? with Blake Boles

Self Directed Learning- Blake Boles

Village Home Learning Community- with Lori Walker

Alternatives To School- SHINE Together Holistic Learning Center- with Mandy Spiczka

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Beyond School website- beyondschool.co

The Teenage Liberation Handbook- Grace Llewellyn

Not Back To School Camp

Disclosure: When I recommend a product that I believe have will add value, it may contain an affiliate link, and when you click the link and decide to make a purchase through that link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E85: Homeschooling Your Differently Wired Child with Colleen Kessler

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Homeschooling Your Differently Wired Child

"Adapt and let go of the stuff that doesn't bring you joy and bring your kids a love of learning. Switch it to make it fun and make learning the goal, not the product the goal"

Divergent thinker? Twice Exceptional? Gifted? Dyslexic? Differently wired kids? Are you homeschooling your differently wired child? Feeling overwhelmed, beaten down and just not sure what to do? This episode is filled with guidance and inspiration from a mom that has been raising and homeschooling her own four uniquely wired children.

Collen Kessler~Raising Lifelong Learners

Colleen Kessler is an explorer, tinkerer, writer, educator, creator, and a passionate advocate for the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional children. The author of more than a dozen books for parents, teachers, and children, Colleen is an award-winning educator, educational coach and consultant, with a B.S. in elementary education and a M.Ed. in gifted studies. She is the founder of the popular podcast and website, Raising Lifelong Learners and has launched a vibrant new community for quirky families called The Learner's Lab, full of creative lessons, problem solving activities, critical and divergent thinking games, and the social-emotional support differently-wired children and teens need most. Her newest book, Raising Resilient Sons: A Boy Mom's Guide to Building a Strong, Confident, and Emotionally Intelligent Family will be released this December by Ulysses Press.

What you will find in this episode

From the classroom to home- Why homeschooling her differently wired kids was not originally in Colleen's plan
The difference between teaching in a classroom and homeschooling
How their family's homeschool has evolved over the years
The pervasive myth of being gifted
What is the difference between a high achiever and a gifted person?
What to spend your homeschool budget on
The unique tools that Colleen uses to support the flourisher writer in her daughter
Helping your differently wired child thrive
Cherishing the intrinsic desire to learn, resiliency and emotional intelligence

Colleen offers so many golden nuggets of wisdom in this episode; from building resiliency, raising our kids to be who they are and not who we want them to be, to what a typical day looks like in their household. Let me know if you have any lingering questions that you would like answered after this interview.

Resources

The Learner's Lab | A Raising Lifelong Learner's Community https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/the-learners-lab/

Colleen's new book- Raising Resilient Sons: A Boy Mom's Guide to Building a Strong, Confident, and Emotionally Intelligent Family

Masterclass

Amazon Echo

Other ways to help support the podcast? Become a patron~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Other Episodes you may enjoy:

Listen to a Rad Educator trying to make a difference within the system~ http://imhomeschooling.com/kate-weber-rad-educator/

Akilah S. Richards of Fare of The Free Child Podcast talks about their journey into unschooling their gifted daughters, social justice and self liberation work. http://imhomeschooling.com/educational-freedom-akilah-richards/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E84: The Homeschool Journey- Your Questions Answered

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Welcome! In this episode I am talking about the Homeschool Journey and addressing questions from listeners.

Homeschooling and Unschooling Questions

Dealing with homeschool overwhelm?

What you can do and why the solution sometimes means doing less, not more.

What happens when the homeschool honeymoon is over?

The importance of going back to your "WHY" and matching learning with purpose.
I share questions and prompts that help you to start exploring your beliefs around learning and why this is important in building a strong home learning foundation.

How can we support our kids interests and passions?

Getting to know our child's interests
How we can start to gather resources to support them
Ways that we can document their learning (even when it doesn't look like school style learning)

How do I know my child is learning? Should I give them tests in homeschooling?

Why academics are only a small part of learning.
Soft Skills
The advantage of being in communication and conversation with your child
Examples from our homeschooling life- how I know my kids are learning
Applying and practicing knowledge-when learning is relevant and meaningful

How do I apply resources to different age groups?

Ways to support reading around the home
Recognizing when basic needs must be met
The importance of space and downtime
How we find learning resources out of the everyday things in our home

The Home Education Road Trip

I find that more often than not, our immediate response to solving a problem is finding a person or a checklist that will just tell me what to do. But here's the thing. Homeschooling, just like every family that does it, is unique to each of us. We come from different backgrounds, communities, environments and different perspectives. A 1-10 checklist is not a guarantee to solve all of our problems. That is why in this episode I relate our home educating journey to the family road trip. We could be Unschooling, Classical homeschooling, Waldorf homeschool..it all applies to our individual situations. Each of us will be taking different transportation, will want to make different stops and may need longer or shorter breaks depending on where we are going, who we are and what we want to see and experience.

I would love to know if this analogy - the road trip of home education- resonated with you. Send me a message or reach out on social media to let me know.

Homeschool Journey Resources and Special Mentions in this Episode

Happy and Healthy Kids Summit

Homeschooling Global Summit

Rural Mental Health Project

Poetry Tea Time

Masterclass

Ted Talk- Jane McGonigal Gaming Can Make A Better World

Outschool Classes

Who Was Books...

Deep Work- Cal Newport

Free To Learn- Peter Gray

My interview with Dr. Peter Gray

Want to help support the podcast? https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E83: Homeschooling Styles: Montessori with Jeanne Marie Paynel

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Homeschool With Montessori

In this episode I learn about homeschool with the Montessori method. Jeanne Marie talks about how she embraced Montessori and the reasons why it aligns with her heart and beliefs on learning, living and parenting. She offers essential tools to help parents follow our intuition, trust ourselves and trust our children.

Parenting Mentor and Montessori Educator

Jeanne-Marie Paynel, M.Ed, is a Parenting Mentor and Home Consultant dedicated to helping parents let go of the overwhelm so they can enjoy raising self-sufficient and resilient children with ease.

Host of The Art of Parenting podcast and Founder of Your Parenting Mentor (formerly Voila Montessori) Jeanne Marie guides expectant parents, caregivers and parents of young children on how to better prepare their homes and themselves for their children to thrive during the first years of life. She believes that a supportive and peaceful atmosphere at home will allow every child to grow up as an independent, confident and capable learner. She combines her three passions: Montessori, Conscious Parenting and Positive Discipline. Her mission is to help parents appreciate the true importance of their role - not as servants or teachers, but as supporters and guides of their children's natural development.

In This Episode

In this episode we delve into the importance of trust in learning. Trust in our children and what they want to learn and trust in ourselves. Jeanne Marie explains how this is a fundamental part of Montessori and homeschooling. We discuss;

Maria Montessori and the Montessori Method

The start of the first Montessori school in 1907- The Children's House

Understanding human development and why that is a foundational piece of Montessori

What sets Montessori apart from traditional school

A prepared environment for our children- supporting the curiosity to learn

Mixed Ages, freedom of movement, freedom within limits and following the child

The differences between Montessori and other child led methods

The 4 Planes of a Child's Development in Montessori

Montessori in Homeschooling

Mindful Parenting and ways we can practice being more present

Jeanne Marie's thoughts on Screen time and the influence on children's development

My biggest takeaway from my interview with Jeanne Marie is that whether we are using the Montessori method at a school or in homeschooling, the foundation always remains the same. The key values in the Montessori method are actually the same key values in self directed learning. That is trust in your children, be their advocate in curiosity and support life long learning.

Resources

Book~The Secret of Childhood- Maria Montessori

Website: http://www.voilamontessori.com

Podcast The Art of Parenting: https://voilamontessori.com/the-art-of-parenting-podcast/

Instagram: @jeannemariepaynel

FaceBook: Jeanne-Marie – Voila Montessori

YouTube: Voila Montessori

The Art of Parenting Podcast Episode- What is Montessori?

Montessori Homeschool Summit

We have featured Montessori, Worldschooling, homeschooling, Charlotte Mason and Classical education as well as my main theme of self directed education and unschooling. What are some other homeschool methods out there that you would like to hear more about?

Support the show through Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids. Patrons will receive a special bonus from Jeanne Marie on the 4 planes of development.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E82: Homeschooling To The Ivy Leagues

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 13:36:00 +0000

Homeschooling To The Ivy Leagues

Carline Crevecoeur was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1963. When she was five, Carline's parents immigrated to the United States with her and her five siblings, settling down in a two-story house in Brooklyn, New York. Carline attended St. John’s University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1985, majoring in Chemistry. She went on to pursue her dream of
becoming an OB/GYN, obtaining a medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical School.
After an unforeseeable series of events, she eventually retired from medicine to homeschool her five (now college-aged) children. She is the author of the upcoming book Pressure Makes Diamonds, in which she describes her memorable homeschooling journey. Today, she lives in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania with her husband Michael.

I am sure you will enjoy this conversation with Carline as much as I did. Carline brings great experience and gives careful thought to everything that she shares with me. Yes, all five of her children attended Ivy League Universities but their goal was not homeschooling to the ivy leagues. Carline's goal was (and still is) family, to honour each of her children's unique needs and interests and enrich their life. Carline talks about pressure, but not pressure on her kids to succeed. It's the pressure the we put on ourselves as parents, on our kids, on each other. But it's surviving these pressures, that we come out a stronger person.

"They kids tell you what they want to learn. What they love. You just have to listen."

What You'll Hear In This Episode

For the beginning homeschoolers- Carline's advice and tips. I love how what Carline recommends is practical and doable for each of us. Reach out to others, visualize how homeschooling can be a fun reality and decide to do it. We talk about embracing the attitude

Homeschooling within a regulated state- How she worked through the requirements and standardized testing of her state

What homeschooling opened her eyes to- What she learned about her kids once they started homeschooling

Supporting her children's talents and choosing their own individual path- how she did this for each of her 5 child

Homeschooling to the ivy leagues (university) and how each of her kids entered the Ivy Leagues

The best moments and the difficult moments of homeschooling, including homeschooling through illness

What impacts our current world will have on our society and education

What life lessons that homeschooling has taught her

Resources

Find and connect with Carline:

Website-https://www.carlinecrevecoeur.com/

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/crevey22/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/medicrev

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/carline.crevecoeur

Quiz Bowl

If you would like to hear more about parents that homeschooled to the Ivy Leagues, check out my interview with Milva McDonald.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E81: Homeschooling Styles: Charlotte Mason with Leah Boden

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 07:03:00 +0000

Charlotte Mason with Leah Boden

Leah is a long-time student and practitioner of the Charlotte Mason method of education and is passionate about helping parents find their freedom within the philosophy. Leah and her husband Dave have 4 homeschooled children. She writes, speaks and podcasts using the Charlotte Mason philosophy as a springboard into her lessons on childhood, motherhood and education. Leah delights in coaching and leading others in this refreshing way of life. She is a speaker and writer for the international Wild + Free homeschooling community and creator of Modern Miss Mason.

In This Episode

I invited Leah to join me on this episode because I knew she would be a wonderful person to talk about the method and philosophy of Charlotte Mason. After 14 years Leah still carries the passion and enthusiasm that she had from the beginning.

In this episode we discussed;

Charlotte Mason- The prolific writer, educator and her vision and impact.

Strategically planning the year- How Leah does this and what she has learned over the years.

Creating rhythms of rest and pause.

What their day looks like-morning rhythms and atmosphere

The foundations of the Charlotte Mason philosophy-
- 1. Children are born persons. They are born whole. Our role as parents is to support this.
- 2. Education is the science of relations. Relationships are what matter. How we view children, how we view education and how all of that comes together is the foundation of the philosophy.

The power and joy of using "Living Books"

Finding your freedom within the philosophy

Charlotte Mason and religion- can all backgrounds and beliefs follow the method?

Is there a lack of cultural diversity in the method?

The secret to longevity in homeschooling

Homeschooling in the UK

At the end of the episode I asked Leah to talk a little about life and requirements for homeschoolers in the UK. I have listeners from all over the world, including the UK and some are exploring homeschooling for the first time. Is there freedom or is it regulated? What if your child wants to attend college or university in the UK?

Even though Leah and I practice different philosophies, our belief in children and learning remains the same; trust, joy in learning and relationships. We both agree that we are learning alongside our kids and our role as home educators is in supporting the beauty and passion of childhood.

Charlotte Mason Resources

Leah Boden

Charlotte Mason Philosophy- Modern Miss Mason

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/leahvboden/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/modernmissmason/

Charlotte Mason Home Education Series

The Parents Review Archive

Living Books Referenced

RJ Unstead- History of the English Speaking World

Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare For Children- E. Nesbit

Charles and Mary Lamb- Tales From Shakespeare

Aesops Fables

Charlottes Web

If you want to learn more about different home educating styles check out these interviews on Classical Education- http://imhomeschooling.com/homeschooling-styles-classical-education/

Unschooling- http://imhomeschooling.com/hihtk-005-exploring-unschooling/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E80: Homeschooling Styles: Classical Education

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Homeschool Styles & Methods

Exploring different homeschooling methods, starting with Classical Education. If you are a returning listener to this podcast or to this website, you will know I'm and advocate of self-directed learning and unschooling. We began our learning journey in school but we left to travel with our kids. When we began worldschooling we tried to recreate school. As time went on and we dove further into home education, we started to transition into project based learning and then into unschooling. It felt right for us and matched the needs and goals of our family.

We choose unschooling but there are many other homeschoolers that have different approaches to learning. What I truly believe when it comes to learning is that the best learning reflects the learner.

A Continuing Resource For Homeschooling

Over the years, this podcast has become a go-to resource for learning outside of the traditional school norm.With the the growth of homeschool, particularly in this current year, I want to continue to show the many different facets of home education and alternative education. I have featured homeschooling, unschooling, micro schools, democratic schools, forest schools, self directed learning, worldschooling and more. But I have yet to feature a few other wonderful learning approaches such as Classical, Charlotte Mason, Montessori and Waldorf. So we begin with this episode that features Classical education and for those interested, a Classical program for homeschoolers.

Classical Educator Lisa Ann Dillon of Wisdom Wonder Project

Lisa Ann Dillon is a homeschool mom to two children and Classical teacher at SLO Classical Academy for 15 years. (San Luis Obispo Classical Academy)

SLO Classical Academy is a private, nonprofit hybrid school for homeschoolers. It offers a physical campus for classes ranging from infant care to high school.

Wisdom Wonder Project is a rich online curriculum founded on the principles of classical education. It offers Classical education with a twist. It is non-sectarian, with the classical emphasis on character values while emphasizing the value of play. The goals is to make the power, magic and mystery of learning accessible to the modern homeschool family.

The Classical Education Method

In this episode Lisa Ann and I discuss the Classical education method. What it is, what kind of learner it supports and the cross-over it can have with unschooling. Lisa Ann answers for me;

What is the Classical method and what does it look like in the home?
What kind of practices and activities are at the foundation of the Classical education method? Why is it considered such a content rich approach?
Is the Classical method a very structured program? What is the difference between structure and stricture?
How does the Classical education approach in-still a love of learning?
The power of observation in the Classical approach.
What families are drawn to Classical method?
Is Classical education religious? Can you be a non-religious family and be part of Classical education?
Classical Education is a literature rich program. How does Math fit into the approach?
Are there similarities between the Classical method and Unschooling?

Themes That Cross Over To All Forms Of Learning

At the end of the episode Lisa Ann and I took time to explore learning themes that we feel are essential to living a rich learning life, no matter what kind of method a family uses. This includes;

Story- The power of story, how it can change history and how it connects us on a deep level. "When children learn to value the story of others that's where they develop empathy...emotional intelligence..and a desire to connect with other people".

Engagement- Does engagement occur naturally or does it need to be encouraged? Why is engagement an important part of learning? How do we encourage or tap into engagement?

Relationships- The layers of relationship. The first layer is the relationship with ourselves and then the layers of community. We all need to establish a positive relationship with ourselves. When students see themselves as learners and see that they have agency and responsibility for their learning- it's a good foundation for learning and self esteem.

Vulnerability- How does vulnerability empower our relationships? As we learn to be vulnerable, we learn to reveal what's true.

Mistakes- Vulnerability and mistakes go hand in hand. Our mindset is essential towards effort and growth as opposed to "getting it right". How do we make mistakes without holding onto the idea that we are not good enough? We explore how being afraid to make a mistake can hamper learning and the love of learning.

Challenge- Finding the right balance. Is it important?

Lisa Ann leaves us with exceptional advice for parents new and old to home learning.

I encourage you to take note of her advice on how to close out the home learning day with your kids and how it builds the power of connection while complementing their learning.

What are some things that you do with your children at the end of the learning day? How do you feel that this supports and solidifies your family's learning life?

Resources and References

Wisdom Wonder Project

Email to sign up for free activities, videos and encouragement with Wisdom Wonder Project- https://airtable.com/shr7bZQMcAp8Xamax

You Tube- https://www.youtube.com/wisdomwonderproject

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/wisdomwonderproject/

SLOCAL - San Luis Obispo Classical Academy

Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell- The Power Of Myth

Singapore Math - Wisdom Wonder Project

Khan Academy

Ways To Support The Show

Patreon: Your support helps make the show production possible. https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Leave a Review: Leave a review on itunes.

Share the show on Social Media: You can tag me on Instagram or share on Facebook @honeyimhomeschooliongthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E79: Look For The Helpers: Village Home Learning Community

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Look For The Helpers-Village Home Learning Community with Lori Walker

Lori Walker is passionate about the idea that learning is a natural process, and is an inherently fun process. It feels good to learn, so why are so many students bored and disengaged? Lori is the founder and Executive Director of Village Home, where learners actually enjoy learning. Village Home is a learning community that is built on the idea that learning is ultimately self-directed, and we, as teachers, are here to encourage learning as a process. Learners are all unique, with unique interests and learning styles. The Village Home model allows learners to pursue their interests as an individual while also participating in a family-friendly, community learning environment.

Prior to founding Village Home in 2002, Lori was the Director of Training and Curriculum at Learning Forum, based in California, where she designed academic and life skills curriculum, trained teachers, and facilitated programs for teens. She also served as a facilitator herself at programs in the United States and abroad. Lori has over 18 years of experience teaching and training adults and children in a variety of subjects, from psychology to accounting for REITs. She earned degrees, graduating summa cum laude with distinction and honors, from SMU in Business Management and Psychology, with an emphasis in child development. Lori’s two daughters provided the initial inspiration for Village Home, and her job as mom is the best job she will ever have. She lives in Beaverton with her husband and an assortment of animals.

Village Home Learning Community with Lori Walker

Lori Walker is part of my special series Look For The Helpers. Lori saw a need in the homeschool community that was not being addressed and she set about solving that problem. She saw engaged homeschool parents that were close to burnout. Their children were involved in a multitude of activities that required them to spend endless hours in the car, along with many hours organizing. They wanted their kid's interests and need for knowledge adequately filled but to do that were sacrificing too much of their time and energy. Lori also saw that the one part of school that she enjoyed and valued most as a kid, which were the experiences and camaraderie that school activities and clubs offered, was not readily available to homeschool kids. As a homeschool parent herself, she wanted all of that for her daughters but she still wanted to enjoy the benefits of the homeschool lifestyle and the freedom to learn. So she created Village Home.

Village Home

Village Home has made a difference in the lives of many homeschooling families. It has also provided an example of a learning space that engages learners, allows them to own their education and lets them lead, while being part of a broader learning community. Learners are passionate, families are welcome and educators are inspired to work there.

In This Episode

In this Episode Lori and I talk about how Village Home meets the needs of natural learners, supports teachers to inspire kids and creates a community space for the entire family.

We discuss;

the natural learning process and nurturing the desire to learn
why it is important for learners to be engaged in their learning
the difference between measurement in education and the intrinsic motivation to learn
choosing to homeschool and why Lori saw homeschooling as a better chance to be in the world compared to the 4 walls of the classroom
what happens when we pay attention to the human being as opposed to the curriculum
Lori's "aha" moments that came through homeschooling her own children
the rewards she has received through homeschooling and creating the Village Home learning community

What Lori described as the rewards she has received really stuck with me. She said, "it's noticing kids being themselves. They are free to be who they are." I agree with Lori, that is a reward well worth experiencing.

If you would like to find out more about Village Home, you can go to their website https://www.villagehome.org/ You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/villagehome

Lori and I recorded this episode before quarantine was lifted. As you can imagine, there are a few new updates;

We are thrilled to host classes that build community and learning in live classes online for homeschoolers in the Fall! We have 140 mixed-age, grade-free classes to choose from (most of them are $11/hour of instruction). Registration information is at www.villagehome.org. Local homeschoolers in the pacific NW can register for our new Voyagers Outside program, fresh-air learning (as long as it is safe to do so). We have a virtual meet-the-teacher open house on Tuesday, July 28th if anyone wants to stop by to meet us, and we also host a weekly homeschooling FAQ for those new to this exciting lifestyle on Tuesdays at 4:00pm on our facebook page.

If you enjoyed this episode and you would like to hear more about unique learning communities check out these episodes;

Freedom Thinkers is an alternative program in B.C. Canada that was started by a teacher that could not get the public system to change http://imhomeschooling.com/freedom-thinkers/

SHINE Together is another example of a holistic, natural learning community.

The Genius School is a democratic, self directed learning space that also supports learners in the entrepreneurial mindset and giving back to the community.

If you would like to help support Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids podcast, you can do so through patreon- https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E78: Decentralized, Democratic and Self Directed- The Genius School

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:57:00 +0000

Decentralized, Democratic and Self Directed- The Genius School with Karema Akilah

In this episode Karema Akilah and I talk about her journey from public school teacher to unschooling parent of 6, to the creation of The Genius School. Karema is an advocate of children learning in freedom. She brings not only passion to this episode, but she clearly explains the practice of self directed education and the myths that surround it, as well as the the framework of a "school" that is decentralized, democratic and self directed. She asks, "what is really the end game of this k-12 education?"

If you are looking for inspiration and clarity, I encourage you to listen.

In This Episode

Homeschool Burn-out almost drove this mama of The Half Dozen to the edge of depression! Being a slave to her curriculum, Karema Greene, felt like a failure; always behind with apathetic kids who lacked a luster for learning! It took 3 strikes; a trip to the craft store, a “slap in the face” from a 16 year old and the idea of “a fish climbing a tree,” to finally convince her to try something she said she would NEVER DO; Unschool!

Karema is the founder of The Genius School, a decentralized, democratic, self directed school. Karema champions other mamas and papas to discover the Genius of their children by encouraging kids to do something they would enjoy, do well and be proud of, thus leading to their Strengths! Once strengths and interests are identified and articulated, Karema believes kids should be invited to dream up disruptive and scalable solutions housed in marketable systems that are nurtured and funded by successful entrepreneurs with the intent of bringing a child’s gift to the world. That’s a world she believes we all would like to live in!

The Genius School

With her teaching background and her oldest in adulthood, Karema saw what was lacking in the conventional learning experience. That is the reason why she created The Genius School and the 5 pillars that frame. We delve into:

The foundation of trust
Having good experiences
Servicing community
What it means to be decentralized, democratic and self directed and why she chose this model

Karema and I also spoke of the obstacles that self directed learning schools face which are; lack of awareness, lack of diversity, lack of funding, lack of documentation and how we can go about overcoming these obstacles.

If you are inspired by Karema and what she is creating with The Genius School and would like to offer your support or learn more, you can go HERE to register for the virtual open house.

And please, spread the message of self directed learning.

Resources and Links

The Genius School

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/decentralizedlearning/

You can contact Karema directly- info@genius

Dr. Glenn Doman - Institutes For The Achievement of Human Potential

Homeschooling Global Summit 2020 https://2020.hgsummit.com/

Getting It Together Parent Summit July 15-17

If you would like to learn more about the Sudbury School Model, check out my interview with one of the founders, Daniel Greenberg http://imhomeschooling.com/sudbury-valley-school-daniel-greenberg/

If you would like to hear more about decolonizing education and liberated learning, listen to my interview with Akilah S Richards http://imhomeschooling.com/educational-freedom-akilah-richards/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E77: Look For The Helpers: Mothering The Mother

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Look For The Helpers-Mothering The Mother with Amanda Curmi

Amanda is a mother of 3 beams of energy and resides on the east coast of Australia. They are an unschooling family moving through life as gently and consciously as they can together. She loves supporting and diving deep into a gentle approach towards education and sees herself as a facilitator rather than a teacher, aiming to hold space for the children to lead the way and develop through self - directed learning. The process of choosing to home educate has also sparked a journey of deep self exploration, healing and tapping into her own creative power.

Amanda also teaches yoga and meditation. She is also currently studying to become a Yoga therapist and Ayurvedic Post- Partum doula. She is passionate about creating community for women and mothers and believes the way we parent can create deep emotional and social change. Amanda loves spending loads of time in nature with her family, creating, studying, cooking and gardening, practicing yoga and considers herself to forever be a student in this lifetime.

The Power of Self Care in Home Education

In the space of home education there is a side effect that is not often spoken of. Parents that put so much time and effort into their children to prove they are enough. Without school, we feel 100% responsible for what we provide our child not only as a parent but as their educator too. We want to make sure we are providing 'enough' opportunity, are a good 'enough' parent, and are setting the right example for the community. That is a lot to place on our shoulders. The needs and self care of the parent, in particular the mother, becomes the last need that is attended to. Burn out is a concern.

I asked Amanda Curmi to be the helper for this episode in the series because I wanted to talk about the power of self care from a holistic perspective and how that ties into the family's learning journey. As an unschooling mother, yoga teacher and yoga therapist, and soon to be Ayurvedic Doula, I knew Amanda would have fantastic insight.

Mothering The Mother in Life and Unschooling

Amanda and I talk about the importance of Mothering the Mother. She explains clearly why caring for the mother is also caring for the child. It is a connection to ourselves that has been lost or stolen along the way. Listen in to hear us delve into;

The tools that are an important part of this practice
How yoga and meditation became an important tool to helping her deal with her anxiety and depression
Guiding beliefs around learning and parenting
A day in the life of their unschooling family
Their unschooling foundations- talking and communication, being in community, nature and time outside
Encouraging the creative process
The practice of yoga
What it means to Call A RESET in their family
The power of focusing her energy on what she wants the collective future to look like

Amanda leaves us with fantastic advice and practical tools on trying to balance life and learning from home. It's about planting the seeds that you want to grow later in your life.

Resources

If you are interested in getting in touch with Amanda Curmi, you can reach her through Facebook or Instagram.

Instagram @teachingthemtochasethesun

Facebook- Awaken Through Motherhood

You can also check out the first two Helpers in this series; David Irvine http://imhomeschooling.com/look-for-the-helpers-parenting-and-being-human/ and Homeschool Mom Teresa Wiedrick http://imhomeschooling.com/look-for-the-helpers-thrive-not-just-survive/

Become a Patron- https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E76: Alternatives to School-SHINE Together, a Holistic Learning Centre

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 10:02:00 +0000

"Children really learn best when they are able to pursue their own interests and follow their own timetable."

Alternatives To School

Mandy Spiczka has been helping kids learn and grow all of her life. Through mentoring, a summer program counsellor, an after school coordinator, tutor and then as a public school teacher she has always been drawn to work that allows her to support kids.

But once Mandy became a parent herself, she decided she wanted her daughter to "have an education that is as unique as she is". She wanted an education that aligned with everything she had learned about in child psychology and development, everything that she had studied as a teacher and as a person that has always been connected to children. The education that aligned with her values was not found in the school. It had to be an alternative to school. It was homeschooling, or more specifically, self directed learning. And once Mandy made the decision to homeschool her daughter, she knew it was the right choice.

SHINE Together

Mandy has spent the last decade leading groups for parents and children, including the St. Cloud Unschooling Network. The St. Cloud Unschooling Network links over sixty families in central Minnesota who believe learning cannot be separated from life and who value play, exploration, growth, and following their children’s leads.

As Mandy met more families that shared her views on self directed education, she also met families that were not able to put this type of learning into action because of varying obstacles; a spouse that didn't agree or a work schedule that could not support learning from home or a parent that needed a little extra help. Mandy knew she could help these families by offering what they were not able to do. She has now founded SHINE Together, LLC, a holistic learning space that supports families that wish to home educate or unschool full-time, but for individual reasons, cannot.SHINE Together is a flexible space where each child’s interests, needs, and strengths take center stage and where academic learning is fully integrated with real-life experiences.

In This Episode

In this episode Mandy shares why she is an advocate of self directed learning and holistic learning. She shares her experiences as a teacher and and did not want for her daughter; an environment that is "creating so many kids that are out of alignment with who they are as human beings". She also shares her own struggles as a parent on the self directed learning path and explains why deschooling is such an important part of the self directed learning process.

What helps to keep her focused on the self directed path?

The challenges of conventional schooling

Reading and why so many children have lost the joy to read

Why children should be at the centre of education

How she approaches testing in a state that requires homeschoolers to test every year

What a week in her holistic learning community, SHINE Together looks like

The advantages of home education

Advice to parents that are new to learning at home with their children

Why it's important to help your child establish a rhythm and not a strict schedule

Many more families are beginning to question the model of schooling and if it is where their children learn best. If you are a parent that is looking for alternatives to school and how you can best support your children on their life learning path, there's no time like the present to start. Mandy suggests, "Think about the values and educational philosophies that are specific to your family. Find the groups and communities that are out there that can support you." I am sure you will find more alternatives. If you need a little more help on this path, don't be afraid to reach out.

Resources

SHINE Together Facebook

https://www.shinetogethermn.com/

If you would like to learn more about Micro schools, or other alternatives to conventional school, check out my episode on Microschools with Mara Linaberger. I speak with Daniel Greenburg, one of the original founders of the Sudbury Valley School, the longest running Democratic School in North America here. If you would like to be inspired by a parent that saw the importance of nature along with natural learning, listen to my episode with Michelle Goulet, founder of Wild Child Forest and Nature school.

If you enjoy the show and it has provided value, you can support the show through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

By becoming a patron, you will receive a special episode bonus that Mandy and I recorded on the topic of reading and when or if there is a time that a child 'should' begin to read. Look out for more to come!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E75: A Case For Self Directed Teens: Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School?

Wed, 27 May 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Blake Boles is a writer, speaker, adventurer, and advocate for self-directed learning. He has spent more than a decade working with unconventionally educated teenagers through the trip-leading company he founded, Unschool Adventures. Originally from California, Blake has lived and traveled across the world. His previous books include The Art of Self-Directed Learning, Better Than College, and College Without High School, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Psychology Today, Fox Business, USA Today, NPR affiliate radio, and the blogs of Wired and The Wall Street Journal. Visit blakeboles.com to follow Blake’s work and adventures.

Self Directed Teens

Blake Boles was in University, unsure of which major and path to pursue when he discovered John Taylor Gatto. John Taylor Gatto's critique on the school system led Blake into learning more about unschooling, democratic free schools and self directed learning. Really, Blake had entered the alternative learning rabbit hole. He became convinced that this was much more important than what he had planned to pursue before. He ended up designing his own major at Berkeley University. (He called it Alternative schooling and Science). After graduation he eventually found his way to Not Back To School Camp and became a staff member there. Surrounded by self directed teens, Blake was inspired. He is known for being the go-to person on self directed teens.

Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School?

Blake Boles returns to Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids podcast to talk about his fantastic new book, Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School? I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to any parent that is looking at other options than traditional school. This book is not about reforming the public education system. It is a resource for parents that realize that traditional school is no longer working for their child and are ready to try something different.

In This Episode

Even though this book is not about reforming the public education system, we do discuss public education, the importance it plays for society today (it may not be what you are thinking) and how Blake sees it serving our future world. We also talk about the list of different options that parents have outside of the traditional system and aside from homeschooling. We go further to discuss;

Why there is no one solution that fits all

When alternative methods in learning and education can become dogmatic

Why the burden of proof has been on those that have taken the alternative path

The battle of nature vs nurture and intensive parenting. How much influence do parents really hold over shaping their children's lives?

Why we invest in building up trust with our kids

Our current education situation in the time of COVID. Is this really a boom for homeschooling?

Baby steps to becoming self directed

Blake's 'Model for Life'

If you are a self directed teen, a parent of self directed teens or would like to be one of these, I suggest that you check out the fantastic resources that Blake offers. Books, videos, podcast~you can find these on his website. If you would like to listen to another interview of Blake, you can check out his first appearance on Honey! I'm Homeschooling The Kids here.

Resources

Blake Boles Dot Com

Book: Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids To School?

Podcast: Off Trail Learning

John Taylor Gatto

Not Back To School Camp

Grace Llewellyn- The Teenage Liberation Handbook

Jane McGonigal

If you enjoy the show and it has provided value, you can support the show through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E74: Look For The Helpers: Work Schedules & Family Rhythms

Fri, 22 May 2020 09:02:00 +0000

Work Schedules and Family Rhythms: Jim and Jamie Sheils

I went looking for helpers and I found Jim and Jamie Sheils.

Jim and Jamie Sheils help busy professionals create deeper, more connected, more meaningful relationships with their spouse and children so they can have the family life they've always imagined. As successful entrepreneurs with a family of six, Jim & Jamie speak all over the world, guiding others in igniting their family life, as they grow and nurture their business life. Through their book, the Amazon best-seller “The Family Board Meeting,” and their entrepreneur family-serving organization, 18 Summers, Jim & Jamie are helping to transform families and show them how to make the most of the time they have together.

Jim and Jamie believe in honesty and connection and aren't afraid to incorporate a life of adventure into their large family. They have 4 kids from ages toddler to teens, run 2 businesses and do this while home educating, alternative schooling and experiential learning. It sounds pretty spectacular, doesn't it? But the Sheils family is quick to point out that they are not perfect. Perfection is not the goal. Schedules and Rhythms, consistency and communication are the tools they utilize. They celebrate their wins, focus on what's going well and build on that. They are the first to recommend taking the pressure of perfection off of the table.

In This Episode

In this episode we talk about many of the concerns that families are facing during this pandemic;

Learning From Home - What kind of environment do we provide to learn?

The Education Matrix- The grassroots foundation of success that they created, use in their family and teach to others -(The 3 key skills that people always use and need in life but are not taught in schools.)

Working from Home -Creating boundaries and expectations and sticking to them. The importance of having a separate space to work.

Schedules and Rhythms. What is the difference between schedules and rhythms and how do these play a part in their home life, learning life and work life?

'Work Puking" :) Why Jim is good at "Work Puking" and how he is able to control it, feel less overwhelmed but more present and connected. (A new word I'm enjoying)

Taking the pressure of perfection off. Start where you can and if it's not working, then you can change it. Revise, revise revise.

The Enterprise of Family Life. Are we cheating connection or enhancing our connection?

Dealing with Conflict in the home. How to avoid turning a 10 minute issue into a 3 day issue.

Why it's not the time to put your head in the sand. Take inventory and assess~Does your business need work? What about your family?

"If our children can see us look for help, then they will know that they too can reach for it when they need it."
Jamie Sheils

Resources

Connect with the Sheils and the 18 Summers Tribe

Instagram

Capturing The Charmed Life

Private Facebook Group

Website: https://18summers.com/

Jim was one of the first guests on my podcast! You can check out the interview here to find out more about their family and why they chose the alternative learning path.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E73: Look For The Helpers: Thrive, Not Just Survive

Thu, 14 May 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Thrive, Not Just Survive with Teresa Wiedrick

Teresea Wiedrick joins me on this edition of my special series, Look For The Helpers. We talk about learning, homeschooling, and living through a an epidemic with teenagers. How do we manage overwhelm and learn to thrive, not just survive?

Teresa Wiedrick is eager to share the freedoms of the homeschool lifestyle with the skeptical, the intrigued, and the curious. Twelve years ago, she searched for arguments against homeschooling, and that search shifted her family’s next decade. She is now a hearty advocate of home education and encourages other homeschool families to turn their challenges into their charmed homeschool lives.
Having homeschooled for more than twelve years, Teresa is very aware of the intense nature of this lifestyle. "A mama has got to practice self-care so she can thrive, not just survive," Teresa says.
Teresa is president of the British Columbia Home Education Association and will release her book, “Homeschool Mama Self-Care: Thrive not Just Survive” very very soon.
She can be found on-line at www.capturingthecharmedlife.com, www.instagram.com/capturing_the_charmed_life

In This Episode

In this special episode Teresa talks about some of the challenges that parents face as they try to home educate their children and the solutions that can last a lifetime. We discuss;

Working while homeschooling~is there ever really the 'perfect' balance?
Keeping our kids engaged
Socialization vs social opportunities
Why knowing your purpose helps guide any activities throughout your days
Managing Intense Emotions
Overwhelm and negative self-talk
Self Care

We also talk about what becomes important in learning and education, new ways that we can approach our current reality and supporting unexpected home learners with teens.

Teresa's family has experienced a pandemic crisis before. The isolation, uncertainty and lack of control are not new to them. It is only fitting that as I look for the helpers, she is one that I find.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Just go to my contact page and send me a message. If you would like to contact Teresa, you can find her contact below, along with the resources that we talked about in this episode.

Resources

The Homeschooling Option: How To Decide When It's Right For Your Family

Hold On To Your Kids~Dr. Gordon Neufeld

Joseph Campbell

Ryan Reynolds Instagram (share a few of the laughs ;)

You may have heard us reference Julie Bogart in the episode. Julie was also a guest on this podcast. If you'd like to hear her interview, you can go here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E72: Look For The Helpers: Parenting and Being Human

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Look For The Helpers~ A Series

“Anyone who has ever been able to sustain good work has had at least one person – and often many – who have believed in him or her. We just don’t get to be competent human beings without a lot of different investments from others… From the time you were very little, you’ve had people who have smiled you into smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved you into loving.” Fred Rogers

This is the beginning of a special series titled, "Look For The Helpers". It's inspired by the late Fred Rogers who was the creator and host of the long running television show, Mr. Rogers neighbourhood. Fred Rogers was a champion of children and his mission was to spread kindness and connection throughout the world. Mr Rogers' mother would tell him "look for the helpers" whenever he felt scared or there was a catastrophe. Because when you "look for the helpers", you will know there is hope.

Each person that I interview in this series has been a helper to me either directly or indirectly. During this COVID pandemic, I think that we can all use a little help and that is why I am sharing my helpers with you. I want to give some hope, to inspire you, to support you, to "talk you into talking" and to "smile you into smiling".

We will focus on dealing with fear and anxiety, parenting, working from home while supporting our children, learning from home during times of stress, strengthening our connection with family and community and gathering the tools that will strengthen us not just during a catastrophe, but at anytime in our life.

My First Helper: David Irvine

The first episode of this series is about becoming an authentic leader within our home. We focus on being human and why that empowers our personal self, our parenting and our relationships. My "helper" is David Irvine the Leaders Navigator. David brings his expertise and genuine care to this episode.

David is a speaker, advisor, author and former family therapist. He is also a husband, father and grandfather. David has inspired me through his work and his writings. We share similar values and his genuine care connects with my heart. David believes in strong character and facing the demands of reality. He believes in the roots of self respect, the power of love and the goodness of people. And he believes in being human and having patience with ourselves and with our kids.

In This Episode: Parenting and Being Human

In this episode David and I talk about how these values play a role in parenting and how to be a "good enough parent". We also talk about how they can sustain us in raising our children and finding joy in the process.

During these times of isolation and change we explore what is important in these days;

why it is not a time of high productivity but a time of creation and connection.

why personal development is the best gift we can give to others

how we can get to know ourselves on a deeper level, within the walls of our home

the importance of separating our own identity with that of our kids and the ways that we can do this

why we need to be easier on ourselves and not be afraid to be human with each other

Acknowledging and talking about our fears

Identifying wants vs needs

How we can have an external community and an internal community

David's Wall of Influence~ recognizing the people in life that help make us and support us

I would like to thank David Irvine for sharing his wisdom and being a helper. If you would like to connect with David you can find him at his website https://www.davidirvine.com/

If you would like to hear more about finding opportunities for learning during COVID, check out my episode with Mara Linaberger http://imhomeschooling.com/homeschooling-during-covid/

Support the show through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Follow me on instagram: instagram.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honeyimhomeschoolingthekids/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E71: Homeschooling During COVID? Opportunities for Learning

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Mara Linaberger joins me to talk about the changes that families are facing as everyone finds themselves homeschooling during COVID. What are the opportunities for learning? Are you homeschooling or doing school-at-home? We discuss the effects that COVID could have on the education system and helpful tools for parents during this time.

About Mara

Mara Linaberger's essential belief is that each of us has chosen to be here on the planet at this moment in time for a specific reason - that we're all on a mission we chose for ourselves.

And figuring out what it is that we love, what we're good at, and why we've chosen to be here now, is the main reason for continuing to engage in rich and meaningful learning throughout a lifetime.

Mara also believes that many schools actually slow down or stifle those goals and outcomes. She's passionate about helping parents and kids figure out the very best ways to harness learning in order to develop to their highest potentials!

Mara is a life-long educator, author, musician, and artist, having spent 25 years in service as a public school educator, teacher trainer, and administrator. She first earned her doctorate in Instructional Technology, then went on to earn a Superintendent's Letter of Eligibility in the state of Pennsylvania. Having seen the reality of school from top to bottom, she then sensed it was time for her to change directions.

Mara began to explore new ways of teaching and learning with her first business, Mindful Technology Consultants. Mara currently lives with her husband Michael in Harmony, PA. Her newest endeavor, Microschool Builders - is a virtual company that supports teachers across the globe to envision, launch, and network a bespoke microschool of their very own.

In This Episode

Are you homeschooling during COVID? Is this new to you? In this episode we talked about considering your options at home as opposed to re-creating school at home. Mara provides insight and tools for parents. I asked Mara;

What effect will COVID have on education as we know it?

Why is it easier to make changes outside of the bigger school system?

What should our main concerns be for our kids right now? (Here's a hint- it's not grades and the amount of school work completed)

The tools kids need to be effective learners

Deprograming and Deschooling

Helpful tools for parents

The skills of self regulation

The benefits of boredom

Why we don't want to recreate the classroom in our dining room

Self Directed Learning

What can a parent do right now to best support their child?

In response to the many families homeschooling during COVID, the Micro School Builders Network are opening their doors to families. Kids have the chance to attend a week of virtual classes with a Micro-School. You can go to their website to find out more~ https://microschoolbuilders.com/programs/network/

Resources

Micro-School Builders- https://microschoolbuilders.com/

Documentary - Class Dismissed

Micro-School Builders Facebook

Mara has been a previous guest on the show. If you'd like to learn more about Micro-School Builders you can go to this episode~ http://imhomeschooling.com/micro-schools-mara-linaberger/ . Mara has been working with families for years to help them find the best educational setting. That means a place that allows their kids to be happy and thriving. She talks more about this work in this episode, http://imhomeschooling.com/hihtk-004-help-my-child-hates-school/

Support the show through Patreon https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E70: Education Demystified: Lessons From a Principal, Teacher, Homeschooler

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 10:03:00 +0000

Golda David is a teacher, former school principal and homeschooling mom. Golda is the homeschool facilitator for our school division’s homeschool program, supporting families in alternative education, homeschooling and unschooling. She is also our family’s personal homeschool facilitator. And no surprise, she is an advocate for self directed learning.

Golda shares how she went from public school principal to homeschooling her son and running a program that is unique to our province. And she does this all as a single mom.

We talk about;

Why and how the school system is due for a change
Her biggest struggles to homeschooling as a single parent and public school educator
Her advice to parents that are interested in homeschooling and in need of a confidence boost
The 3 myths in education

Standardized testing (are they an accurate measure of learning?)
Reading-(Why it’s not the end of the world if your child is a late reader)
Learning must be rigorous (When play and autonomy=rigour)

Go to http://imhomeschooling.com/education-demystified-lessons-from-a-principal-teacher-homeschooler/ for show notes.

Resources

Marie Battiste: Decolonizing Education

Teaching in a Cold and Windy Place: Change in an Inuit School

Ivan Illich: Deschooling Society

John Taylor Gatto: https://www.johntaylorgatto.com/

John Holt: https://www.johnholtgws.com/

Peter Gray: Free To Learn

On Standardized Testing

Alfie Kohn: https://www.alfiekohn.org/

W. James Popham (on Standardized Testing): http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don%27t-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx

Todd Farley: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/574656/making-the-grades-by-todd-farley/

Mark Garrison: https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Failure-Political-Origins-Standardized/dp/1438427786

Connect or hear more from Golda:

Website: www.demystifyingeducation.com

First Nation Education: A Study https://firstnationsstudents.weebly.com/

Contact her via email: davidg@prsd.ab.ca or phone (1)780-219-2119

Ways To Support The Show

Patreon: Your support helps make the show production possible. https://www.patreon.com/honeyimhomeschoolingthekids

Leave a Review: Leave a review on itunes.

Share the show on Social Media: You can tag me on Instagram or share on Facebook @honeyimhomeschooliongthekids

If you want to learn more about some of the authors mentioned in this episode, check out my interview with Peter Gray or Pat Farenga (co-author with John Holt). If you would like to hear more from teachers turned Unschoolers, check out my episode with Leah McDermott.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S4E69: Democratic and Self Directed: Monica Truong

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 10:02:00 +0000

Monica Truong, unschooling mom and self directed learning advocate. In this episode Monica "schools" me on child-led democratic education, self directed learning and creating a culture of respect, trust and sovereignty.

Democratic and Self Directed

Monica Truong was born in Vietnam and came to Canada with her family as a refugee at the age of 6. She has a BSc in Chemistry and likes to joke that she works with the "chemistry" of people, as she has never worked in her field of study. Monica taught English in Asia for 12 years and travelled to as many countries. When her oldest started school, Monica also decided to go back to school and received her diploma in Architectural Technology. In another twist of fate, she never worked in that field either and started homeschooling instead. Monica is learning and living with her husband and two daughters. Two years ago, she and two other moms, Sheri Daley and Sarah Atkinson, started the Chinook Free Learners Community Coop. Chinook Free Learners is a child-led, democratic learning centre inspired by Sudbury School and Agile Learning Centres.

What To Listen For In This Episode

The three reasons that led Monica to unschooling
The beliefs that she had to let go of around what it means to be a good or "smart" student
Why she is an advocate for self directed learning and democratic schooling
What she tells her traditionally minded parents about unschooling and their democratic learning centre
Self directed learning and how it works
How a democratic, agile learning centre works
Will kids learn if you don't teach them?
What about math and reading?
Won't kids make bad choices if they are given freedom?
The biggest challenges for Chinook Free Learners and unschooling?
Letting go of mom guilt
Monica's hope for education and children?
What advice would she give to a parent that's interested in unschooling or a democratic learning centre?

Monica's hope for children is that they know they are powerful, that they are free and sovereign people and that they can make a difference in the world. I think that she is well on her way to making this a reality.

Notable Quotes and Resources

"I read a book called 'A Child Called It'....After reading it I came to the realization that our children will love us, no matter how awful we can be as parents and it made me want to do the best I can. Well actually, better than I can. Because I want to feel that I really deserve the love of my children." Monica Truong

"I homeschool because the type of education that I think is best for my kids are not available in public school, not because schools are inherently evil. They, like any man-made innovation can be used for good or evil. Public schools serve a very practical, useful purpose-to take care of our children while we adults go about our work." Monica Truong

"If unschooling was a religion, it would be Tao.

"Trust Your Children. Nothing could be more simple, or more difficult because to trust children we must first learn to trust ourselves, and most of us were taught as children that we could not be trusted." John Holt

"We worry about what our children will become tomorrow. We forget that they are someone today." Stacy Tauscher

Contact Monica or Chinook Free Learners

Chinook Free Learners website

Chinook Free Learners Facebook

Resources

Exploring Unschooling

Mortensen Math